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Training: Monday, March 31, 2025, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Training: Tuesday, April 1, 2025, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Location: WorkSource Columbia Basin
815 N Kellogg St., suite D, Kennewick, Washington
Washington Health Care Authority (HCA) Foundational Community Supports (FCS) its next in person training event. There are those of us who enjoy the process and intent of fidelity reviews. Continuous Quality Improvement resonates within us. If you are one of those people, this is the training for you.
Please join the FCS Supported Employment trainer Dawn Miller for a 2-day in person training to gain in-depth knowledge of Individual Placement and Support (IPS) as the evidence-based practice for supported employment services and how to evaluate programs.
To conduct fidelity reviews in greater numbers, we must increase the number of qualified IPS fidelity reviewers. The goal is to build a cadre of reviewers to sustain the review of each FCS/IPS SE program over time. The focus of this training is skill development of potential fidelity reviewer cadre members.
(Lunch is not provided; attendees are encouraged to arrange their own lunch plans.)
Objectives
- Review the FCS program and fidelity review goals under FCS
- Explore key principles of the IPS supported employment model related to fidelity review
- Learn what it is like to participate in fidelity reviews
- Develop skills to be a fidelity reviewer
- Learn interview and documentation techniques for fidelity scoring
- Acquire skills related to writing part of the fidelity report
- Overview of reporting data to the IPS Employment Center
Future scheduling of FCS training note:
We will provide virtual training in October 2025, and potentially in person in Western WA in July. Details to be provided prior to each event.
For questions, contact Dawn Miller or Darren Paschke
The Washington State Legislature requires that providers of Foundational Community Supports (FCS) supported employment services provide service through promising and evidence-based practices. Individual Placement and Support (IPS) is the evidence-based practice of supported employment. FCS achieves improved outcomes by offering comprehensive training on evidence-based practices to FCS agency staff, as well as conducting fidelity reviews to help identify areas of continuous improvement for agencies. Improving outcomes is essential to the sustainability of high-quality services.
Dear FCS Providers and Supporters,
The Foundations for the Future symposium planning committee has decided to postpone the 2025 learning symposium. A new date in 2026 is yet to be determined. The planning committee is grateful for all who have expressed excitement and interest in attending and hopes you will join us when we gather next year! All cosponsors of the event deeply appreciate the excellence in service and dedication you all exemplify in your daily work with those seeking housing and employment stability support.
If you submitted presentation proposals for the event, we will be reaching out to you individually to thank you for the time and effort you invested as well as to discuss the possibility of holding your proposals to revisit once new dates are determined. Thank you again for your willingness to share what you know with your provider peers.
Please stay tuned for future announcements, sent via this messaging platform, for upcoming trainings, learning events, and updates on the Foundations for the Future learning symposium in 2026!
Questions may be directed to Jackie Velasco.
Presented by The Washington State Health Care Authority (HCA) in partnership with Rutgers Department Psychiatric Rehabilitation and Counseling Professions
Webinar: Wednesday, March 12, 2025, noon
According to the CDC, 49,000 people in the US died by suicide. As community mental health workers, it is crucial for supportive housing staff to have a deep understanding of suicide, including those who are at higher risk of dying by suicide. In this webinar, participants will gain a deeper understanding of the populations most vulnerable to suicide.
Additionally, this session will cover the key risk factors that contribute to suicidality and provide actionable strategies for SH (Supportive Housing) staff to recognize warning signs and intervene appropriately. Finally, participants will learn about essential services and support supportive housing professionals can offer to individuals struggling with suicidal thoughts, creating an environment where clients feel heard, supported, and connected to life-saving resources.
Objectives
- Recognize populations with the highest rates of suicide
- Identify risk factors of suicide
- Discuss services SH staff can provide to individuals at risk of dying by suicide
Presented by The Washington State Health Care Authority (HCA) in partnership with Rutgers Department Psychiatric Rehabilitation and Counseling Professions
Webinar: Thursday, March 13, 2025, from 9 a.m. to 10 a.m.
