Accessibility statement

Evaluation of the Mental Health Navigator Scheme

Poorer mental health can make it more challenging to cope with housing problems, while being homeless or experiencing housing instability can make mental health worse. In 2015, Wakefield District Housing (WDH; a registered social housing provider) in collaboration with a local commissioning group implemented a Mental Health Navigator (MHN) scheme to support people with mental health problems to maintain their tenancies. The navigators are mental health trained practitioners (e.g. mental health nurses and occupational therapists) employed by the NHS but embedded within WDH to provide support and early intervention to tenants experiencing problems. A previous small scale evaluation suggested the scheme had promising outcomes. Our team has been funded by the NIHR to further develop the evidence base for the scheme and create materials to support future implementation of the scheme in other sites.

Our research aims to document what the scheme involves, what works well, what could be improved and how a best practice tool kit can be applied across the UK.

The study has three key objectives: 

  1. To establish what ‘real world’ evidence suggests regarding the impact of the WDH MHN scheme and conduct a cost-consequence analysis
  2. Explore existing and future service user, provider and stakeholder views of the acceptability and feasibility of the initiative; and 
  3. Synthesise findings and ‘lessons learned’ to develop an implementation toolkit. 

The work will be divided into 3 workpackages (WP) which will address each of the three objectives in turn:

  • WP1: An outcome evaluation, area-based economic evaluation and cost consequence analysis.
  • WP2: A qualitative, implementation and process evaluation (IPE).
  • WP3: Synthesis of findings from across WP1 and WP2 to inform an ‘implementation toolkit’. 

This study is one of five funded through the NIHR ARC National Priority Consortium in Health and Care Inequalities, fo rmore information about the consortium see https://arc-nenc.nihr.ac.uk/national-priority-consortium-in-health-and-care-inequalities/

For more information about the project, please contact Dr Sarah Blower (sarah.blower@york.ac.uk)

Funding

Funder(s): NIHR ARC National Priority Consortium in Health and Care Inequalities
Start Date:  September 2021
Expiry Date:  August 2023

Members

Internal Staff

External colleagues

  • Dr Amy O'Donnell, Newcastle University
  • Dr Sheena Ramsay, Newcastle University
  • Dr Luke Munford, University of Manchester
  • Edit and design of Toolkit and Infographic: Research Retold (www.researchretold.com) 2024

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Toolkit

The Implementation Toolkit was created in partnership with our Implementation Advisory Group.  We hope that it will help others to design and implement similar Mental Health Navigator schemes in the future.  We would like to thank the members of the Implementation Advisory Group for their valuable contributions to the Toolkit and Research Retold for bringing the Toolkit to life.

Link below to Toolkit web page:-

https://www.york.ac.uk/healthsciences/research/public-health/archive/mental-health-navigator/toolkit

Infographic

We have also produced an Infographic which summarises the study’s findings in an easy to read format.  We would like to thank members of the PCIEP group who provided feedback on the design and content of the infographic and the project’s dissemination plans.  Again, we would like to thank Research Retold for designing and editing the Infographic. 

Link to Infographic web page:-

https://www.york.ac.uk/healthsciences/research/public-health/archive/mental-health-navigator/infographic

Video

The YouTube Playlist contains 8 videos which present a quick introduction to the scheme itself and shares the views from staff at Wakefield District Housing who operate the scheme together with the thoughts of tenants who were recipients of the scheme.  We would also like to extend our thanks to members of our Public and Community Involvement, Engagement and Participation (PCIEP) group who voiced tenants’ views; and also to Jess from Hendon Creative who produced the videos.  

Link to videos:-

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLOKm8mL4qwZviR7HMoibNrZNyW1ppXljk

Public Health and Society Research in the Department of Health Sciences