Skip to main content
Have a personal or library account? Click to login
Partners in Recovery: A Case Study of a National Support Coordination Program for People with Severe and Persistent Mental Illness Cover

Partners in Recovery: A Case Study of a National Support Coordination Program for People with Severe and Persistent Mental Illness

Open Access
|May 2026

References

  1. Fernandez A, Gillespie JA, Smith-Merry J, Feng X, Astell-Burt T, Maas C, et al. Integrated mental health atlas of the Western Sydney Local Health District: gaps and recommendations. Aust Health Rev. 2017 Mar;41(1):3844. PubMed PMID: 27007640. Epub 2016/03/24. DOI: 10.1071/AH15154
  2. Productivity Commission Mental Health Inquiry Report. Canberra2020.
  3. Rosenburg S, Salvador-Carulla L. PERSPECTIVES: Accountability for Mental Health: The Australian Experience. The Journal of Mental Health Policy and Economics. 2017;20(1):3754. PMCID: 28418836.
  4. Hancock N, Scanlan JN, Gillespie JA, Smith-Merry J, Yen I. Partners in Recovery program evaluation: changes in unmet needs and recovery. Aust Health Rev. 2018 Aug;42(4):445452. PubMed PMID: 28693718. Epub 2017/07/12. DOI: 10.1071/AH17004
  5. Hannigan B, Simpson A, Coffey M, Barlow S, Jones A. Care Coordination as Imagined, Care Coordination as Done: Findings from a Cross-national Mental Health Systems Study. International Journal of Integrated Care. 2018 2018-08-23;18(3). DOI: 10.5334/ijic.3978
  6. Hynes DM, Thomas KC. Realigning theory with evidence to understand the role of care coordination in mental health services research. International Journal of Care Coordination. 2023 Jun;26(2):5561. PubMed PMID: 37333504. PMCID: PMC10273861. Epub 20230216. DOI: 10.1177/20534345231153801
  7. Jones A, Hannigan B, Coffey M, Simpson A. Traditions of research in community mental health care planning and care coordination: A systematic meta-narrative review of the literature. PLoS One. 2018;13(6):e0198427. PubMed PMID: 29933365. PMCID: PMC6014652. Epub 20180622. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0198427
  8. Alliance AP. Submission to the Independent Review of the National Disability Insurance Scheme Australian Psychosocial Alliance; 2022.
  9. MHCC. Productivity Commission Inquiry into Mental Health: NSW Mental Health Coordinating Council Submission NSW. Mental Health Coordinating Council; 2019.
  10. Gillespie J, Smith-Merry J, Hancock N, Yen I. Western Sydney Partners In Recovery – Final Report. University of Sydney: Menzies Centre for Health Policy; 2016.
  11. Isaacs A, Sutton AJ, Beauchamp A. Recovery oriented services for persons with severe mental illness can focus on meeting needs through care coordination. Journal of Mental Health Policy and Economics. 2020;23(2):5560.
  12. Furst MA, Bagheri N, Salvador-Carulla L. An ecosystems approach to mental health services research. BJPsych International. 2021 2021-02-01;18(1):2325. DOI: 10.1192/bji.2020.24
  13. Hurley J, Cashin A, Mills J, Hutchinson M, Kozlowski D, Graham I. Qualitative study of peer workers within the ‘Partners in Recovery’ programme in regional Australia. Int J Ment Health Nurs. 2018 Feb;27(1):187195. PubMed PMID: 28000980. Epub 2016/12/22. DOI: 10.1111/inm.12308
  14. Smith-Merry J, Gillespie J, Hancock N, Yen I. Doing mental health care integration: a qualitative study of a new work role. Int J Ment Health Syst. 2015;9:32. PubMed PMID: 26300963. PMCID: PMC4546146. Epub 2015/08/25. DOI: 10.1186/s13033-015-0025-7
  15. Jones A, Purcal C, valentine k, Aadam B. Partners in Recovery Evaluation: Final Report. Sydney, Australia: Social Policy Research Centre; 2016.
  16. Wands MMH, Byrne A, Carklins L. West Moreton-Oxley PIR Evaluation Third Year Evaluation Report. Moffat Beach: Connetica Consulting; 2016.
  17. Rosenberg S RC, Boyer P, Gleeson P, Russell P. Culture clash? Recovery in mental health under Australia’s National Disability Insurance Scheme – a case study. Public Health Research and Practice. 2019;29(4). DOI: 10.17061/phrp29011902
  18. NDIA. Accessing Mental Health Supports 2024. Available from: https://www.ndis.gov.au/understanding/how-ndis-works/psychosocial-disability/accessing-mental-health-supports#:~:text=The%20NDIS%20can%20provide%20support,people%20with%20mental%20health%20conditions.
  19. National Disability Insurance Scheme Act 2013, Stat. 20 (2013).