This workshop will examine the important role that employment has on recovery. We’ll review this relationship as well as identify empowerment strategies that promote work and career goals. Participants will identify and learn how to counter common myths, while exploring the benefits of employment for people with mental health conditions.
Objectives
- Review recovery and recovery-oriented mental health services.
- Identify the key benefits of employment in recovery.
- Review common barriers and strategies to supporting individuals in achieving career goals.
Presented by the Washington Health Care Authority (HCA) Foundational Community Supports team in partnership with Rutgers School of Psychiatric Rehabilitation and Counseling Professionals is presenting the March Cultural Responsiveness Learning Session
Webinar: Tuesday, March 18, 2025, at 3 p.m.
Over the past decade, the community of neurodiverse individuals has seen significant growth and greater visibility. Additionally, The Neurodiversity Pride movement has gained momentum alongside broader awareness and community inclusion. The March webinar will focus on effective strategies for supporting neurodiverse individuals with co-occurring mental health conditions (MHCs) through evidence-based-practices. Participants will explore practical approaches for fostering inclusive environments and best practices for affirming neurodiversity.
Objectives
- Define and acknowledge neurodiversity as a component of human biological and cognitive diversity
- Examine best practices for behavioral health services providers when working with neurodiverse individuals
- Explore strategies for affirming neurodiversity and fostering a positive disability identity
Webinar: Wednesday, March 19, 2025, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Washington Health Care Authority (HCA) and the Foundational Community Supports (FCS) team are starting a new training series!
The FCS team would like to invite anyone interested to our standing monthly provider orientation. This orientation will be offered every third Wednesday of the month during this same time frame and will cover introductory information about Foundational Community Supports Supported Employment, Supportive Housing, Apple Health and Homes Rental Assistance Program (AHAH-RAP), and the Transition Assistance Program (TAP).
This will be an open and supportive space to get a basic orientation of all things FCS. Additionally, this will serve as a great place for new and prospective providers and FCS staff to ask questions and meet the FCS team and our WellPoint partner team members. This series will occur monthly February through May.
We would enthusiastically encourage you to attend if
- You are an organization interested in providing FCS and need more information about the program and associated programming
- You are a new FCS provider (welcome!!)
- You have recently hired new Supportive Housing or Supported Employment specialists, or have staff that would like a refresher on FCS and fidelity to best practices
- You would like an opportunity to connect with HCA’s FCS Team and Wellpoint to ask questions about service provision, program implementation, etc.
Presented by The Washington State Health Care Authority (HCA) in partnership with Rutgers Department Psychiatric Rehabilitation and Counseling Professions
Webinar: Thursday, March 20, 2025, from 8:30 a.m. to 10 a.m.
Many individuals with mental health conditions face significant challenges in securing and maintaining employment. A contributing factor to the decrease in job retention is a lack of knowledge for developing intentional workplace accommodations. This session is designed to enhance practitioner understanding and skills in navigating employment accommodation for individuals with mental health conditions. Participants will receive a thorough overview of how mental health conditions can impact functioning in the work setting and effective strategies for developing intentional accommodations.
Objectives
- Define accommodations in the employment setting.
- Review the process for assessing functional implications of a mental health condition.
- Explore the types of accommodation used to offset the functional implications of a mental health condition in the work setting.
Webinar: Tuesday, March 25, 2025, from 1 p.m. to 2:30 p.m.
Washington Health Care Authority (HCA) Foundational Community Supports (FCS) team in partnership with Advocates for Human Potential (AHP) are hosting a workplace training.
Support the ongoing dialogue of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging (DEIB) conversation designed to discuss the intersectionality of diversity and workforce inclusion. Support our efforts to identify community and agency values, how people rate their feeling of connectedness and belonging while we build a culture of belonging.
