Update on funding IPS supported employment services in the IPS learning community.

OBJECTIVE

Individual placement and support (IPS) is the evidence-based supported employment approach for people with serious mental illness. Because funding is the major barrier for states to implement IPS and increase access, the IPS Learning Community collected information about sources of IPS funding from 24 member states.

METHODS

In early 2020, IPS employment leaders from the public mental health authority and the state vocational rehabilitation (VR) authority completed a questionnaire identifying sources of funding for IPS in their states.

RESULTS

The main sources of funding were Medicaid, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) block grants, state and county government, the Ticket to Work program, and the federal-state VR programs.

CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE

Funding IPS services requires braided funding from multiple sources. This complicated method limits scaling up services statewide. Solving this funding problem would require coordinated action from federal and state agencies. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).