Consumer, health professional and employment specialist experiences of an individual placement and support programme.

Background: Individuals with severe mental illness (SMI) are under-represented in the workforce. The Individual Placement and Support (IPS) programme is an evidence-based intervention that co-locates an Employment Specialist in a community mental health team to support individuals with a SMI with their goal of finding work. Previous research predominantly explored IPS programme outcomes rather than stakeholder experiences.

The benefits of sensory modulation on levels of distress for consumers in a mental health emergency setting.

Objectives: This paper reports a pilot study exploring the benefits of offering sensory modulation within a mental health emergency setting for consumers experiencing distress during a psychiatric presentation.

Methods: Seventy-four consumers with a mental health presentation reported on their sensory modulation use experiences during their stay in a South Australian tertiary teaching hospital emergency department. An evaluation form was used to document use of items, self-reported distress pre and post sensory modulation use, and other consumer experiences.