Objectives:
- Identify inclusiveness and workforce needs
- Learn to recognize intersectionality of workforce needs and how staff are connected to their organization
- Establish alignment of agency mission and DEI-B values
Application submissions due: Friday, March 28, 2025, by 11:59 p.m. EST
Washington Health Care Authority (HCA) is pleased to announce a new grant opportunity from National Alliance to End Homelessness to advance workforce strategies. The Alliance (National Alliance to End Homelessness) is requesting proposals for a new opportunity that will award a one-time grant of up to $50,000.
With a workforce under constant strain, this opportunity aims to encourage small-scale innovations in the homeless services workforce. The grant will be used to start or continue initiatives that support the recruitment, promotion/advancement and retention of high-quality homeless services staff.
Submissions must be sent to hri@naeh.org . The Alliance will conduct virtual meetings beginning in April 2025 to better understand your organization/agency, challenges, and the proposal overall. Awards will be announced in May 2025.
Webinar: Thursday, April 17, 2025, from 1 p.m. to 2:30 p.m.
This training by HCA FCS is ideal for employment specialists, case managers, and mental health professionals who want to better understand the connection between mental health and workplace behavior, and how to effectively support individuals in reaching their employment goals.
Individuals with mental health issues often face unique challenges in workplace settings, such as difficulties managing emotional regulation, overcoming social anxiety, or navigating workplace relationships. Understanding these challenges and learning effective behavioral management strategies are critical for professionals working to support individuals in achieving long-term employment success.
The session will begin with an overview of common mental health conditions—such as anxiety, depression, bipolar disorder, and schizophrenia—and the ways they can influence behavior in a work environment. Participants will explore how behaviors like avoidance, impulsivity, or difficulties with focus and interpersonal communication may arise and will gain practical strategies for addressing these challenges.
This webinar will also cover evidence-based techniques for:
- De-escalation
- Trauma-informed communication
- Individualized support planning
- Providing attendees with actionable tools to enhance engagement
- Job performance
- Retention for those they serve
The Washington Health Care Authority (HCA) Foundational Community Supports (FCS) team in partnership with Rutgers School for Psychiatric Rehabilitation and Counseling Professions is launching the 2025 Golden Thread in Documentation training series. This is a six-part series that will occur April through May
Webinars: Thursdays: April 17, April 24, May 1, May 8, May 15, and May 22, 2025, from 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.
The Golden Thread in Documentation training provides a comprehensive overview, with practical applications, of (FCS) documentation. Each webinar covers a specific type of documentation and addresses Medicaid requirements and the importance of the connection between assessments, service plans, and progress notes, known as the Golden Thread.
Additionally, the series will be presented along with the newly developed Golden Thread Toolkit, a valuable new resource for FCS staff. The webinars and toolkit are designed for FCS staff who are responsible for service provision and documentation. It is recommended that participants attend all sessions in the series, as the information presented is cumulative.
Objectives
- Use Medicaid-compliant documentation of Foundational Community Support services specifically the assessments, service plan, and progress notes.
- Employ rehabilitation principles such as valued life roles and strengths-based services in Foundational Community Supports.
- Apply rehabilitation techniques to enhance goal planning and skills teaching.
Webinar: Wednesday, May 28, 2025, from 1 p.m. to 2:30 p.m.
The webinar will introduce trauma-informed care, its core principles, and its benefits for individuals with mental illness. We will discuss the critical links between trauma, mental health challenges, and barriers to employment. Additionally, we will outline practical strategies for embedding trauma-informed principles into supported employment services, fostering environments that promote healing, empowerment, and sustainable employment for participants.
This session is designed for employment specialists, mental health professionals, case managers, and stakeholders in Washington State’s Medicaid-funded FCS programs. Participants will leave with a deeper understanding of how trauma-informed practices can enhance vocational outcomes and improve overall mental health recovery.
Objectives
- Understand the basics of trauma-informed care: Define trauma-informed care and its relevance to individuals with mental health disorders in Washington State, with a focus on its integration into supported employment programs like FCS
- Identify the connection between trauma, mental health, and employment challenges: Examine how trauma affects individuals’ mental health, impedes vocational functioning, and create barriers to employment, with real-world examples from the FCS program
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