Individual Placement and Support Training Series

Individual Placement and Support (IPS) is an evidence-based, supported employment strategy for people who have severe mental illness. This strengths-based approach helps job seekers find and keep steady, meaningful employment in competitive mainstream jobs. IPS has been researched and proven to be effective compared vocational rehabilitation approaches that employ people in sheltered workshops and other set-aside jobs.

When young adults acquire competitive jobs, they have mainstream adult roles and avoid the cycle of disability and psychiatric patient roles, which can be demeaning and demoralizing.

- Early Intervention Psychiatry

In partnership with WESTAT, the Council of State Administrators of Vocational Rehabilitation has produced a set of videos to help VR counselors learn about or expand their knowledge of Individual Placement and Support.

Part 1: What is Individual Placement and Support?

This video explores Individual Placement and Support as a form of supported employment; research findings supporting IPS service effectiveness; the benefits of IPS services; the importance of employment as a part of treatment; and the principles of IPS.

After viewing, you’ll be able to

Recognize what IPS services are and how they can help consumers with mental illness
Understand the evidence-based research behind IPS effectiveness
Find out how VR and mental health services align to inform IPS services

Part 2: Building a Successful Mental Health and Vocational Rehabilitation Relationship: Collaboration, Communication, and Respect

To ensure successful service delivery and positive employment outcomes, stakeholders need to build working relationships based on respect, collaboration, and communication. Teamwork between VR and mental health services, state and local programs, and staff are crucial for program success. Funding options and leadership roles at the state and local levels are also covered.

After this training module, viewers will

Recognize the importance of respect among program staff
Know about state and local level communication for IPS service delivery
Identify key consensus building practices in state IPS programs

Part 3: IPS Supported Employment Implementation

This video presentation will explain the steps in developing an IPS program of supported employment. It will discuss key steps such as: building leadership, maximizing funding, VR/mental health collaboration, tracking process and outcomes and program fidelity. Also, training resources for VR and mental health staff are presented.

After watching the presentation, viewers will:

Know the best practices of building an VR/mental health IPS supported employment program
Understand where to find training opportunities for VR/mental health state and local staff.
Recognize elements of tracking outcomes, processes, and a fidelity review.