The Individual Placement Services (IPS) program is committed to finding competitive employment for clients with serious mental illness seeking employment. The IPS program is closely integrated with all mental health treatment teams. The services provided by the staff are based on client’s preferences and choices, rather than providers’ judgments. Clients are not excluded from the program on the basis of readiness, diagnoses, symptoms, psychiatric hospitalizations, level of disability, or legal system involvement. Through IPS, clients obtain personalized, understandable, and accurate information about their Social Security, Medicaid and other government entitlements with the assistance of a trained benefits counselor.
Employment specialists build an employer network based on clients’ interests, developing relationships with local employers by making systematic contacts. The IPS program uses a rapid job search approach to help clients obtain jobs directly, rather than providing lengthy pre-employment assessment, training, and counseling. After making a successful placement for the client, individualized follow-along support is provided for as long as the client wants and needs the support. For additional information about how IPS can help you: