Collective approach of IPS employment support
Published:
June 29, 2026
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The Work Counts Individual Placement and Support (IPS) coverage map (June 2026) shows where IPS employment support can be found in Aotearoa New Zealand. As an overview of where services are currently available, it’s a foundational source of information gathered by Work Counts for the health and social sectors.
In this 2026 update, the map shows integration in secondary mental health services, as well as where IPS employment support is offered as part of housing, youth and other services. A set of appendices contains more detail about the number of full-time equivalent (FTE) staff and integrated sites, as well as funding sources.
The IPS Coverage Map provides a valuable operational view of where IPS employment support services are being delivered across the country, who is providing them, how they are funded, and which clinical teams or services they are integrated with.
For providers, it can be used to strengthen partnerships, identify service gaps, and support business cases for expansion by comparing workforce capacity and service coverage across regions. It also helps showcase the scale and reach of IPS nationally, reinforcing its role as a core component of health and wellbeing services.
A national snapshot
In 2026, there are 113.4 FTE employment consultants integrated in 82 teams or sites across 13 health districts.
Located from Northland to Canterbury, the 11 organisations displayed in the map either provide services where they are contracted for delivery of an IPS programme, regularly send their staff on training in IPS employment support, and/or have undertaken an IPS fidelity review in the past two years.
The map provides a view of IPS services in Aotearoa across 13 health districts. Alongside the map is a detailed appendix for each district where service is provided; how many full-time equivalents (FTE) are employed; and clinical or other teams (NGO, primary health care) where services are integrated.
The purpose of the map is to show the coverage of IPS employment support in Aotearoa, enabling us to see the growth over time, understand the gaps in access, and inform insights for the sector.
What can we learn from this?
For organisations setting up or developing an IPS employment support service, it indicates the impact of the IPS approach in a variety of settings and locations – from mental health to housing, and from urban to rural.
However, there are communities in New Zealand missing out on IPS employment support where it could be making a difference for people with personal or health challenges, including for youth, Māori and Pacific populations.
What the update reveals is that, as at June 2026:
- IPS employment support has grown in Aotearoa to 113 FTE (up from 103 in 2024) integrated in 82 teams or sites
- A new provider has been added to the map in 2026, bringing the total to 11 providers
- IPS employment support is provided together with Housing First services in three locations, bringing improved outcomes and cost-effectiveness
- Services are available in 13 health districts, with the West Coast added as a new district.
The map and appendices can be downloaded below.
Along with the updated map, a new providers’ directory is now featured on the Work Counts website: www.workcounts.co.nz/providers. This makes it easier for people, healthcare providers, case managers, and other support systems to refer people more efficiently to providers offering IPS employment support in their location.
While IPS employment support services are delivered by a range of providers across Aotearoa, the map highlights the strength of a collective approach that is bigger than any one organisation.
As IPS continues to grow, maintaining strong connections between providers, funders, clinicians, sector leaders and other services will be essential to ensure people experiencing mental health and addiction challenges have equitable access to high-quality employment support, regardless of where they live and the challenges they face.
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