1. Supported Education
Incorporating Supported Education (SEd) into your Supported Employment Program

2. Supported Education modifier to the SE code (H2023 with a TG modifier)
2008 IPS Medicaid code- Oregon is the only state that has an IPS supported employment Medicaid code
2016 Oregon created a modifier to allow education services to be offered in existing IPS SE programs

3. Who can use the Supported Education modifier
The supported education modifier for the supported employment code is approved for use for Supported Employment programs who have met the minimum fidelity score of 100 for IPS Supported Employment and already offer supported education services as part of their overall IPS Supported Employment Program.

4. April 19th and 20th Supported Education Training
OSECE provided a training to Qualified IPS Supported Employment programs interested in incorporating Supported Education into their cadre of services.
IPS Supported Employment programs planning to integrate Supported Education into their program were required to attend the OSECE training held in Troutdale Oregon April 19th and 20th.
Dr. Trevor Manthey and Dr. Karen Unger national and international researchers in Supported Education (SEd) provided the SEd training.
This presentation is a summary of the SEd conference

5. New SE and SEd integrated programs
IPS Supported Employment programs that attended the SEd training in April were expected to submit a notification letter of intent to provide Supported Education to Wendy Chavez at HSD via at no later than May 31, 2016.

6. For SE and SEd integrated programs: New Fidelity Scale
OSECE will conduct fidelity reviews based on an integrated SE and SEd model starting November 1,
Providing Supported Education Services as part of an IPS Supported Employment Program is voluntary. However, if a Qualified IPS Supported Employment Services provider chooses to encounter the Medicaid Code (H2032 with a TG modifier) for SEd services, then the IPS program must adhere to the integrated fidelity model and use the integrated fidelity scale developed by OSECE in collaboration with Karen Unger and Trevor Manthy.

7. Definition of SEd Services
Helping people with mental illness participate in an education programs so they may receive the education and training they need to achieve their learning and recovery goals and become gainfully employed in the job or career of their choice.

8. Effectiveness of SEd services
Not a lot of research dollars have been available to conduct studies of effectiveness of SEd programs – so rely on anecdotal evidence of effectiveness- personal success stories speak a thousand words.
SEd services help provide a vision of what is possible
Help individuals to reach educational goals and improve quality of life (e.g. attain livable wage job).
SEd providers guide the journey- education attainment takes a long time. Individuals can’t often see the end- the destination- but have to have faith that if you follow the step by step road map- it will lead to success.

9. Comparing SEd and SE services
SEd services
SE services
Eligibility is based on client choice
Services begin as soon as person expresses interest
Supported education is integrated with services
Individual preferences guide services
Individualized focus along supports are ongoing
Services are community based
Supported education is strength bases supporting hope and recovery
Every person who wants to work is eligible
Competitive jobs are the goal
IPS SE is integrated with mental health treatment
Personalized benefits counseling is provided
Rapid job search
Systematic job development
Individualized follow along supports are time unlimited
Individual preferences are honored

10. Staffing
SEd specialist will work in tandem with SE staff and the treatment team
Specialist will carry a caseload of 20 or fewer clients
Staffing numbers will reflect program capacity
Goals will be to develop capacity to provide SEd services to expanding numbers of individuals over time- maybe eventually over time the program will have a dedicated SEd specialist as needed by people served

11. SEd/SE Unit Supervisor
What is important:
Knowledge of both programs (SEd and SE program models)
Share ideas and how the two programs overlap and can support both education and employment/career goals
Close physical proximity of SEd specialist and SE specialist- so can collaborate and coordinate
How to solve problems related to accessing SEd services (resolving past education debt, working with education institutions)

12. SEd Unit Supervisor
Each supported education unit will have a supervisor who will
Provide individual and group supervision for SEd unit or combined SEd and SE unit for smaller agencies
Review client situations and identify new strategies
Communicate with mental health supervisors to assure integrated services
Accompany education specialist in the field for on-site training
Tracking client outcomes- if you don’t track outcomes you don’t know how best to help staff accomplish client goals and celebrate program successes

13. SEd services are integrated into SE services
Both the SEd service provider and SE specialist must share a supervisor and attend weekly IPS SE team meetings;
The weekly team meeting is used to discuss client situations with work and school;
Clients are shared across the employment and education programs with coordination occurring weekly;
The education specialist follows most if not all the same principles of IPS SE model;
SEd services are integrated with the larger mental health treatment team.

