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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.
January 26, 2026, is National Housing and Homeless Advocacy Day
Housing and Homeless Advocacy Day 2026 highlights the ongoing need for strong, evidence-based policies that address housing instability and homelessness. This day brings community members, providers, and leaders together to advocate for solutions that create safety, stability, and long-term well-being for all.
HHAD is hosted by the Washington Low Income Housing Alliance and the Washington Housing Alliance Action Fund, and has strong presence and leadership from people directly impacted by housing injustice, including through the Resident Action Project.
Nominate an FCS agency or Supportive Housing/Supported Employment specialist
Your work matters. Your stories inspire others. Think of the FCS Supportive housing and Supported employment specialists or organizations who you think deserve a little extra gratitude. We would love to highlight them in these newsletters.
Send your nominations at any time, including as much information about their impact as possible, like:
- Name of person/organization
- Their location
- Why are you highlighting them?
- Their picture (optional)
To nominate a person or agency, please email FCS by the last Monday of each month.
Share your fidelity story
Fidelity is more than a review process it’s a cornerstone of continuous quality improvement, helping programs learn, grow, and deliver the highest quality services. When we strengthen fidelity, we strengthen outcomes and that directly impacts the people we serve through more consistent support, stronger partnerships, and better paths to recovery and stability.
We would like to spotlight providers who bring fidelity to life in their work and share their stories across our network.
We’re inviting providers to submit short video clips (60-90 seconds) highlighting:
- Why you participate in fidelity, and/or
- How fidelity has supported continuous quality improvement and improved outcomes for the people you serve.
Simple, authentic videos recorded on your phone or computer are perfect; no editing required. Your story helps demonstrate how fidelity drives learning, collaboration, and lasting impact in supportive housing and supported employment.
To share your story, please email FCS by the last Monday of each month.
Washington Health Care Authority (HCA) Foundational Community Supports (FCS) in partnership with Rutgers School of Psychiatric Rehabilitation and Counseling Professions is hosting this January supported employment webinar
Webinar: Thursday, January 8, at 9 a.m.
You’ve introduced yourself and your services to the employer using your elevator speech and piqued their interest in learning more. Now what? Once you have gotten past the initial introduction with an employer, you can begin to strengthen the relationship.
In this session, we will discuss the next steps that job developers and employment specialists can take to continue engaging with and building relationships with employers. Additionally, we will spend time discussing your successes and challenges, and provide support to one another in addressing obstacles to job development and employment services.
Objectives
- Explore the benefits of building relationships with employers
- Identify the next steps, after the initial introduction, to strengthen relationships with employers
- Review challenges and successes with job development over the past month(s)
Washington Health Care Authority (HCA) and Foundational Community Supports (FCS) team in partnership with Individual Placement and Support (IPS) presents this virtual training series
Webinar: Tuesday, January 13; times vary
These virtual trainings cover the eight practice principles of IPS Supported Employment. New staff in IPS programs, case managers, and clinicians are welcome to join.
The trainings are available at no cost. Each training covers the same material.
Washington Health Care Authority (HCA) Foundational Community Supports (FCS) team in partnership with Rutgers School of Psychiatric Rehabilitation and Counseling Professions is hosting the January Supportive Housing learning community webinar
Webinar: Wednesday, January 14, at 11 a.m.
"Strength-based support: Everyday CBT strategies to empower residents" is a practical, skill-building training designed specifically for staff working in supportive housing settings.
Participants will learn simple, everyday cognitive-behavioral strategies that can be used during routine conversations, moments of distress, and problem-solving interactions with residents who experience serious mental health conditions. This session focuses on empowering residents, strengthening staff confidence, and reinforcing clear role boundaries while offering compassionate effective support.
Objectives
- Describe the basic CBT framework and explain how thoughts, feelings, and behaviors interact in ways relevant to supportive housing environments
- Apply strength-based, CBT-informed communication strategies to help residents cope with distress, build motivation, and take meaningful next steps
- Identify situations that are appropriate for using everyday CBT skills versus those that require referral or escalation to clinical staff
Washington Health Care Authority (HCA) Foundational Community Supports (FCS) team invites you to join them for a new training for providers
Webinar: Wednesday, January 14, from 1 to 2 p.m.
