Referral Channels

The role and tasks of the referral channels are to recruit potential participants to the programme.

The referral channel employees should introduce the AoP programme to suitable participants to the programme and give them a proper introduction to the AoP programmes’ activities, the schedule, and duration of the activities.

The link worker and the referral channels should create a referral procedure for the referring of potential participants to the programme.

To recruit the target audience, a recruitment strategy should be developed. A recruitment strategy should include which referral channels are chosen and why, as well as how to gain the referral channels interest in becoming involved and collaborating in promoting their client’s mental health and wellbeing.

Additionally, the recruitment strategy should also include methods to be used, and steps involved in referring the target audience to the AoP programme.

Referral methods can include: 

• paper-based or digital prescription (similar to medicine prescriptions) issued by doctors or psychotherapists.
• direct referral of participants to the programme by larger referral channels such as social or welfare institutions e.g. unemployment agencies, or social- or health-workers employed in the health and social sectors.
• self-referral may also be a possibility for some AoP programmes.

The appropriate referral method depends on the target audience, local context, and the selected referral channels. See some example below. For a more detailed description of recruitment channels and different strategies look in Resources (the material will be ready in June 2025)

Referral channels usually come from the health care or social sector, as they generally have knowledge and insight regarding the target audience and/or mental health issues. Referral channels can include general practitioners or other medical professionals, welfare institutions, unemployment agencies, social workers, mental health counselling centres, etc. It is important to consider which referral channels have contact to the specific target audiences, and have the resources, capacity, and motivation to refer participants to the programme. It is important referral channels have the expertise to assess which participants are suitable for the AoP programme. 

The more referral channels, the more collaboration and coordination will be required to ensure ongoing motivation during the recruitment process. However, this will maintain referral channels performance in providing the necessary amount of referred participants to the programme.

Too few referral channels can result in too few referrals and risk the programme cannot be implemented according to schedule.

A good strategy may involve, involving a larger amount of referral channels at the beginning of the programme and narrow the number of refferal channels down to those who provide the most referrals. 

There are many referral channels possibilities and below are some examples of different types of referral channels, alongside their potential advantages and disadvantages. 

Healthcare and community services

• General practitioners 
• Psychologists
• Physicians
• Social workers
• Home help services 
• Community nurse

Advantages

• Medical/health/social professionals have contact to those with mental health issues and can recruit suitable participants based on their mental health symptoms.
• Can use their professional competences to assess if potential participants fall within AoP’s inclusion criteria.
• Ensure the best professional assessment of the participants needs.

Disadvantages

• Might lack insight into how or if culture and arts can help the patient.
• Can be sceptical of a non-therapy approach.

Social Sector 

• Voluntary Organisations
• NGO’s
• Associations; mental illness, chronic illnesses, patient associations etc.

Advantages

• Professional insight in the needs of the target group.
• Can recruit suitable participants to the programme.

Disadvantages

• Lack of insight in how or if culture and arts can help their target audience.

Education institutions

• Student counsellors
• Career advisors

Advantages

• Have contact to many citizens.
• Professional insight in the needs of the target group.
• Can contribute to targeted recruitment of citizens who fall within AoP’s inclusion criteria.

Disadvantages

• Lack of knowledge on the benefits of health and culture.
• Non-medical background.

Job Agencies

Advantages

• Have contact to many citizens outside the labour market who may not have the resources to make inquiries themselves.

Disadvantages

• May have scepticism towards culture as a health-promoting approach and as health promotion as a strategy to bring unemployed back to work.
• Lack of employees with the ability to identify and assess the right citizens who would benefit from the AoP programme.

Self-referral

• Social media
• Posters and flyers
• Adds in printed media 

Advantages

• Allows individuals to take charge of their health and make their own choices about the type of health promotion program they wish to participate in.
• Cost-effective: it reduces the need for administrative work involved in referrals.

Disadvantages

• Requires proactive actions from potential participants.
• May further health inequity as individuals with higher levels of socio-economic status might be more likely to self-refer.

Engaging the right referral channels involves:

• identifying and mapping relevant referral channels.
• customising information regarding the AoP programme to each referral channel.
• contacting referrals channels and set up a meeting.
• involve and collaborate with referral channels on how to engage their clients to participate in the programme.
• providing referral tools to make it easier for referral channels to refer their target audience.
• motivate referral channels through ongoing collaboration and communication and invite them to participate in AoP activities specifically arranged for referral channels, in order for them to experience AoP themselves, and thereby be better equipped to convey the concept and sell AoP to the target audience.
• continuously monitor the performance of each referral channel to assess their effectiveness in referring participants to the AoP programme.

Referral channels who have contact to the target audience are interested in providing opportunities which will benefit their clients. Referral channels play a large role in introducing the AoP programme to their target audience. Therefore, it is essential that referral channels understand the AoP concept and how AoP programmes can promote and improve mental health and wellbeing among their target audience. 

Begin by setting up a meeting with the head of the referral channels to 

• introduce them to the AoP concept and programme.
• to arrange an opportunity to introduce referral employees to AoP concept and programme.
• to gain insights into the needs, core objectives, and organisational context of referral channels. 

Referral channels may have other health promotion programmes. Therefore, discuss how the AoP programme could supplement or collaborate with these programmes to strengthen mental health and wellbeing among their target audience. 

Support referral channels in the recruiting of potential AoP programme participants, e.g., by ensuring close contact between the link worker and referral channel employees. Make it easy for referral channels to refer the target audience to the programme by preparing a referral procedure, preferably in collaboration with the referral channels.

It is important to consider the size of your catchment area. The smaller the area the more difficult it may be to recruit as opposed to larger areas, as recruitment of participants takes time especially in the case of new local initiatives like your AoP programme. It is also very beneficial to plan a workshop where the referral channel employees can try AoP activities for themselves to better understand the value and the outcomes of the programme. It gives them a deeper understanding of how arts activities e.g induces a sense of calmness, flow and concentration, as well as strengthening sociability and belongingness in a group setting. 

Read the different recruitment strategies employed in the pilot programmes in Resources.