IPS: Providing Services
Agencies implementing Individual Placement and Support (IPS) must follow the model's recovery-oriented approach.
The eight principles of IPS
Competitive employment
The IPS model focuses on developing opportunities for job seekers that are inclusive. These are jobs that anyone can apply for, pay at least minimum wage or the same pay as coworkers with similar duties, and have no artificial times limits imposed by a social service agency.
Systematic job development
Based on the job seeker's preferences, IPS employment specialists regularly visit businesses to learn about their needs and hiring preferences.
Rapid job search
In the IPS model, there are no requirements for assessments, training, or counseling before seeking employment. The first face-to-face contact between a job seeker and a business occurs within 30 days.
Integrated services
The IPS model is part of mental health and substance use treatment programs. Employment specialists work with a job seeker's treatment team to support the job seeker's treatment goals.
Benefits planning
IPS employment specialists help people obtain personalized, understandable, and accurate information about their Social Security, Medicaid, and other government benefits.
Zero exclusion
The IPS model is open to all job seekers receiving services for mental health and substance use disorders.
Time-unlimited supports
The services offered under the IPS model are continue as long as each person being served wants and needs support.
Worker preferences
The IPS model focuses on each job seeker's desires and wishes.
Roles and responsibilities for ongoing service delivery
- Provide facilitation and problem-solving strategies for issues related to ongoing partnerships, billing, and outcomes.
- Monitor submitted IPS data for trends and outliers.
- Identify trainer contact to provide technical assistance as requested.
- Provide fidelity reviews for the purpose of improving employment outcomes for clients.
- Establish a steering committee to guide the strategic goals for agency and invite the assigned state trainer to attend.
- Allow the state trainer to review outcomes with the IPS supervisor and agency leaders in order to develop plans for improved outcomes.
- Track and update outcome goals.
- Share successes through public forums.
- Allow employment specialists and IPS supervisors to attend annual conferences.
- Allow supervisors to attend quarterly supervisor meetings.
- Allow employment specialists to participate in quarterly consortium webinars.
- Allow staff to enroll and participate in practitioner and supervisor online trainings from the IPS Employment Center.
- Ensure a copy of the most recent version of “IPS Supported Employment: A Practical Guide” is available to each staff person.
- Display handouts and posters to increase awareness of IPS in the county or tribe.
- Provide services as identified in the technical specifications of the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development's Division of Vocational Rehabilitation and seek out assistance in understanding requirements and identify areas for improvement and training needs.
- Process referrals and complete career profile and other services.
- Contact local businesses to connect consumers to jobs in their area of interest.
- Complete data collection and data reporting.
- Collect quarterly employment or education outcomes and share with the state IPS team. Use the Outcome Reporting Tool on the IPS Employment Center website.
- Comply in submitting additional data as requested by state IPS team.
- Maintain communication with Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development's Division of Vocational Rehabilitation and county or tribal mental health agency.
- Attend unit and mental health team meetings to encourage referrals and contribute information to the team.
- Establish and monitor progress towards employment goals.
- Allow employment specialists and supervisors to attend annual IPS conferences.
- Allow supervisors to attend quarterly supervisor meetings.
- Allow employment specialists to participate in quarterly consortium webinars.
- Allow staff to enroll and participate in practitioner and supervisor online trainings from the IPS Employment Center.
- Ensure a copy of the most recent version of “IPS Supported Employment: A Practical Guide” is available to each IPS staff.
- Display handouts and posters to increase awareness of IPS in the community.
- Provide services as identified in the technical specifications of the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development's Division of Vocational Rehabilitation and seek out assistance in understanding requirements and identify areas for improvement and training needs.
- Process referrals for services and determine eligibility
- Process consumer case information.
- Maintain communication with members of the team.
- Review vocational services reports submitted.
- Attend unit and/or mental health team meetings, as schedule allows, to encourage referrals and assist with existing consumer case progress.
- Participate in local and state trainings, service improvement opportunities, and collaborations.
Get reimbursed for services
Funding is available for agencies providing services using the IPS model. Through a braided funding model, the Department of Workforce Development's Division of Vocational Rehabilitation can pay for a career profile, job development plan, systemic job development, ongoing support, and services related to the transition to long-term support for clients eligible for vocational rehabilitation services.
Do you have a question about IPS? Email dhsdctsips@dhs.wisconsin.gov.