OMH Guide for Employment Specialists

1 Of ce of Mental Health A Guide for Employment Specialists With OMH Provider Agencies This Guide identifies resources available to those who provide supported Employment services in New York State in 2018. This Guide was developed in 2017 as a collaborative effort between the NYS PROMISE, NYS Office of Mental Health Adult Rehabilitation services Unit, and the New York Association of Psychiatric Rehabilitation services . The following staff contributed: Christopher Coyle, Laura Davis, Len Statham TABLE OF CONTENTS. Introduction NYS Office of Mental Health and Employment services ..3. Best Practices What Works Best? ..5. Individual Placement and Support The Gold Standard ..5. Understanding Supported Employment : Additional Educational Bene ts Counseling It Matters! Where to Start?.. 7. Finding The Job Resources for Helping Job Seekers ..9. Helping Young Adults .. 10. Resources for Community Job Development.

2 11. Further Training Opportunities for Employment 12. Appendices Appendix 1: Comparing Web-based Career 13. Appendix 2: About NYS Vocational services .. 15. Appendix 3: Employment Program Comparison Chart .. 16. Appendix 4: How to Use Job Zone .. 19. Appendix 5: How to Use Career Zone ..20. A Guide FOR SUPPORTED. SUPPORTED EMPLO. Employment SPECIALIST. Specialists with NYS. NYS OMH Provider Agencies 1. This page intentionally left blank. 2 A Guide FOR SUPPORTED Employment Specialists with NYS OMH Provider Agencies INTRODUCTION. New York State O ce of Mental Health and Employment services This Guide has been developed to help those working Employment rate, and decrease the poverty rate, for directly with individuals who are seeking Employment New Yorkers who are receiving services from the State, achieve the best outcomes possible. as well as register 100 businesses as having formal policies to hire people with disabilities as part of their Over the last several years, supported Employment workforce strategy.

3 services have been redesigned to align more closely with what evidence has shown to be the best practices. This Executive Order is an important rst step in making No longer does NYS adhere to the idea that individuals Employment the rst option for individuals no matter with mental health disorders need to be sheltered their disability. For more information on the Governor's from Employment . All Employment Specialists are Executive Action visit: ( encouraged to attain pro ciency in knowing how to help press/09172014-executive-order-employmen t- rst). individuals gain the skills they need to attain and sustain work, as well as to help develop jobs in the community Employment Specialists play an important role in for those they work with. bringing the Governor's Executive Action to life. Helping people choose, get and keep jobs and In September 2014, Governor Andrew M. Cuomo careers are at the forefront of this task.

4 Having the signed an executive order to establish the Employment proper tools and resources at your disposal is necessary First Commission, tasked with creating an Employment for you to be successful in your job and our mutual First policy for New York, which makes competitive, endeavor to help raise New Yorkers out of poverty and integrated Employment the rst option when considering into jobs/careers. With this in mind, we have created supports and services for people with disabilities. The this Guide to make your job easier and to give you vital Employment First Commission aims to increase the information and resources all in one place. A Guide FOR SUPPORTED Employment Specialists with NYS OMH Provider Agencies 3. This page intentionally left blank. 4 A Guide FOR SUPPORTED Employment Specialists with NYS OMH Provider Agencies BEST PRACTICES. What works best? Considering Work is a 4 minute module Individual Placement and Support (IPS) that focuses on competitive Employment .

5 It makes it clear that individuals diagnosed with IPS has become the gold standard for supported mental illness can and do work at jobs that Employment . IPS is the only evidenced-based practice meet their interests. It introduces the Individual for obtaining Employment for individuals across the Placement and Support (IPS) supported disability spectrum. OMH encourages all Employment Employment approach and CPI's Employment providers to have staff trained in the evidence Resource Book. based supported Employment approach Individual The Employment Resource Book is a Placement and Support (IPS). comprehensive, action-oriented Guide developed by the CPI and Columbia University Learn more about IPS through The Center for that will provide strong support to help Practice Innovations (CPI) individuals with mental health conditions (and CPI supports OMH's mission to promote the other disabilities) to prepare for, nd, or retain Employment .

