Partners in Recovery: paving the way for the National Disability Insurance Scheme
Victoria Stewart A B D , Maddy Slattery A B , Helena Roennfeldt B and Amanda J. Wheeler A B CA Menzies Health Institute Queensland, Griffith University, Gold Coast, Qld 4222, Australia.
B School of Human Services and Social Work, Griffith University, Meadowbrook, Qld 4131, Australia.
C Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand.
D Corresponding author. Email: v.stewart@griffith.edu.au
Australian Journal of Primary Health 24(3) 208-215 https://doi.org/10.1071/PY17136
Submitted: 21 September 2017 Accepted: 28 December 2017 Published: 6 April 2018
Abstract
Australians experiencing severe and persistent mental illness and who require services from multiple agencies, experience a fragmented service delivery system. In 2014, the Commonwealth Government introduced the Partners in Recovery (PIR) service, which provides service coordination and flexible funding to improve outcomes for this group of people. This study presents qualitative findings from a research project that aimed to understand the experiences of PIR participants, including aspects of the planning process and the effectiveness of the PIR program in meeting their needs from the perspective of the participant, their carer or family member and other support people within their lives. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 31 stakeholders involved in the PIR program, of which 14 were participants, 17 were members of the participant’s support network and three were members of a consumer and carer advisory group. Overall participation in the PIR program had a positive effect on the participant’s lives. Relationships with the support facilitators were seen as an important element of the process, along with a focus on recovery-oriented goals and advocacy and linking to other agencies. These findings are important for informing the roll-out of the National Disability Insurance Scheme in Australia, which will replace PIR.
Additional keywords: care coordination, mental health, recovery, relationship, service delivery, support planning.
References
Adair CE, McDougall GM, Mitton CR, Joyce AS, Wild TC, Gordon A, Costigan N, Kowalsky L, Pasmeny G, Beckie A (2005) Continuity of care and health outcomes among persons with severe mental illness. Psychiatric Services 56, 1061–1069.| Continuity of care and health outcomes among persons with severe mental illness.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Collings S, Dew A, Dowse L (2016) Support planning with people with intellectual disability and complex support needs in the Australian National Disability Insurance Scheme. Journal of Intellectual & Developmental Disability 41, 272–276.
| Support planning with people with intellectual disability and complex support needs in the Australian National Disability Insurance Scheme.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Department of Health and Ageing (2013) Partners in Recovery (PIR). Coordinated support and flexible funding for people with severe, persistent mental illness and complex needs initiative. Program guidelines for the engagement of PIR organisations 2012–13 to 2015–16. Available at http://www.health.gov.au/internet/main/publishing.nsf/content/7C73764C94CDDC02CA257BF0001A8D3D/$File/Partners%20in%20Recovery.pdf [Verified 2 February 2018]
Dickinson H, Carey G (2017) Managing care integration during the implementation of large-scale reforms: the case of the Australian National Disability Insurance Scheme. Journal of Integrated Care 25, 6–16.
| Managing care integration during the implementation of large-scale reforms: the case of the Australian National Disability Insurance Scheme.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Drake RE, Whitley RP (2014) Recovery and severe mental illness: description and analysis. Canadian Journal of Psychiatry 59, 236–242.
| Recovery and severe mental illness: description and analysis.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Ftanou M, Williamson M, Machlin A, Warr D, Christo J, Castan L, Harris M, Bassilios B, Pirkis J (2014) Evaluating the Better Access initiative: what do consumers have to say? Australian Social Work 67, 162–178.
| Evaluating the Better Access initiative: what do consumers have to say?Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Fusch PI, Ness LR (2015) Are we there yet? Data saturation in qualitative research. The Qualitative Report 20, 1408–1416.