  20. Smith-Merry J, N. Hancock, A. Bresnan, I. Yen, J. Gilroy, G. Llewellyn. Mind the Gap: The National Disability Insurance Scheme and psychosocial disability. Final Report: Stakeholder identified gaps and solutions. Sydney: University of Sydney; 2018. Contract No.: ISBN: 978-1-74210-430-0.
  21. Health Policy Analysis Analysis of unmet need for psychosocial supports outside of the National Disability Insurance Scheme. St Leonards: Health Policy Analysis; 2024.
  22. Shelby-James T, Duncan A, Rattray M, Reed R. National disability insurance scheme access: What evidence do you need to provide for psychosocial disability? Australasian Psychiatry. 2023;31(2). DOI: 10.1177/10398562231154117
  23. Hamilton D, Hancock N, Scanlan JN. Impeded choice and control within the NDIS: experiences of people living with psychosocial disability. Disability & Society. 2023-9-26. DOI: 10.1080/09687599.2023.2263629
  24. Bonyhady B, Paul L. Working together to deliver the NDIS. Independent Review into the National Disability Insurance Scheme Final Report. 2023.
  25. Isaacs A, Firdous F. A Care Coordination Model Can Facilitate Interagency Collaboration When Designing Recovery-Oriented Services. Journal of Psychosocial Nursing & Mental Health Services. 2019;57(4):3843. DOI: 10.3928/02793695-20181128-01
  26. Arksey H, O’Malley L. Scoping studies: towards a methodological framework. International Journal of Social Research Methodology. 2005 2005-02-01;8(1):1932. DOI: 10.1080/1364557032000119616
  27. Tricco AC, Lillie E, Zarin W, O’Brien KK, Colquhoun H, Levac D, et al. PRISMA Extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR): Checklist and Explanation. Annals of Internal Medicine. 2018-09-04;169(7). DOI: 10.7326/M18-0850
  28. Moher D, Liberati A, Tetzlaff J, Altman DG, Group TP. Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses: The PRISMA Statement. PLOS Medicine. Jul 21, 2009.6(7). DOI: 10.1371/journal.pmed.1000097
  29. Gulliver A, Morse AR, Wilson N, Sargent G, Banfield M. An evaluation of a tailored care program for complex and persistent mental health problems: Partners in Recovery program. Eval Program Plann. 2018 Jun;68:99107. PubMed PMID: 29539584. Epub 2018/03/15. DOI: 10.1016/j.evalprogplan.2018.03.001
  30. Banfield M, Forbes O. Health and social care coordination for severe and persistent mental illness in Australia: a mixed methods evaluation of experiences with the Partners in Recovery Program. Int J Ment Health Syst. 2018;12:13. PubMed PMID: 29636791. PMCID: PMC5883333. Epub 2018/04/11. DOI: 10.1186/s13033-018-0194-2
  31. Stewart V, Slattery M, Roennfeldt H, Wheeler AJ. Partners in Recovery: Paving the way for the National Disability Insurance Scheme. Australian Journal of Primary Health. 2018;24(3). DOI: 10.1071/PY17136
  32. Waks S, Scanlan JN, Berry B, Schweizer R, Hancock N, Honey A. Outcomes identified and prioritised by consumers of Partners in Recovery: a consumer-led study. BMC Psychiatry. 2017 Oct 6;17(1):338. PubMed PMID: 28985728. PMCID: PMC6389213. Epub 2017/10/08. DOI: 10.1186/s12888-017-1498-5
  33. Isaacs A, Beauchamp A, Sutton K, Kocaali N. Care Coordination Can Reduce Unmet Needs of Persons With Severe and Persistent Mental Illness. Front Psychiatry. 2019;10:563. PubMed PMID: 31447714. PMCID: PMC6697021. Epub 2019/08/27. DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2019.00563
  34. Trankle SA, Reath J. Partners in Recovery: an early phase evaluation of an Australian mental health initiative using program logic and thematic analysis. BMC Health Serv Res. 2019 Jul 26;19(1):524. PubMed PMID: 31349841. PMCID: PMC6660922. Epub 2019/07/28. DOI: 10.1186/s12913-019-4360-2
  35. Isaacs AN, Dalziel K, Sutton K, Maybery D. Referral patterns and implementation costs of the Partners in Recovery initiative in Gippsland: learnings for the National Disability Insurance Scheme. Australas Psychiatry. 2018 Dec;26(6):586589. PubMed PMID: 29457488. Epub 2018/02/20. DOI: 10.1177/1039856218759408
  36. Smith-Merry J, Gillespie J. Embodying policy-making in mental health: the implementation of Partners in Recovery. Health Sociology Review. 2016;25(2):187201. DOI: 10.1080/14461242.2016.1171120
  37. Horsfall D, Paton J, Carrington A. Experiencing recovery: findings from a qualitative study into mental illness, self and place. J Ment Health. 2018 Aug;27(4):307313. PubMed PMID: 28980488. Epub 2017/10/06. DOI: 10.1080/09638237.2017.1385736
