IPS: Learning Collaborative
The Wisconsin Individual Placement and Support (IPS) Learning Collaborative brings together people using the IPS model of supported employment across the state to share ideas on how to serve people better.
Meetings
Annual meeting: October 7-8, 2025
IPS providers, Tribal nation and county behavioral health providers, counselors associated with the Department of Workforce Development's Division of Vocational Rehabilitation, certified peer specialists, and people who want to expand their knowledge, skills, and abilities related to supported employment practices are invited to attend the IPS Wisconsin Annual Meeting.
The primary purpose of the IPS Wisconsin Annual Meeting is to provide a professional development opportunity for the IPS Wisconsin community. It also serves as an opportunity to grow the IPS Wisconsin community by giving agencies interested in using the IPS model of supported employment an opportunity to learn about the benefits of IPS.
Location
Summit Place
6737 West Washington Street
West Allis
This is an in person only event.
Registration
Registration is required. There is no registration fee for this event. The meeting site can accommodate 150 people. Registration will close the first day of the event or when the capacity of the meeting site is reached, whichever comes first.
Agenda
Day one: October 7, 2025
This meeting is to give IPS supervisors an opportunity to collaborate, share strategies, and strengthen knowledge about IPS fidelity.
Stop by the registration table to check in for the IPS annual meeting and grab your name badge.
Lunch is on your own.
Staff from the Wisconsin Department of Health Services Division of Care and Treatment Services and Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development Division of Vocational Rehabilitation will share updates on IPS in Wisconsin.
Use this time to network with other meeting participants. Snacks are on your own.
Session 1A: Federal bonding
Rodney Owens
This session will explain how to access information about the federal bonding program. Tools, links, and contact information will be provided to assist supporting job seekers and employers who may want a little extra security when hiring someone with justice involvement in their history.
Session 1B: Understanding Wisconsin’s mental health continuum of care, psychosocial rehabilitation programs, and the interconnection with employment services
Jen Patridge, Amy Cottington, and Denise Eder
This session will provide an overview of Wisconsin's psychosocial rehabilitation programs, how they fit within the mental health continuum of care, and how they can support employment. Attendees will learn the definition and purpose of psychosocial rehabilitation and receive data on who uses psychosocial rehabilitation programs across Wisconsin.
Session 1C: DVR and IPS collaboration panel
Facilitated by Andrzej Walz-Chojnacki
Panel members to be announced
This session will discuss best practices for collaboration between vocational rehabilitation, mental health treatment teams, and IPS sites. As time allows, topics of conversation may include referral, supports after hire, reporting, and funding. Come with your experiences working with vocational rehabilitation, curiosity about how other parts of the state work with vocational rehabilitation, and suggestions for improved collaboration.
Use this time to network with other meeting participants. Snacks are on your own.
Open floor time for attendees to share concerns, requests, or questions with the IPS Wisconsin team.
Day one will conclude at 4:30 p.m.
Day two: October 8, 2025
Stop by the registration table to check in, if day two is your first day, to grab your name badge.
Breakfast is on your own.
Leaders from the Wisconsin Department of Health Services Division of Care and Treatment Services and Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development Division of Vocational Rehabilitation have been invited to offer updates on state activities related to IPS, as well as services for people experiencing mental health and substance use concerns.
Staff from the Wisconsin Department of Health Services Division of Care and Treatment Services and Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development Division of Vocational Rehabilitation will share updates from the IPS International Learning Community.
Wisconsin IPS data will be shared during this time.
Additionally, IPS practitioners, teams, and partners will be recognized for their outstanding work in the last year. Award nominations are open. Complete this form to nominate a person, agency, or collaboration for an award. Nominations are due August 26, 2025.
Use this time to network with other meeting participants. Snacks are on your own.
IPS and harm reduction intersection
Dennis Radloff
Explore how supported employment improves lives and reduces the harms associated with substance use. Helping people with a substance use disorder obtain and maintain competitive, meaningful, and gainful employment increases their sense of self and overall well-being.
Lunch is on your own.
