|
Foundational Community Supports (FCS) is an initiative of Medicaid Transformation. It allows qualified providers to receive Medicaid reimbursement for delivering supportive housing and supported employment services for people with the greatest and most immediate social and health needs.
During the first full week of August, members of the Washington Health Care Authority Foundational Community Supports (FCS) joined our partners with Home and Community Living Administration (HCLA) and Department of Commerce at the annual conference, "Annual Addressing Homelessness Through a Public Health Lens," in Washington, D.C.
During the conference, the Housing Related Social Needs Program (HRSN) was a highlighted focal point. The team learned that, along with the state of Arizona, Washington is farther along in the development of our waiver project, and we were supporting other states with ideas on how to further their programs.
This was a great opportunity for our program to share lessons learned, learn ways that other states are initiating and running their programs, and provided intentional time for all of us to strategize each of our programs moving forward.
Our FCS Team returned to Washington State feeling humbled by the progress we have made and even more hopeful for the continuation of our waiver project.
Washington Health Care Authority (HCA) Foundational Community Supports (FCS) in partnership with Rutgers School of Psychiatric Rehabilitation and Counseling Professions is hosting the September supportive housing monthly webinar
Webinar: Wednesday, September 10, at 11 a.m.
Supportive housing providers play a vital role in fostering safety and trust for individuals impacted by trauma. This webinar will introduce the core principles of trauma-informed care and explore its relevance to housing environments. Participants will learn strategies to create physical, emotional, and psychological safety, while strengthening staff-resident relationships.
Additionally, the webinar will support attendees in applying trauma-informed practices that reduce re-traumatization and promote resident stability and well-being
Objectives
- Define trauma-informed care and its relevance to supportive housing
- Identify strategies to create physical, emotional and psychological safety to residents
- Recognize trauma-informed practices that strengthen staff-resident relationships
Washington State Health Care Authority (HCA) Foundational Community Supports (FCS) Team in partnership with Rutgers School of Psychiatric Rehabilitation and Counseling Professionals are presenting this September supported employment webinar
Webinar: Thursday, September 11, at 9 a.m.
At times, job seekers may be ambivalent about employment. This ambivalence may manifest in various ways, such as dropping out of services, canceling or not showing up for scheduled appointments, or frequently changing job goals.
Motivational Interviewing (MI) is an evidence-based practice that has been utilized in various settings, including employment services, to help individuals make behavioral changes and achieve their goals. MI focuses on exploring and resolving ambivalence and is geared toward understanding and enhancing internal motivations that facilitate change. This month’s call will introduce skills to strengthen change talk and minimize sustain talk.
Objectives
- Define motivational interviewing (MI) and its use in employment services
- Differentiate between sustain talk and change talk
- Identify MI skills to elicit change talk and minimize sustain talk
Washington State Health Care Authority (HCA) Foundational Community Supports (FCS) Team in partnership with Rutgers School of Psychiatric Rehabilitation and Counseling Professionals invite you to join them for a new webinar.
Webinar: Tuesday, September 16, at 3 p.m.
This live, interactive training session will equip mental health practitioners with the tools and insights to integrate cultural humility into their practice, enhancing their ability to provide person-centered services. Participants will explore the foundational elements of cultural humility and identify the benefits of using this approach for individuals in services.
Through real-world examples and practical exercises, practitioners will learn how to apply a culturally responsive lens to service conceptualization and treatment planning, leading to more effective, meaningful care and improved outcomes for all individuals engaged in service.
Objectives
- Introduce the purpose and structure of the Washington State Cultural Responsiveness Learning Community.
- Explore the role of cultural humility in strengthening Supported Housing and Supported Employment programs.
- Support participants in reflecting on their own cultural identities, positionality, and areas for growth.
- Identify strategies for embedding culturally responsive and equity-centered practices in recovery-oriented care
Webinar: Wednesday, September 17, from 10 a.m. to noon
Washington Health Care Authority (HCA) Foundational Community Supports (FCS) trainers invite you to join them in our returning monthly FCS 101 training.
This training is encouraged for those who would like to learn more about the variety of programs supported by FCS. The FCS trainers will be available to discuss the program overview and evolution of FCS, answer questions and provide information to those who have questions.
Objectives
- Be introduced to all things Foundational Community Supports
- Gain an overview of Supported Employment Services
- Delve into Supportive Housing Services
Washington Health Care Authority (HCA) Foundational Community Supports (FCS) team invite you to attend the monthly Supported Employment Coordinating Committee (SECC)
Webinar: Wednesday, September 17, from 9 to 10 a.m.
We would like to invite you to the monthly meeting for the HCA Supported Employment Coordinating Committee (SECC) to improve the employment rate for people with behavioral health and other challenges. The current SECC was originally the Olmstead Policy Academy started in 2013 to create a strategic plan to improve the employment rate for people experiencing mental health and/or substance use issues.
The SECC carries on with the same intent with a goal of accessing a broader audience. We still have much to do to improve employment rates and support Medicaid recipients’ return to work. At each meeting we will share new ideas and challenges, as well as discuss strategies to improve results. We will also include trainings from specialists working on various programs and projects.
We are changing the way in which we are scheduling. From this point to the foreseeable future, the invitation will be in the FCS newsletter, and attendees will use the information below to attend via computer or via telephone.
Please feel free to distribute to others that you think may be interested in these conversations.
Please place a calendar hold for the third Wednesday of every month to attend the SECC meeting via Teams.
