EMPLOYMENT PLACEMENT & SUPPORT
IPS does not end when someone gets hired. This principle ensures ongoing assistance after employment begins.
What is time-unlimited support?
This IPS service helps partners understand how employment may affect SSI, SSDI, Medi-Cal, or other benefits.
What is benefits planning/counseling?
Your documentation should clearly connect the service provided to this primary focus of IPS.
What is the partner's employment, education, or vocational goal?
A reviewer asks, “Tell me about your caseload.” What should you know without scrambling?
What are your partners' employment goals, preferences, current job-search activity, employer contacts, placements, and support needs?
A partner gets a job and the EC stops contacting them immediately. What IPS concept could be missing?
What is ongoing, individualized follow-along support?
An EC tells a partner, “Don't worry about your benefits; working will probably make you lose them.” Why is this problematic?
What is providing inaccurate benefits information instead of connecting the partner with individualized benefits counseling?
Why should an EC's employer contacts in the IPS spreadsheet match the partner's documented preferences and job-search activity?
What is to demonstrate individualized, targeted job development and consistency between services provided and the partner's employment goal?
A reviewer asks, “Tell me about a partner you're currently working with.” What should your answer demonstrate?
What is knowledge of the person's employment goal, preferences, actions taken, progress, barriers, and next steps?
A partner has been working for three months but is struggling with transportation. What should the EC consider?
What is providing or coordinating individualized employment support to help maintain employment?
A partner is afraid to work because they believe they will immediately lose all benefits. What should the EC do?
What is connect the partner with appropriate benefits counseling so they can make an informed decision?
A reviewer looks at an EC's documentation and asks, “What did you actually do?” What should the note clearly show?
What are the action taken, employment connection, partner response/outcome, and next step?
The reviewer asks, “What is your role on the treatment team?” What should you emphasize?
What is providing employment expertise, integrating employment goals with the team, participating in team communication, and advocating for competitive employment?
A partner says, “I don't need you to meet with me every week anymore, but I may need help if something comes up.” How should IPS respond?
What is allowing the level and frequency of support to be individualized and adjusted based on the partner's needs and preferences?
Why should ECs avoid making assumptions about how employment will affect someone's benefits?
What is because benefits impacts are individualized and require accurate, personalized information?
Why are current Career Profiles important during a fidelity review?
What is because they demonstrate that the EC understands each partner's interests, skills, experience, preferences, and employment goals?
The reviewer asks, “What happens if someone says they don't want to work right now?” What is the IPS-informed response?
What is respecting the person's choice while maintaining the relationship and remaining available to revisit employment when they are ready?
A reviewer asks, “What happens after placement?” Give the fidelity-level answer.
What is continued individualized support focused on helping the person maintain employment, address workplace challenges, build natural supports, and pursue additional employment goals as desired?
A reviewer asks, “How do you address benefits concerns when someone wants to work?” Give the strongest IPS response.
What is acknowledging the concern, supporting the person's employment goal, and connecting them with individualized benefits counseling so they can understand the financial and benefits implications of working?
A reviewer compares the EC's caseload, Career Profiles, job-search forms, employer contacts, notes, and placements. What are they looking for?
What is consistency and evidence that the EC's documented services reflect individualized IPS practice and actual employment activity?
The reviewer asks, “Give me an example of how you apply IPS in your work.” The strongest answer follows this five-part formula.
What are:
Goal → Action → Employment Connection → Outcome → IPS Principle
Example: “The partner wanted to work in security. I helped identify employers, supported applications, and contacted employers directly. This led to an interview and continued job development. This demonstrates individualized services, targeted job development, and competitive employment.”