Session 2A: The 3 Es: engage, equip, and empower emerging adults to become their best selves
Monique Larson Hicks and Ann Kelley-Kuemichel
This session will focus on supporting youth transitioning into adulthood, the importance of youth voices, peer support for young people, and developmental challenges for this age group. Nationally, people between the ages of 16 and 26 experience higher rates of serious mental health conditions than any other age group. Few practices have been developed for, or proven to be effective with, this age group. Consequently, usually young people receive services developed for children or adults.
Session 2B: BEES job developing
Shauna Nicholson and Theresa Iacullo
This session will focus on some of the hard questions that come up in becoming expert employment specialists. The speakers will share some of their own stories and opinions. There will be time for attendees to share their own stories and opinions.
Session 2C: Workforce in Wisconsin: artificial intelligence in supported employment
Scott Hodek
This session will discuss artificial intelligence related to the workforce.
Use this time to network with other meeting participants. Snacks are on your own.
Session 3A: Empowering transitions: the critical role of mental health providers in youth transition planning
Sarah Kuehn, Stacey Teegardin, Andrzej Walz-Chojnacki, Rachael Kramer, Bob Meyer, Alicia Reinhard
This session delves into the multifaceted role of mental health professionals in the transition from school to adulthood for youth with disabilities, emphasizing collaboration, individualized support, and proactive planning. Attendees will have a chance to review supporting guidance from the Transition Action Guide and Technical Assistance Guide as well as provide input on future updates to these guides to the field.
Session 3B: Substance use disorder and harm reduction
Ashley Borlick
This session will give participants a better understanding of substance use disorder, what harm reduction is, harm reduction approaches to help combat the overdose epidemic and a naloxone administration training. Naloxone will be available after the presentation.
Session 3C: Supports, symptoms, and skills
Theresa Iacullo
This session is designed for IPS employment specialists to develop their familiarity with some of the behavioral health symptoms that job seekers experience. It will be an overview of symptoms and strategies for managing them during the employment process, including how to develop individual job seeker skills. There will be an opportunity for participants to work together to explore unique ideas for individualized supports.
Day one will conclude at 4:30 p.m.
Lodging
A block of rooms has been reserved at the Home2 Suites by Hilton Milwaukee West in West Allis for $114 per night.
Awards
Nominations are open for the 2025 IPS Wisconsin Awards. Complete this form to nominate a person, agency, or collaboration for an award. Nominations are due August 26, 2025.
Five awards will be presented this year.
- IPS Employer Award: This award recognizes an outstanding employer working with an IPS partner committed to collaboration with IPS, inclusion, and recovery in the workplace.
- BEES (Be an Expert Employment Specialist) Award: This award recognizes an outstanding IPS employment specialist committed to the principles of IPS, engaging with job seekers, collaborating with other professionals, and advocating for employment and education goals.
- IPS Collaboration Award: This award recognizes collaboration among vocational agencies, the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development's Division of Vocational Rehabilitation, and county treatment teams demonstrating commitment to team integration, zero exclusion, and supporting the employment and education goals of shared job seekers.
- Trailblazer Award: This award recognizes vocational or behavioral health agency committed to making a significant change or transformation that led to improving the quality of services supporting the education and employment goals of job seekers.
- IPS Champion Award: This award recognizes an individual committed to the principles of IPS and demonstrating focus on quality improvement and implementation of IPS. This award may go to anyone involved in IPS, regardless of role.
Send questions or concerns about the annual IPS Wisconsin Annual Meeting to DHSDCTSIPS@dhs.wisconsin.gov.
IPS partners consortium quarterly meeting
This meeting is open to all employment specialists, vocational rehabilitation counselors, treatment team members, supervisors, and others who currently use or are interested in using the IPS model of supported employment.
The 2025 meetings are scheduled for the dates listed below on Teams from 12 p.m. to 2 p.m.