6 Available in English and Spanish. widespread availability of evidence-based practices to improve mental health services , ensure accountability, Download a copy of the Guide at no charge: and promote recovery-oriented outcomes for consumers and families. All behavioral health programs across NYS may access two online staff Understanding Supported Employment . training modules focusing on IPS. Additional Educational Resources To access CPI resources: Note: Supported Employment is a global term that encompasses all types of programs that seek to help Go to the Quick Links tab individuals with disabilities nd Employment rather than Select How to access training tab/complete the one particular type of vocational support program. registration form. The federal government provides the Look for the following CPI resources: Building Supported Employment evidence based practice kit at no charge: The Individual Placement and Support.

7 Training module provides a comprehensive 4365 overview of the principles and practices of This includes a delity scale for providers to IPS, and the IPS Job Development training check their services against best practices. module focuses speci cally on this important practitioner skill set. A Guide FOR SUPPORTED Employment Specialists with NYS OMH Provider Agencies 5. The Judge David L. Bazelon Center for Mental Health Law offers the Getting to Work . Promoting Employment of People with Mental Illness guidance. (2014). publications/# Employment The US Department of Education and Templeton University collaboratively produced A Practical Guide for People with Mental Health Conditions (2013). 6 A Guide FOR SUPPORTED Employment Specialists with NYS OMH Provider Agencies BENEFITS COUNSELING. It Matters! Where to Start? Too often people who have social security bene ts Cornell University . had to struggle to attain them.

8 Some also heard the Employment and Disability Institute message that those nancial bene ts would be lost if they were to regain the ability to work. This is a myth! Today, many incentives are available to encourage and The Yang-Tan Institute on Employment & Disability support people with disabilities to work without giving (YTI) provides the nation's only scienti cally developed up the social security bene ts they need. credentialing protocol for Work Incentive Practitioners. YTI has ensured that all participants will receive a It is essential for Employment Specialists to have a well-rounded background in all public bene ts and working knowledge of the work incentives available the impact of earnings on both bene ts and disability to the individuals they work with. The following status. You will not nd another such developed resources will help you to increase your pro ciency training protocol in the United States.

9 In work incentives and/or nd Work Incentive Practitioners who can help the individuals you work The protocol can begin with a series of 17 webinars with determine how work will affect their bene ts. or a 5-day on-site training session. Once the training period is completed the remainder of the protocol Bene ts Conversation Guide is identical. Our ongoing assessment of classes has proven that there is no learning difference between SAMHSA has developed The SOAR Employment on-line and on-site training and the success is truly in Conversation Guide which is an excellent tool the hands of each participant. For a closer and more that can help caseworkers begin those tough, but detailed look at our topical coverage and credentialing important conversations about work. protocol, please see . conversation- Guide The Federal Work Incentives Planning and Assistance - WIPA. OMH Consumer Affairs Resources OMH Supported Employment providers should be able The goal of the Work Incentive Planning and to provide or refer participants to appropriate nancial Assistance (WIPA) program is to enable social security bene ts counseling regarding concerns related to bene ciaries with disabilities to receive accurate losing SSDI bene ts upon Employment .

10 Information, and use that information to make a successful transition to work. Each WIPA project has Community Work Incentives Coordinators who will: A Guide FOR SUPPORTED Employment Specialists with NYS OMH Provider Agencies 7. Provide in-depth counseling about bene ts and Ticket to Work & NYESS. the effect of work on those bene ts;. This federal program provides nancial incentives to Conduct outreach efforts to bene ciaries of SSI Employment service providers through milestone and SSDI (and their families) who are potentially payments when they help people with SSA bene ts eligible to participate in Federal or State work (SSDI/SSI) get jobs. To participate, an OMH Supported incentives programs; and Employment provider would connect through the NYESS - New York Employment Support System Work in cooperation with Federal, State, and (pronounced nice ), which enables agencies to private agencies and nonpro t organizations participate in the Social Security Administration's that serve disabled SSI and SSDI bene ciaries.