INDIVIDUAL PLACEMENT AND SUPPORT SUPPORTED EMPLOYMENT/EDUCATION
[mpc_textblock content_width=”100″]BBHC is elated to announce that Broward County is officially a member of the Rockville Institute’s IPS Employment Center, International Learning Community, where states, regions, and countries work together in implementing the evidence-based Individual Placement and Support (IPS)- Supported Employment, to service people with serious mental illness who want to gain employment as part of their recovery.During the fiscal year of 2015-2016, the local Managing Entity BBHC, in partnership with the Regional Department of Children and Families Substance Abuse and Mental Health (DCF SAMH) Office in Broward County and the local Division of Vocational Rehabilitation (DVR) Office, established a pilot program that offers the evidence-based IPS Supported Employment services.
According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) 2014 report, Florida has an 84.7% unemployment rate for persons with mental health and substance use challenges. IPS is an evidence-based practice that provides individualized employment supports which focuses on individuals’ strengths to find competitive jobs in the community. IPS also integrates Supported Education for persons who want to improve their career pathways. Research data from IPS sites that are implemented to fidelity show anywhere between 53-79% competitive employment rates.
Characteristics of the IPS model includes the following:It is an evidence-based practice
- Practitioners focus on each person’s strengths
- Work promotes recovery and wellness
- Practitioners work in collaboration with state vocational rehabilitation counselors
- IPS uses a multidisciplinary team approach
- Services are individualized and last as long as the person needs and wants them
- The IPS approach changes the way mental health services are delivered
There are eight key practice principals of IPS Supported Employment:
- Eligibility based on client choice
- Focus on Competitive Employment
- Integration of Rehabilitation and Mental Health Services
- Attention to Worker Preferences
- Personalized Benefits Counseling:
- Rapid Job Search
- Systematic Job Development
- Time-Unlimited and Individualized Support
To learn more about IPS Supported Employment, visit the Rockville Institute’s IPS Employment Center, website: www.IPSWorks.org.
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