The San Diego Workforce Partnership and CSH, through a Mental Health Services Act contract, are leading San Diego strategic planning and implementation efforts on Supported Employment for individuals with serious mental illness. Supported Employment (SE) is based on research (Bond, Becker & Drake) originating at Dartmouth University’s IPS Supported Employment Center. The model, officially known as Individual Placement and Support is an evidence-based practice endorsed by SAMHSA through its SE evidence-based toolkit.
Supported Employment embraces the following principles:
- Most individuals with serious mental illness want to work and IPS engages clients in community mental health settings to become part of the competitive job market. IPS has been shown to be nearly three times more effective than other vocational approaches, when getting people with mental illness back to work is the goal. The model utilizes a fidelity scale (or core practice principles) which include the following:
- Eligibility is based on consumer choice,
- Services are fully integrated with comprehensive mental health treatment teams,
- Competitive employment is the ultimate goal,
- Job searches begin rapidly,
- Personalized benefits counseling is important,
- Follow-along supports are continuous and are not time-limited and
- Consumer preferences, strengths, and experiences are central .
SE program implementation quality is measured through adherence to the fidelity scale.
For more information on CSH San Diego’s Supported Employment planning efforts, please contact Tom Stubberud, CSH Program Manager at (619) 232-3197 or Cindy Perry, Manager, Special Projects - San Diego Workforce Partnership at (619) 228-2952.
