Are you a director, leader, or supervisor of employment services in a mental health organization or program? 

Are you able to implement changes and innovations within the organization or program?  

Are you interested in learning how to identify what supports the implementation of Individual Placement and Support (IPS) Supported Employment to maintain and sustain program fidelity?  

The Northeast Atlantic and Caribbean Hub of CMHIS invites you to apply to participate in a free, innovative learning community designed to equip leaders with the tools needed to implement, maintain, and sustain fidelity to IPS, while learning strategies to identify what supports and hinders its success.  Learn from a leader in IPS services, Sarah Swanson from the IPS Employment Center at RFMH, Inc., while networking with your colleagues to implement services that align with IPS principles and fidelity.   

Overview 

This four-session learning community, focused on the Individual Placement and Support (IPS) model of Supported Employment, was designed to help your program or agency identify and implement strategies to support your program’s success.  Designed for supervisors and program/agency leaders, the series addresses foundational elements, skills, and strategies to better align program practice implementation with IPS fidelity.   

Learning community participants will review the research supporting IPS and the eight core IPS practice principles, and better understand community-based services and their essential role in supported employment. Special emphasis will be paid to identifying activities that support the implementation of IPS principles and exploring barriers to successful implementation.  

All team members are invited and encouraged to attend this overview session to build a shared understanding among those involved in the organization’s provision and implementation of employment services.  

Sessions two and three will focus on the IPS Fidelity Scale. These two sessions are open to employment service leaders, directors, supervisors, and others in positions to implement changes within the program and the organization. In this session, we will examine the rationale behind key fidelity items, and the significant role agency leadership plays in supporting IPS implementation. We will dive deeper into the specific strategies that support implementation and explore ways to address barriers.   

The final session addresses building and maintaining relationships with employers, which has often been identified as a challenge to successful implementation. Participants will review factors that support the implementation of this fidelity item and how to navigate barriers to its implementation.