Better health and ageing for all Australians

Programs

Partners in Recovery: independent literature review

As a response to stakeholder inquiries about how service providers from different sectors could be encouraged and engaged to actively participate in the PIR initiative, a literature review on intersectoral linkages has been commissioned by the department.

Partners in Recovery

. Program guidelines
. Invitation to apply for funding to become a PIR organisation
. Question & answer booklet, version 3
. Capacity building project
. Information paper 1
. Fact sheet
. Case studies
. Video of stakeholder interviews
. Information session video
. Information session presentation
. Literature review
.. System-level intersectoral linkages report

The literature review highlights potential barriers, and also identifies key mechanisms and enablers that can assist in improving and promoting intersectoral linkages. The literature review found that, for instance, the key mechanisms and enablers most important in making systems level coordination work are:

  • A formalised interagency collaborative agreement or memorandum of understanding
  • Joint service planning
  • A single multi-agency care plan for each client
  • A single information system or shared case records
  • Cross-training of staff
  • Joint service provision coordinated through regular communication
  • Blending funding initiatives
  • Service co-location and
  • Administration by a single lead agency.
Barriers that need to be overcome to facilitate the mechanisms listed above include:
  • Provision of adequate funding and technology
  • Ensuring realistic workloads
  • Overcoming 'turf issues' relating to differences in opinion between service providers and disagreements regarding areas of responsibility
  • Dealing with client confidentiality when information sharing
  • Ensuring system-level integration strategies are implemented as planned and
  • Maintaining stakeholder enthusiasm for the initiatives.
Potential PIR organisation applicants can use the literature review as a resource contributing to the regional planning and partnership development activities (for example, identifying enablers and barriers specific to the region, and helping providers to work more effectively together), and to support the development of their applications.

Literature review: System-level intersectoral linkages between the mental health and non-clinical support sectors