IPS
Individual Placement and Support Model
IPS, which is funded through the federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, is a highly successfully and evidenced-based model of supported employment which promotes a “recovery through work” philosophy whereby individuals with severe and persistent mental illness and co-occurring disabilities achieve competitive, integrated employment through receiving ongoing support services.
Launched at ECS in 2025, the IPS team partners with ECS’ Behavioral Health Department to identify and refer people who are interested in participating in the IPS program, as referrals must come through the Behavioral Health department. Please inform any clients who may be interested in this program to contact their clinician for a referral or email therapy@ecs-sf.org.
Ongoing support services provided through IPS:
- Assessing each job seeker’s preferences for employment in order to guide the job search.
- Creating opportunities for face-to-face contact with the employer within 30 days.
- Systematically visiting employers identified by program enrollees to learn about their business needs and hiring preferences.
- Connecting job seekers to competitive employment (i.e., jobs anyone can apply for, pay at least minimum wage/same pay as coworkers with similar duties, and have no artificial time limits imposed).
- Providing intensive job support based upon each worker’s preferences and needs (e.g., wake-up phone calls, meetings with employers to obtain extra feedback, help learning how to take the bus to work, meetings with the worker to talk about how the job is going, on-the-job coaching to learn new duties, etc.). Intensive support will be provided on a weekly basis for at least the first month of employment.
- Providing face-to-face contact with ECS Workforce Development on at least a monthly basis for as long as the worker wants and needs support.
- Reassessing, reengaging, and adjusting services to all individuals who do not find employment after 120 days.