IPS Fidelity Newsletter Vol. 5

Welcome to Maine Medical Center’s (MMC) Department of Vocational Services (DVS), Community Employment Services newsletter. This monthly newsletter is designed to facilitate awareness and understanding of the evidence-based Individual Placement and Support (IPS) model of supported employment services, to reinforce the importance of employment to mental health recovery, and to share resources for providers in behavioral health agencies to support vocational conversations with individuals served.

Disability employment has been a focus of Maine Medical Center’s Department of Vocational Services (DVS) for over 40 years. DVS serves both job seekers and businesses to advance employment for individuals with disabilities; this includes providing Community Employment Services (CES) as part of treatment teams in behavioral health agencies across the state. This newsletter, made possible through a partnership with Maine DHHS Office of Behavioral Health and Maine DOL Bureau of Rehabilitation Services, is developed by the CES team’s IPS Trainer and Liaison. This role provides technical assistance and training to stakeholder agencies as they learn more about the principles and evidence-based practices of IPS. To reach Nancy Litrocapes, IPS Trainer and Liaison, please email: nancy.litrocapes@mainehealth.org. 

Upcoming trainings:

MHRT-C: Domain 8 - Vocational

IPS for non-employment practitioners

Success story from CES:

"At the end of the month, she heard from the recruiter at the nursing home and scheduled an interview. She told the ES she was “terrified” and wasn’t sure how to answer questions about the gaps in her work history. She said she didn’t want the employer to see her “as a weirdo.” They talked about how to answer questions about her gaps in employment, and she was able to have a successful interview.

Four days after her interview with the nursing home, the ES received a text from client that read,

“I got the job!” She said she would be working per diem while taking classes towards her PSS and CRMA certifications, starting orientation and training for her new job mid-March, and would start actually working by the middle of April. To support her in transitioning back into the workforce, the ES worked with Francine to develop a post-employment IEP including regular bi-weekly check-ins to provide encouragement and problem-solving support". 



-Joel, CES Employment Specialist

How executives support and promote an integrated culture of employment...

• Track employment data of people served in your agency.
• Routinely share out employment data with all staff.
• Expect Tx teams to increase employment outcomes via goal setting.
• Support Tx teams to create plans/strategies for increasing employment outcomes based on each members role.
• Establish agency culture that celebrates employment.
• Send staff to trainings, webinars and lunch 'n' learns on supported employment integration.
• Survey all staff on their view/value of employment, share results with IPS Trainer in order to receive a customized training for your agency staff. (I'll help with the survey!)