14. SEd supports a wide variety of education attainment
Educational opportunities are expansive: include not only GED, but also community college and 4 year college degree
On-line education opportunities and certification programs
Trade schools
Code Oregon- website after finish certification- there are job opportunities waiting

15. SEd Specialsit Roles and Duties
Developing key relationships with all the academic institutions (student support services, financial aid, tutoring services, etc.) in your service delivery area
Recruitment/intake
Education assessment
Placement in education settings
Link to educational resources
Facilitate achieving educational goals
Provide follow-along services as long as needed

16. Supported Education Specialists Roles Continued
Address financial issues (previous default and dealing with student loans, reinstating financial aid, academic testing, and paying for all other education expenses)
Dealing with felony charges that affect eligibility for financial aid
How to support individuals dealing with symptoms, focus and attention, social anxiety
Encouragement for long term nature of education
Help setting goals and meeting small action steps
Feeling comfortable in college environment (feel like I belong here)
How to support students overcome multiple dropouts, failing course- provide encouragement to going on

17. SEd Specialist providing hope
How school is possible
Pros and cons of returning to school
Possible education goals
Discuss benefits of student role
Tie education to employment

18. First stages of SEd enrollment/intake assessment
Intake- as soon as a person expresses interest in school they are provide SEd services – zero exclusion
Engagement – meet with the SE specialist right away- build relationship of trust and exploring possibilities providing support
Educational assessment – identify strengths and barriers, identify barriers to learning, financial barriers, extra supports needed
Define educational goal
Develop resources to support goal
Develop individual service plan to support educational goal

19. Individual Service Plan
The individual service plan includes the goal statement and describes a plan for enrollment including:
Financial aid
Applying for accommodations
Learning the college environment
Taking placement tests
Enrolling in classes
Skill and resource needs
Interventions to address other needs or problems identified in the education assessment
Follow-along schedule or plan

20. Financial Planning
Helping students complete a Free Application for Federal Student aid (FAFSA) to receive federal grants
Student loans
Grants and scholarships
Federal work study
SSA benefits, VA benefits
Medical benefits, medication subsidies
Housing subsidies
Food stamps

21. Arranging Accommodations
Changes in educational tasks, requirements, or environmental access, which allows people with disabilities to have the same chance of success as people without disabilities
Legal right to accommodations
Eligibility for accommodations and types of accommodations available
Documenting the psychiatric disability
Disclosure

22. Issues regarding disclosure
Sometimes students don’t want to disclose their mental health issues with student services
Sometimes students don’t want to talk with instructor about needed accommodations
Explore pros and cons of disclosure
SEd specialists need to know the ins and outs of the laws around accommodations disability rights of Oregon can help negotiate a school’s failure to follow the law when working with students around accommodations.

23. Follow along supports Follow along supports are not time limited
Personal support and coaching
Linking to natural community resources and supports to get help they need (tutoring, financial literacy through financial aid program, study groups, etc)
Monitor and support academic achievement
Assertive engagement and outreach to maintain participation and ongoing achievement

24. Skillful and planful withdrawal of classes or school if necessary
If a student needs to withdraw from a course or from an education program it is very important that the student follow the proper procedure to ensure they can return or ease ability to resume education
If a student stops going to class without the proper drop procedure they can fail the class and lose access to financial aid and be required to repay
If student drops out of school without proper procedure, the same may happen. Medical leave is available for mental health issues.
With failing grades or dropping out they became ineligible for financial aid the next term .
Understanding and complying with withdrawal policies are a key factor in student success.

25. TG modifier to SE Medicaid code
Supported Education Modifier to Supported Employment Code (H2023 with the TG modifier)
To use the TG modifier for Supported Education the Supported Education must be integrated into a IPS Supported Employment Program that meets fidelity to the IPS model.
The IPS program needs to inform Wendy Chavez at OHA 30 days before intending to begin providing Supported Education component and encountering the HE modified Medicaid Code
The IPS program will provide Supported Education services for 6 months and then the IPS program will receive a fidelity review for the integrated SE and SEd model at that time.
Fidelity reviews for programs that have integrated SE and SEd services will use a modified Dartmouth IPS Supported Employment Fidelity Scale that measures components of SE and SEd in an integrated way.
ACT programs that are utilizing the IPS model and providing SE only or SE and SEd services- they bill the ACT code not SE code

26. OSECE Website
OSECE.org OSECE website has lots of resources for Supported Education- defining the model, a training manual, assessment and individual service plan and links to other SEd resources
Contact Crystal McMahon, Director OSECE
Other helpful links
Hhtp://nslds.ed.gov
IDA
Dictionary of occupational titles