Resources.

The NiRA assessment tool

The tool is free for downloading to view, refer or test in your practice.

The NiRA helps clinicians and service users identify and prioritise unmet recovery needs across practical, daily living, health, informational, emotional, and relationship domains. It includes rating needs, planning support, and reviewing progress. As the document states, it aims to “facilitate a conversation about unmet needs.”

Nira tool preview - Introduction

Nira tool preview - Physical assessment

Nira tool preview - Discussion section

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Preview

This tool is distributed under Creative CommonsAttribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike (CC BY-NC-SA), you may copy or reproduce this document as long as:

Attribution — You must give appropriate credit, provide a link to the license, and indicate if changes were made. You may do so in any reasonable manner, but not in any way that suggests the licensor endorses you or your use.

ShareAlike — If you remix, transform, or build upon the material, you must distribute your contributions under the same license as the original.

NonCommercial —You may not use the material for commercial purposes.

No additional restrictions — You may not apply legal terms or technological measures that legally restrict others from doing anything the license permits.

Summary

This assessment tool has been developed for use in tertiary and community mental health settings with people who are recovering from a mental illness, an episode of mental distress or ongoing concerns relating to their mental health and well-being.

The articles attached below provide evidence for how and why the NiRA was developed and supporting information for those wanting to implement the NiRA into their practice.

Publications

The following articles provide details of how the NiRA was developed and tested.

Development and validation of the Needs in Recovery Assessment (NiRA): a clinical tool for assessing the needs of individuals recovering from a first-episode of mental illness.: Davies, EL, Hooper, KJ, Pelentsov, LJ, Gordon, AJ, Esterman, AJ
International Journal of Mental Health Nursing, 2020, [early view]

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Needs of individuals recovering from a first episode of mental illness: a scoping review.: Davies, EL, Gordon, AE, Pelentsov, LJ, Hooper, KJ, Esterman, AJ
International Journal of Mental Health Nursing, 2018, vol. 27, pp.1326-1343.; Download here

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Item of Assessment

This page clarifies what types of needs the tool explores—practical, daily‑living, physical health, informational, emotional‑psychological, and relationship needs—and why some needs overlap across categories. It also outlines examples within each category to guide structured discussion during a NIRA assessment.

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Project Development

This section explains how the NIRA tool was developed, outlining its research foundations, collaboration with mental health services, and iterative testing with clinicians and service users. It describes why the tool was created, how its items were refined, and how evidence shaped the final NIRA assessment framework.

FAQ

The FAQ page outlines the purpose of the NIRA tool and clarifies who should use it, when it’s appropriate, and how the assessment is carried out. It explains the expected time commitment, the importance of completing it collaboratively, and who may participate in the conversation.

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Introduction

What is the NIRA tool? Who does it support? How might it help identify and prioritise recovery needs in mental health settings.

Here we outline the tool’s purpose, its evidence‑based development, and its role in guiding collaborative conversations between service users and practitioners across diverse recovery domains.

Receive more information:

Click on the following link and apply to receive more information.