  38. Henderson J, Javanparast S, Baum F, Freeman T, Fuller J, Ziersch A, et al. Interagency collaboration in primary mental health care: lessons from the Partners in Recovery program. Int J Ment Health Syst. 2019;13:37. PubMed PMID: 31164917. PMCID: PMC6543583. Epub 2019/06/06. DOI: 10.1186/s13033-019-0297-4
  39. Brophy L, Hodges C, Halloran K, Grigg M, Swift M. Impact of care coordination on Australia’s mental health service delivery system. Aust Health Rev. 2014 Sep;38(4):396400. PubMed PMID: 25000849. Epub 2014/07/09. DOI: 10.1071/AH13181
  40. Clarke KL, Burns E. Can Co-location Address Fragmented Rural Mental Health Care Delivery? Evidence from Victoria, Australia. Australasian Journal of Regional Studies. 2017;23(2):174194.
  41. Hancock N, Smith-Merry J, McKenzie K. Facilitating people living with severe and persistent mental illness to transition from prison to community: a qualitative exploration of staff experiences. Int J Ment Health Syst. 2018;12:45. PubMed PMID: 30116292. PMCID: PMC6085690. Epub 2018/08/18. DOI: 10.1186/s13033-018-0225-z
  42. Schweizer R, Honey A, Hancock N, Berry B, Waks S, Scanlan JN. Consumer-provider relationships in a care coordination model of service: consumer perspectives. Advances in Mental Health. 2018;16(1):88100. DOI: 10.1080/18387357.2018.1425095
  43. Sutton K, Isaacs AN, Dalziel K, Maybery D. Roles and competencies of the Support Facilitator in Australia’s recovery-oriented mental health initiative: a qualitative study from Gippsland, Victoria. Aust Health Rev. 2017 Mar;41(1):9197. PubMed PMID: 27074116. Epub 2016/04/14. DOI: 10.1071/AH15183
  44. Cheverton J, Janamian T. The Partners in Recovery program: mental health commissioning using value co-creation. Med J Aust. 2016 Apr 18;204(7):S38S40. PubMed PMID: 27078791. Epub 2016/04/15. DOI: 10.5694/mja16.00124
  45. Hancock N, Scanlan JN, Honey A, Bundy A, O’Shea K. Recovery Assessment Scale – Domains and Stages (RAS-DS): Its feasility and outcome measurement capacity. Australian & New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry. 2015;49(7):624633. DOI: 10.1177/0004867414564084
  46. Hancock N, Smith-Merry J, Jessup G, Wayland S, Kokany A. Understanding the ups and downs of living well: the voices of people experiencing early mental health recovery. BMC Psychiatry. 2018 May 4;18(1):121. PubMed PMID: 29728097. PMCID: PMC5935906. Epub 2018/05/08. DOI: 10.1186/s12888-018-1703-1
  47. Hancock N, Smith-Merry J, Gillespie JA, Yen I. Is the Partners in Recovery program connecting with the intended population of people living with severe and persistent mental illness? What are their prioritised needs? Aust Health Rev. 2017 Oct;41(5):566572. PubMed PMID: 27584006. Epub 2016/09/02. DOI: 10.1071/AH15248
  48. Shelby-James T, Rattray M, Raymond G, Reed R. Capacity building for mental health services: methodology and lessons learned from the Partners in Recovery initiative. Aust J Prim Health. 2023 Sep 12. PubMed PMID: 37697656. Epub 2023/09/12.
  49. McKenzie K, Smith-Merry J. Responding to Complexity in the Context of the National Disability Insurance Scheme. Social Policy and Society. 2022;22(1):139154. DOI: 10.1017/S1474746422000562
  50. Salvador-Carulla L, Furst MA, Gillespie J, Rosenberg S, Aryani A, Anthes L, et al. Regional evolution of psychosocial services in Australia before and after the implementation of the National Disability Insurance Scheme. Australian & New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry. 2023;57(6). DOI: 10.1177/00048674221130981
  51. Rogers B, Dunne E. A qualitative study on the use of the care programme approach with individuals with borderline personality disorder: a service user perspective. J Psychosoc Nurs Ment Health Serv. 2013 Oct;51(10):3845. PubMed PMID: 23855437. Epub 20130712. DOI: 10.3928/02793695-20130628-03
DOI: https://doi.org/10.5334/ijic.9129 | Journal eISSN: 1568-4156
Language: English
Page range: 11 - 11
Submitted on: Jan 30, 2025
Accepted on: May 7, 2026
Published on: May 20, 2026
Published by: Ubiquity Press
In partnership with: Paradigm Publishing Services
Publication frequency: 4 issues per year

© 2026 Jennifer Smith-Merry, Joel Hollier, Nicola Hancock, Bill Gye, Luis Salvador-Carulla, Kieran Halloran, William Campos, Sebastian Rosenberg, published by Ubiquity Press
This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.