Horvitz-Lennon M, Kilbourne AM, Pincus HA (2006) From silos to bridges: meeting the general health care needs of adults with severe mental illnesses. Health Affairs 25, 659–669.
| From silos to bridges: meeting the general health care needs of adults with severe mental illnesses.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Independent Advisory Council for the NDIS (2014) IAC advice on implementing the NDIS for people with mental health issues. (National Disability Insurance Agency: Canberra, ACT, Australia) Available at https://www.ndis.gov.au/about-us/governance/IAC/iac-advice-mental-health [Verified 21 September 2017]
Kim H, Sefcik JS, Bradway C (2017) Characteristics of qualitative descriptive studies: a systematic review. Research in Nursing & Health 40, 23–42.
| Characteristics of qualitative descriptive studies: a systematic review.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 1:CAS:528:DC%2BC28XitFKlt77N&md5=c35187479ee5352aed14a3723a1a667eCAS |
Mental Health Commission of New South Wales (2015) The NSW NDIS and mental health analysis partnership project. (Mental Health Commission of New South Wales: Gladesville, NSW, Australia) Available at https://nswmentalhealthcommission.com.au/resources/the-nsw-ndis-and-mental-health-analysis-partnership-project [Verified 21 September 2017]
Neergaard MA, Olesen F, Andersen RS, Sondergaard J (2009) Qualitative description – the poor cousin of health research? BMC Medical Research Methodology 9, 52
| Qualitative description – the poor cousin of health research?Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Sandelowski M (2000) Whatever happened to qualitative description? Research in Nursing & Health 23, 334–340.
| Whatever happened to qualitative description?Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 1:STN:280:DC%2BD3cvhsFCmtw%3D%3D&md5=d729953eca4817ddf0097d2b7910bce9CAS |
Sandelowski M (2010) What’s in a name? Qualitative description revisited. Research in Nursing & Health 33, 77–84.
Smith-Merry J, Gillespie J (2016) Embodying policy-making in mental health: the implementation of Partners in Recovery. Health Sociology Review 25, 187–201.
| Embodying policy-making in mental health: the implementation of Partners in Recovery.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Smith-Merry J, Gillespie J, Hancock N, Yen I (2015) Doing mental health care integration: a qualitative study of a new work role. International Journal of Mental Health Systems 9, 32–46.
| Doing mental health care integration: a qualitative study of a new work role.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Sutton K, Isaacs AN, Dalziel K, Maybery D (2017) Roles and competencies of the Support Facilitator in Australia’s recovery-oriented mental health initiative: a qualitative study from Gippsland, Victoria. Australian Health Review 41, 91–97.
| Roles and competencies of the Support Facilitator in Australia’s recovery-oriented mental health initiative: a qualitative study from Gippsland, Victoria.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Sweeney A, Rose D, Clement S, Jichi F, Jones IR, Burns T, Catty J, Mclaren S, Wykes T (2012) Understanding service user-defined continuity of care and its relationship to health and social measures: a cross-sectional study. BMC Health Services Research 12, 145
| Understanding service user-defined continuity of care and its relationship to health and social measures: a cross-sectional study.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Thomas DR (2006) A general inductive approach for analyzing qualitative evaluation data. The American Journal of Evaluation 27, 237–246.
| A general inductive approach for analyzing qualitative evaluation data.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Whiteford H, McKeon G, Harris M, Diminic S, Siskind D, Scheurer R (2014) System-level intersectoral linkages between the mental health and non-clinical support sectors: a qualitative systematic review. The Australian and New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry 48, 895–906.
| System-level intersectoral linkages between the mental health and non-clinical support sectors: a qualitative systematic review.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Williams V, Porter S, Strong S (2013) The shifting sands of support planning. Journal of Integrated Care 21, 139–147.
| The shifting sands of support planning.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Williams V, Porter S, Marriott A (2014) Your life, your choice: support planning led by disabled people’s organisations. British Journal of Social Work 44, 1197–1215.
| Your life, your choice: support planning led by disabled people’s organisations.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Willis DG, Sullivan-Bolyai S, Knafl K, Cohen MZ (2016) Distinguishing features and similarities between descriptive phenomenological and qualitative description research. Western Journal of Nursing Research 38, 1185–1204.
| Distinguishing features and similarities between descriptive phenomenological and qualitative description research.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