Washington State Health Care Authority (HCA) Foundational Community Supports (FCS) team in partnership with Rutgers School of Psychiatric Rehabilitation and Counseling are presenting this monthly supported employment webinar.
Webinar: Thursday, September 18, from 8:30 to 10 a.m.
This series focuses on four soft skills: Presenting Qualifications, Asking for Help, Responding to Feedback, and Conversing with Others. The training series is based on a curriculum developed by Dr. Janice Oursler, a professor and director of the master’s program in Rehabilitation Counseling at the Department of Psychiatric Rehabilitation and Counseling of Rutgers University. Dr. Oursler developed this curriculum using the Direct Skills Teaching approach (skill definition, benefits, key behaviors and conditions to use) from Boston University.
Objectives
- Define the skill presenting qualifications
- Explore the benefits and scenarios of when to use the skill presenting qualifications
- Apply skills and strategies on how to teach the skill presenting qualifications
Washington State Health Care Authority (HCA) Foundational Community Supports (FCS) team in partnership with Rutgers School of Psychiatric Rehabilitation and Counseling are presenting the Buried in Treasures Learning Community call.
Webinar: Thursday, September 25, from 1 to 2:15 p.m.
Join the Buried in Treasures Learning Community, a monthly interactive forum designed to help Washington State Foundational Community Supports (FCS) providers support individuals experiencing hoarding behavior. Grounded in the acclaimed self-help manual Buried in Treasures: Help for Compulsive Acquiring, Saving, and Hoarding, this learning community offers a respectful, harm-reduction-based approach that recognizes the emotional significance of belongings and the challenges of change.
Each session will explore practical tools, peer learning, and strategies rooted in cognitive-behavioral techniques, motivational enhancement, and trauma-informed care. Participants will gain real-world knowledge, skills, and resources to engage people with empathy, foster self-directed progress, and create supportive environments where individuals feel empowered—not judged—to take meaningful steps forward.
Whether you’re new to this subject or want to improve your skills in helping clients with complex needs, this community will help you build your ability to support individuals struggling with clutter, acquiring, and discarding. While access to Buried in Treasures (2nd edition) is recommended, it is not required to participate.
Objectives
- Recognize hoarding behavior's core features and complexities, including emotional, cognitive, and environmental factors
- Understand common motivations, ambivalence, and barriers individuals face when attempting to reduce or manage hoarding behaviors
- Apply trauma-informed, person-centered strategies from the Buried in Treasures approach to support individuals in their journey toward safer and more functional living environments
Washington State Health Care Authority (HCA) Foundational Community Supports (FCS) team in partnership with Rutgers School of Psychiatric Rehabilitation and Counseling are presenting this harm reduction webinar.
Webinar: Wednesday, October 8, from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
This 90-minute webinar is designed for supportive housing staff seeking to enhance their understanding and application of harm reduction strategies.
Attendees will explore foundational principles of harm reduction, practical techniques for supporting individuals who use substances and how to foster a safe, respectful, and non-coercive environment. Emphasis will be placed on trauma-informed care, stigma reduction, and promoting autonomy.
Objectives
- Define harm reduction and explain its core principles
- Identify practical harm reduction strategies applicable in supportive housing settings
- Apply communication techniques to effectively engage with individuals around substance use and related behaviors
Washington State Health Care Authority (HCA) Foundational Community Supports (FCS) team in partnership with Rutgers School of Psychiatric Rehabilitation and Counseling are presenting this monthly supported employment webinar.
Webinar: Thursday, October 16, from 8:30 to 10 a.m.
In this webinar, participants will gain knowledge, skills, and strategies to teach individuals in career services how to identify their needs or preferences when seeking help in work or social situations.
Targeted behavioral skills covered in this training include evaluating situations, identifying methods to get assistance, selecting the appropriate person to ask, and effectively presenting requests. Active participation from all attendees is encouraged.
Objectives
- Define the skill 'asking for help'
- Explore benefits and scenarios of when to use the skill asking for help
- Apply skills and strategies on how to teach the skill asking for help
Washington State Health Care Authority (HCA) Foundational Community Supports (FCS) team are presenting this monthly housing topical training.
Webinar: Thursday, October 23, from 9 to 10:20 a.m.
The October monthly housing topical will be a training that will be giving an overview of the GOSH (Governor's Opportunity for Supportive Housing)program. This will include GOSH eligibility, the ALTSA subsidy and partnerships with agencies.
Washington Health Care Authority (HCA) Foundational Community Supports (FCS) team are pleased to announce the bi-monthly Medicaid documentation training series return.
Next training: Thursday, November 6, 2025, from 1 to 3 p.m.
This training is recommended for those who:
- Are new to providing Supportive Housing and Supported Employment services.
- Are interested in improving personal or agency documentation standards, especially around Medicaid billing requirements.
- Are considering participating in a fidelity review and would like more information on how to prepare for it.
We hope participants will come away with a thorough understanding of:
- How to keep interactions billable and how to document them as such.
- How comprehensive documentation enhances participant outcomes.
- The following elements of Supported Employment/Supportive Housing:
- Career profiles
- Job search and job support plans
- Disclosure forms
- Eligibility assessments and housing assessments
- Participant logs
- Housing and employment plans
Dates are bi-monthly into 2026 as follows (all sessions are from 1 to 3 p.m.)
- September 4, 2025
- November 6, 2025
- February 5, 2026
- April 2, 2026
- June 4, 2026
|
