1. Individual Placement and Support Programs
Paul Barnett, MS, MA, LPC
Stacey Teegardin, MS, CRC Patricia Henke, MS, CRC
Pablo Sandoval, MS

2. Individualized Placement and Support (IPS)
The acronym “IPS” indicates the evidence-based approach rather than generic supported employment services.

3. IPS Supported Employment
Approach designed for persons with serious mental illness, but has expanded to many populations and programs internationally
Multiple research studies demonstrate superior outcomes
People who have access to IPS are two to three times more likely to obtain a job

4. Who Pays for What?
The Department of Health Care Policy and Financing (HCPF) funds Medicaid services and programs.
OBH funds indigent services and special programs.
The Division of Vocational Rehabilitation (DVR) funds specific services and programs, e.g., Supported Employment. OBH also provides matching funds to DVR for Supported Employment through an Inter-agency Agreement.
Grants (like WRKE, J&J, etc.) usually pay for specific services or aspects of programs, e.g., targeted populations, special expenses, or needed positions.

5. IPS as a Braided Funding Program
DVR pays for Vocational Exploration, Job Development/ Placement, Job Seeking Skills Training, Personal Adjustment Training, Job Coaching, and Successful Closure for DVR eligible clients (up to the contract amount).
Medicaid pays for Medicaid billable services, e.g., Supported Employment and Ongoing Support to Maintain Employment (for Medicaid eligible clients).
Other funding sources, e.g., grants, might pay for computers, client services, State IPS Trainer, State personnel attendance at IPS meetings and trainings, etc. (for the duration of the grant).
OBH pays for other program expenses not covered by other funding sources, e.g., job development without client present, (up to the contract amount).

6. Eight Principles of IPS
1: Zero Exclusion: Every interested person is eligible for IPS
Anyone who wants to work is encouraged to consider how work might affect his or her life, and not excluded based on diagnosis, symptoms, behaviors, or history.
Colorado is now an Employment 1st State

7. Eight Principles of IPS
2: Job seekers obtain competitive jobs
Jobs in the community paying at least minimum wage and not specified for people with disabilities

8. Eight Principles of IPS
3: Employment Services are Integrated with Mental Health Treatment Team
Employment Specialists and mental health professionals meet weekly to provide job seekers with collaborative, professional support.

9. Eight Principles of IPS
4: Benefits and Work Incentives Planning is Offered
Job seekers are connected with a trained benefits planner before going to work and during work to make sure they understand the implication of work on their benefits.

10. Eight Principles of IPS
5: The job search (community vocational exploration) occurs rapidly
The employment specialist and/or job seeker meets with employers in the community within a month of joining the IPS program, rather than providing lengthy assessments.

11. Eight Principles of IPS
6. Employment specialists develop relationships with employers through multiple in-person visits to understand their business needs and employee preferences.

12. Eight Principles of IPS
7: Job supports are continuous
Job supports are provided for as long as the person needs and wishes to receive IPS services. Typically about a year.
Eventually, a mental health practitioner such as a case manager, or other natural supports, may be chosen to provide ongoing supports.

13. Eight Principles of IPS
8: Services are based on Interests, Preferences, and Choices
Career profile; family; clinical team; job seeker interview…
Preferences may be related to type of job, work hours, job location, etc.

14. Fidelity 25 Item Fidelity Scale Annual Reviews (Quality Improvement)
Fidelity defined as: the degree to which a service model is implemented as intended
Better implemented programs (with higher fidelity) have better outcomes

15. Colorado IPS Fidelity Review Scores for 2015 and 2016

18. Why IPS?

19. Overall Findings for 23 Randomized Controlled Trials
All 23 studies showed a significant advantage for IPS
Mean competitive employment rates for the 23 studies:
-55% for IPS
-23% for controls
Meta-analysis of 17 RCTs of IPS found a risk ratio of 2.40
(Modini, 2016)

20. 18-Month Competitive Employment Outcomes in 4 Controlled Trials of IPS
(Bond, Drake & Campbell, 2012)

21. Mean Job Tenure in Two IPS Studies
Job tenure for IPS was triple that for usual services in Hoffman study.

22. Steady Worker Rate in 3 Long-Term Studies
Hoffmann (2014): 5 year follow-up
Salyers (2004): 10 year follow-up
Becker (2007) 8-12 year follow-up

23. Implementation Factors in National EBP Project
After 2 years, 29 (55%) of 53 sites implemented at high fidelity
Training, staff attitudes, and barriers not predictive
Strongly predictive:
Leadership at all levels
Integration of new practices into work flow
(Torrey, Bond, et al., 2011)

24. Diversion from Disability Benefits
Help Young Adults Avoid a life in Poverty
Better for Our Country
A promising area for cost savings is young adults who are experiencing early psychosis. If supported employment were available economist estimate the nation could save $368 million annually in Medicaid, Social Security and other state programs.
Source: David Salkever, Ph.D

25. 8 Follow-up Studies of Early Intervention Programs Providing IPS

26. Other Return on Investment for IPS
Economy: Cost Savings  Each person with a SMI who becomes employed achieves an average savings in health costs of $5,000 per year (Bush et al. 2009) Mental Health Agencies and Economy: 5-Year Return on Investment for IPS and Traditional Voc Services (Hoffmann, 2014) (bar graph) Businesses: No formal studies yet, but employers have said they save by not having so much turnover, and support on the job helps retain employees and makes happier employees which helps with productivity.

27. A Greater Emphasis on Supported Education
Most young adults have educational goals (e.g., complete high school, go to college)
Lifetime earnings are associated with educational attainment.
Attending school and/or working may help prevent or delay entry into the disability benefits system.
The risks of dropping out of high school and college among young adults with early psychosis are high, suggesting the need for systematic help for these people.

28. Peers in IPS
North Carolina—peer on every IPS team to augment what employment specialists do. Two agencies in Colorado are mirroring this so far and proving to be very successful.
SAMHSA transforming lives 5 year grant includes peers on the teams of the new IPS states Alabama, Utah and Washington
New York first-episode programs adding peer positions
Some states focusing instead on hiring people lived experience to be employment specialists

29. Conclusions Employment is a key to recovery
IPS is an effective program to achieve this goal
Learning community best way to implement IPS widely

30. Questions???

31. Contact Information
Office of Behavioral Health (OBH)
Stacey Teegardin, MS, CRC- Individual Placement and Support (IPS) Trainer
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Paul Barnett, MS, MA, LPC- Manager, Evidence Based Practices Programs
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Division of Vocational Rehabilitation (DVR)
Patricia M. Henke, MS, CRC- Coordinator of Supported Employment
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Colorado Disability Benefits Support Program (DBS)
Pablo A. Sandoval, MS- IPS Supported Employment Trainer
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For more information about IPS supported employment, go to