This training is intended for providers who have taken the FCS 101 training and are interested in learning more about the other programs offered under FCS, including some planned for the future.
Objectives
- TAP (Transitional Assistance Program)
- Housing Transition Navigation Services
- Rental subsidy programs, including Apple Health and Homes and HRSN (Health Related Social Needs) Rent Assistance
Teams meeting information:
Meeting ID: 226 310 547 535 8
Passcode: 7BC7uP77
Still need FCS 101? Learn more here.
Washington Health Care Authority (HCA) Foundational Community Supports (FCS) team in partnership with Rutgers School of Psychiatric Rehabilitation and Counseling Professions is hosting the January Supported Employment monthly topical training
Webinar: Thursday, January 15, from 8:30 to 10 a.m.
This webinar offers an overview of how Career and Technical Education (CTE) can help individuals with disabilities develop in-demand skills, enter the workforce, earn a living wage, and build long-term career pathways.
This session also includes a live demonstration of a web-based digital toolkit designed to enhance CTE engagement and success.
Objectives
- Define Career and Technical Education (CTE)?
- Identify the benefits of and barriers to CTE participation for individuals with disabilities
- Explore a digital tool that supports successful CTE engagement
- Engage in a hands-on demonstration and guided practice using the digital toolkit
Washington State Health Care Authority (HCA) Foundational Community Supports (FCS) team, in partnership with Rutgers School of Psychiatric Rehabilitation and Counseling Professions, is kicking off their Cultural Responsiveness with this January webinar
Webinar: Tuesday, January 20, at 9 a.m.
This 90-minute webinar is designed to enhance practitioner knowledge of the complexities surrounding mental health stigma, illness identity, and self-perception. Drawing on the influential research of Dr. Phil Yanos and Dr. Patrick Corrigan, this session will delve into historical disability models, identify the implications of internalized stigma, and present approaches for cultivating strength-based identity.
This session will also help practitioners gain practical approaches to reduce internalized stigma and enhance wellness outcomes for the people they support.
Objectives
- Review and define key concepts related to stigma, illness identity, and the models of disability
- Explain how historical models of disability have contributed to the stigma associated with mental health conditions
- Review strategies to counteract internalized stigma and promote a strength-based identity in your professional practice
Washington Health Care Authority (HCA) Foundational Community Supports (FCS) team is kicking off 2026 with another round of our FCS 101 monthly trainings
Webinar: Wednesday, January 21, from 10 a.m. to noon
This training is intended to provide you with an introduction to the FCS program. The FCS Team will be offering the FCS 101 training on the third Wednesday of every month from 10am-12 noon. It is an open and supportive space to get a basic introduction to all things FCS Supportive Housing and Supported Employment. We enthusiastically encourage providers to learn more about the variety of programs and services supported by FCS, as well as an introduction to the Washington FCS team and answer questions you may have.
Objectives
- Learn about Foundational Community Supports
- Get an overview of supported employment services
- Get an overview of supportive housing services
- Connect with HCA’s FCS Team
Upcoming 2026 FCS 101 trainings: February 18, March 18, April 15, May 20, June 17, July 15, August 19, September 16, October 21, November 18, December 17
Already taken FCS 101? Check out FCS 102, focused on supervision.
Washington Health Care Authority (HCA) Foundational Community Supports (FCS) team in partnership with Rutgers Department of Psychiatric Rehabilitation and Counseling Professions is hosting Part 4 of this Supervision with Purpose series
Webinar: Wednesday, January 21, from 2 to 3 p.m.
This interactive training equips FCS supervisors and managers with the knowledge, skills, and resources needed to recognize, respond to, and reduce the impacts of stress on staff performance and program fidelity. Participants will learn how stress affects documentation quality, engagement with employers and landlords, service planning, and Medicaid billable activity.