- January 15 Minutes (PDF)
- April 16 Minutes (PDF)
- July 16
- October (no meeting due to the annual meeting)
Agenda for the IPS partners consortium quarterly meeting
- IPS Wisconsin updates
- Upcoming events
- New materials and resources
- Quarterly outcomes review
- Site specific updates
- Responses to last session's open floor comments
- Department of Workforce Development Division of Vocational Rehabilitation updates
- Department of Health Services Division of Care and Treatment Services updates
- IPS International Learning Community updates
- Quarterly outcomes
- New research
- Open floor time for attendees to share concerns, requests, or questions
Join the IPS partners consortium quarterly meeting
Becoming an expert employment specialist
This meeting is held to give employment specialists a space to collaborate with each other and share ideas for applying the IPS model of supported employment. It is an opportunity to share job leads and strategies for working with employers and job seekers. Participants also will gain an understanding the how to implement IPS fidelity.
The 2025 meetings are held the fourth Tuesday every month on Teams from 9 a.m. to 10 a.m.
- August 26: Systematic job development, third cup and beyond: employer engagement
- September 23: Responding to difficult employer questions and statements
- October 28: Finding strengths in the midst of barriers
- November 25: Using work history to create a resume
- December 16 (moved due to the holidays): Determining support needs
Join the becoming an expert employment specialist meeting
Supervisors
This meeting is held to give vocational agency supervisors, Department of Workforce Development Division of Vocational Rehabilitation supervisors, and clinical supervisors of programs using the IPS model of supported employment an opportunity to collaborate, share strategies, and strengthen knowledge about IPS fidelity.
This meeting is held the second Wednesday of every other month on Teams from 12 p.m. to 2 p.m.
IPS foundations training courses
All IPS employment specialists are encouraged to complete the IPS foundations training courses. The classes are recommended for people partnering with IPS providers including clinical teams, vocational rehabilitation providers, employers, and employment support providers.
IPS foundations training courses are offered on Teams from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. on the following dates in 2025.
IPS 101
This course provides an overview of the eight principles that encompass the spirit of IPS. This course also includes a discussion of the research conducted on the IPS model of supported employment.
Career profiles and individualized plans
This course helps an IPS team think about how to get to know each person to complete the career profile with valuable information. How to use the information in the career profile to complete individualized plans and to conduct systematic job development is covered. This course also includes a discussion about the job development plan and job support plan—and will explore individualized supports based on a job seeker's needs.
Including the family and data and tracking
This course helps staff understand who the family is for each job seeker and the role family members can play in the job seeker’s life. There is a discussion about what to do when family members are not supportive in employment. The course also reviews items and documentations required to achieve good fidelity as well as other tracking opportunities for quality improvement.
Co-occurring disorders and justice involvement
This course helps staff to think about specific strategies that they can use to help people with co-occurring disorders (a substance use disorder and a mental health issue at the same time) and criminal histories. This course also includes a discussion about how to talk about a person's criminal record.
Systematic job development classroom
This course focuses on the Three Cups of Tea Model and the importance of building a relationship with a business based on a job seeker's preferences.
Division of Vocational Rehabilitation partnership for IPS services
This interactive course covers the Department of Workforce Development Division of Vocational Rehabilitation's mission, values, and structure. It also covers the process from referral to initial appointment with the Division of Vocational Rehabilitation to write the Individualized Plan for Employment. General roles for Division of Vocational Rehabilitation, the employment specialist, and consumer also are covered. In addition, participants will learn practical applications of Division of Vocational Rehabilitation technical specifications (tech specs) for the IPS model of supported employment. Participants follow a mock consumer from referral to Division of Vocational Rehabilitation file closure. This course also includes a discussion of the typical reports required at each stage in the Division of Vocational Rehabilitation process. Common issues that can come along the way are discussed.
Have you participated in an IPS training hosted by a member of the IPS Wisconsin team? Please share your feedback. Use this online form.
Publications
The Wisconsin IPS Learning Collaborative has created a series of publications designed to help professionals using the IPS model of supported employment. See all the publications.
Information on vocational rehabilitation services
For the technical specifications of the vocational rehabilitation services available under the IPS model of supported employment, visit the Department of Workforce Development's website.
Send questions or concerns about IPS to: DHSDCTSIPS@dhs.wisconsin.gov.