Staffing Requirements for Supported Employment for Serious Mental Illness

Staffing Requirements for Supported Employment for Serious Mental Illness A. Supported Employment Services must be delivered by a full-time Supported Employment Specialist (refer to Chapter 11 for position requirements). The Supported Employment Specialist will function as a part of a multidisciplinary mental health team. B. Supported Employment service locations must have the organizational capacity to provide at least one (1) full-time equivalent Supported Employment Specialist dedicated to employment services. The location may choose to have more than one (1) Supported Employment Specialist, but each position must be full-time employment. A Supported Employment Expansion Site must have the organization to provide at least one (1) full- time equivalent Support Employment Specialist dedicated to Employment Services. C. The Supported Employment Specialist must be fully integrated into the treatment team. Progress notes must show collaboration among the therapist, community support specialist, physician, etc. D. The Supported Employment Specialist will have an individual employment caseload not to exceed 20 people for any full-time Supported Employment Specialist. 1. Supported Employment Expansion Specialist will have an individual employment caseload of not less than 25 and no more than 40 people. The referrals for the supported expansion project will be sent to the Mississippi Department of Rehabilitation Services/Office of Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) for employment and must make at least 25 referrals to VR in the span of a year. The Supported Employment Expansion Specialist will conduct follow-along services to the people as required by the project. E. Supported Employment Specialists must only provide employment services. F. If an agency provider employs multiple Supported Employment Specialists, the provider must have Supported Employment specific group supervision weekly to share information and help each other with cases. When necessary, the Supported Employment Specialists can provide services, backup, and support to another Specialist’s caseload. G. Supported Employment Services must have a designated supervisor. If the agency provider has more than 10 Supported Employment Specialists, the supervisor must be full-time to the Supported Employment Services. H. The responsibilities of the Supported Employment supervisor must include, but are not limited to: 1. Conduct and document weekly supported employment supervision designed to review people’s situations and identify new strategies and ideas to help people in their work lives. 2. Communicate with mental health treatment team leaders to ensure that services are integrated, to problem solve programmatic issues (such as referral process or transfer of follow-along to mental health workers), and to be a champion for the value of work. 3. Attend a meeting for each mental health treatment team on a quarterly basis. 4. Accompany Supported Employment Specialists, who are new or having difficulty with job development, in the field monthly to improve skills by observing, modeling, and giving feedback on skills (e.g., meeting employers for job development). 5. Review current outcomes with Supported Employment Specialists at least quarterly and set treatment goals to improve service performance. I. Supported Employment Services employees must be proficient or receive training in the development of a career profile, employment plans, job development, career development, job search, and Social Security benefits.