Leaders will also develop tools and resources they can directly implement within Supported Employment (SE) and Supportive Housing (SH) programs, including stress-aware documentation practices, billable-time protection strategies, emotional regulation techniques for conflict situations, structured supervision scripts, and team-based routines that promote regulation and engagement.
Participants will leave with leadership action plans and downloadable resources that align with evidence-based FCS principles, person-centered care, and Medicaid compliance expectations.
Objectives
- Differentiate stress and burnout and explain their impact on FCS fidelity and Medicaid compliance
- Identify stress in staff members and understand how they affect documentation, engagement and service delivery
- Use trauma-informed supervisory communication to support staff experiencing overwhelm, avoidance or emotional escalation
- Model healthy boundary-setting as a leadership behavior that supports program quality
- Implement stress-reducing team habits that fit SH and SE work—without sacrificing billable time or service expectations
The Washington Health Care Authority (HCA) FCS team, in partnership with Rutgers Department of Psychiatric Rehabilitation and Counseling Professions, presents January's monthly topical webinar
Webinar: Monday, January 26, at 10 a.m.
Behavioral health practitioners, such as those working in Supported Employment and Supportive Housing, routinely navigate high emotional demands while supporting others. Over time, ongoing stressors such as workforce shortages and other challenges can affect personal well-being if self-care is not intentionally addressed.
This webinar focuses on developing sustainable self-care practices across multiple domains to support long-term wellness. Emphasis will be placed on realistic, actionable approaches that can be integrated into daily routines and applied during periods of heightened stress. The session will also highlight ways to model and share self-care strategies with individuals participating in services.
Objectives
- Define six domains of self-care
- Identify areas of strength and those for increased skill development in your own self-care practice
- Describe strategies for self-care within each domain
- Develop self-care strategies
Washington Health Care Authority (HCA) Foundational Community Supports (FCS) team is joining with our Division of Behavioral Health (DBHR) team to present the January Supportive Housing monthly training webinar
Webinar: Thursday, January 29, 2026, from 9:30 to 11 a.m.
Join us for an informative webinar featuring the DBHR Recovery in Community Team, who will share an overview of the impactful outreach and recovery programs they support across Washington State.
Topics featured
- PREE program (Passages to Recovery Employment and Education)
- PATH
- HOST outreach programs
- Housing First and Housing stabilization models
- Housing subsidies for the Behavioral health and homeless populations
- Clubhouses and Peer-run organizations
- Recovery Residence programs
- Supported Employment services and more
This is an opportunity to meet the team, deepen your understanding of recovery-oriented systems of care, and learn how these programs strengthen communities and support individuals on their recovery journeys throughout Washington State.
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, February 5, 2026, 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
Washington Health Care Authority (HCA) Foundational Community Supports (FCS) team are excited to invite you to an eight-part learning community hosted by Advocates for Human Potential (AHP)
Webinar: Friday, February 6, from 10 to 11 a.m.
FCS is convening a Learning Collaborative on Permanent Supportive Housing (PSH) to strengthen the capacity of providers, community partners, and stakeholders in delivering high-quality housing and supportive services.
This collaborative will offer a structured forum for sharing best practices, addressing implementation challenges, and fostering innovation in PSH models. Through facilitated discussions, peer learning, and expert-led sessions, participants will gain practical tools to improve housing stability, health outcomes, and service coordination for individuals experiencing chronic homelessness and behavioral health challenges across Washington State.
Topics
- Long-term solutions, not quick fixes: Supportive housing focuses on permanent stability, moving beyond temporary shelter to lasting change for individuals and communities
- Partnerships are essential: Successful supportive housing depends on collaboration between housing providers, health care systems, behavioral health services, and community organizations
- Community strengthening: Beyond ending individual homelessness, supportive housing builds healthier, safer, and more inclusive communities
- Housing is healthcare: Stable housing is foundational to improving health, recovery, and overall well-being
This is an eight-part series, occurring from 10 to 11 a.m. the first Friday of each month. Upcoming sessions: March 6, 2026; April 3, 2026; May 1, 2026; June 5, 2026
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