WAAMH secures Australia’s international IPS status

Friday 13 June 2025

After more than a decade of advocacy and hard work by the WA Association for Mental Health’s IPS Works team, Australia has officially been invited to join an esteemed international group of Individual Placement and Support (IPS) providers, researchers and leaders.

The US-based International IPS Learning Community comprises of 26 US states as well as New Zealand, England, Canada, France, Italy, Spain and the Netherlands. And now, the association has secured Australia’s place in the group.

The community was co-founded by the creators of the IPS model, making it a hub for the latest research, knowledge and training around the use of the supported employment model.

Manager of Operations and Business Development, Cassie MacDonald, said Australia’s membership in the international community would benefit all Australians who deliver or receive support using the IPS model.

“By securing the nation’s membership in this community, our team have created an opportunity for all Australian IPS providers to learn from the best, but also to share our Australian context and data with the rest of the world,” she said.

“This membership certainly puts Australia on the map as a quality provider of IPS – it’s recognition that our delivery of the IPS model is world-class.

“Our IPS team have worked tirelessly to become the Australian Centre of Excellence for Individual Placement and Support, and we look forward to continuing our work, and further building our relationship with the international IPS community.”

In recognition of their expertise, WAAMH’s IPS team has been invited to take part in the International IPS Learning Community’s annual conference in Nashville as an honorary member for the past 10 years.

With Australia now set to become an official member, any of the nation’s IPS providers will now be able to take part in the community’s bi-monthly calls, ongoing training, research and events.

The IPS model helps individuals with mental health challenges to gain or remain in meaningful paid employment, based on the idea that with the right job match and appropriate support, a mental health challenge should not be a barrier to anyone gaining or maintaining competitive employment. 

WAAMH’s IPS Works team have been providing training and fidelity reviews for over ten years, supporting more than 60 sites around Australia in total, where the model is used across all age groups and services.

Find out more about IPS or engage our IPS Works team to help you deliver the IPS employment model to your clients.