Enriching the Vocational Workforce by Involving Peers in the Delivery of IPS-Supported Employment
Discover the benefits of integrating peer support specialists into delivering evidence-based supported employment services to people recovering their mental wellness. This webinar draws on the experiences of a peer-run agency that adopted the Individual Placement and Support (IPS) model combined with health promotion services. Working with university researchers, they found that peer-delivered IPS and health promotion achieved higher rates of success compared to peer-delivered generic supported employment. Learn various ways that peers can be included in delivering supported employment.
Join MHA and the University of Illinois Chicago for this free 60-minute session. After participating in this webinar, attendees should be able to:
- Differentiate supported employment services delivered with fidelity to the IPS model from generic employment services.
- Apply principles of work-specific health promotion to their service delivery or support activities.
- State three ways to integrate peer support into delivering employment services and supports.
Meet the speakers
Judith Cook, Ph.D., is a professor at the University of Illinois Chicago College of Medicine Department of Psychiatry. Cook is an internationally recognized authority on mental health services research, specifically the study of clinical and rehabilitation outcomes of children and adults receiving community-based care. She directs a federally funded research center and numerous grants and contracts focused on intervention science, psychiatric epidemiology, and outcomes research; designs and implements innovative programs to enhance the health and behavioral health of vulnerable populations; and works with federal, state, and local authorities on behavioral health service system redesign and alternative financing strategies. Her recent work focuses on randomized controlled trials of evidence-based practice treatments for serious mental illness and outcomes of individuals with co-occurring mental illness and chronic medical conditions. Cook consults with federal agencies, including the National Institutes of Health, Social Security Administration, Department of Labor, Government Accountability Office, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, and Veteran’s Administration.
Taina Laing, MSW, is the chief executive officer of Baltic Street AEH, Inc. Laing brings more than 21 years of peer supervision, advocacy, and vocational services to individuals with mental health diagnoses. She is passionate about advocacy that addresses equality and service disparities in low socioeconomic communities. Laing believes in the power of peer specialists and the integration of peer advocates in all areas of recovery and support. She often says, "Peer advocacy supports are integral to all social determinants of health! We cannot allow social or health policies to be written without the inclusion of the peer perspective and insight." Laing participates on several committees and boards across New York State: She was elected the co-president of the New York Association of Psychiatric Rehabilitation Services (NYAPRS) 2022; sits on the New York State Peer Certification Board, Institute for the Development of Human Arts board; a member of the WCNY-IPA; and is a professional participant in developing and overviewing the exam of the MHA National Certified Peer Specialist. Laing graduated from Stony Brook University with her master of social work, is a New York State Certified Peer Specialist, and is looking forward to pursuing her Ph.D. in researching transgenerational trauma and the links of systematic oppression within the mental health and justice system.