Improving Employment Outcomes in Pennsylvania

In March 2006,The Department of Public Welfare, Office of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services began the Employment Transformaion project with six counties who were selected to receive consultative services in transforming their local employment services. In 2007 OMHSAS included an additional nine counties. In the project, OMHSAS has provided targeted technical assistance and consultation including: evaluation of existing internal and external vocational services and supports; assistance in the development of an advisory council; informational sessions with all stakeholders; training sessions for practitioners in the application of evidence based practices in supported employment; training for peer employment support group facilitators; on-going technical assistance, both on-site and electronically; evaluation and outcomes analysis, and; provision or assistance in securing other employment related trainings, services and supports as identified by sites.

This website is dedicated to the futherance of the objectives the project. On it will you will find information and resources about the evidenece based practice of supported employment and the things that support its implmentation.

If you have questions, contact us at info@emptranspa.com

Supported Employment is an Evidence Based Practice built around several basic principles:

• People Can Work Regardless of Dx History
• Jobs Must Provide Real Work/Real Pay
• —Rapid Attachment To Real Life Activities Works
• —On-Going Supports Must Be Available
• Preferences, Dreams, and Goals are Central

The Supported Employment Toolkit is comprised of several sets of materials that will allow users to effectively implement the evidence based practice of supported employment. Included are:

Implementation Resource Kit User’s Guide

This document describes the implementation resource kit and how to use it. It includes annotated references for the particular evidence-based practice.

Information for Stakeholders (five documents)

These documents describe the evidence-based practice and highlight features of the practice most pertinent to the particular stakeholder being addressed. These are engagement pieces that address the question: why should I, as consumer, family member, practitioner, program leader, or administrator be interested in this practice? The documents for consumers and family members are available in Spanish-language versions.

Statement on Cultural Competence

This document addresses the need for practitioners and policymakers to integrate the design and delivery of the evidence-based practices within a culturally responsive context.

Workbook

The workbook is designed as a primer for practitioners regarding skills needed to provide the evidence-based practice. It emphasizes the knowledge and skill practitioners need in order to provide an effective intervention, one with high fidelity to the model. It is designed for use in training or supervisory settings.

Implementation Tips for Mental Health Program Leaders

This document provides practical guidance for agency program leaders on how to implement the evidence-based practice in a community mental health setting. It includes strategies for building consensus in organizations preparing for change and tips on how to develop policies and procedures to support the practice.

Implementation Tips for Public Mental Health Authorities

This document provides practical guidance for public mental health authorities on how to provide incentives and remove barriers to implementation of the evidence-based practice within their mental health system. Advice is given based on the experiences of mental health systems that have been successful in implementing the practice. This document emphasizes the importance of consensus building, creating incentives for change in practitioner and agency behavior, and identifying and removing barriers to change.

Client Outcome Measures

Using outcome measures to evaluate and track consumer gains and program success is critical for effective implementation of an evidence-based practice. Simple outcomes are identified that can be monitored as part of routine clinical practice. The tracking of outcome measures is used as a feedback mechanism for clinicians, supervisors, and administrators.

Fidelity Scale

Research indicates that the quality of implementation of the practice—adherence to principles of the model—strongly influences outcomes. The fidelity scale enables mental health program leaders to evaluate their program in comparison to the recommended principles.

Articles

Copies of general articles about evidence-based practices and implementation and an article describing the research evidence for this particular practice are included in the implementation resource kit.

http://mentalhealth.samhsa.gov/cmhs/CommunitySupport/toolkits/employment/