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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.
I would like to nominate Kay Harris, FCS Specialist with Capital Recovery Center.
Kay, who serves the outreach and housing program at the 10th Avenue Olympia location, has gone above and beyond to ensure her participants receive the assistance and help they need in accessing the resources available not only through her program but any other that will benefit those she serves.
She proves pure dedication in bettering the lives of people who seek direction and guidance, utilizing any means she has knowledge of. She is constantly working towards furthering her education and training to do her job to the fullest potential. I am so proud of the work she does and the results and success stories I have witnessed myself being her coworker.
I witness daily how eager Kay's participants are to come see her; they rarely miss their scheduled appointments, and when they leave, they are smiling, even if they showed up in crisis. Kay is an empathetic human with a vast knowledge that expands far beyond her FCS work. I would like her to be recognized for the impact she has made on the community.
Nomination submitted and written by Tiff Bates, Capital Recovery Center
Mental Health Awareness Month (MHAM) has been observed since 1949. For more than 20 years, SAMHSA has joined that tradition every May, raising awareness, sharing resources, and supporting the individuals and communities who need it most.
Check out what SAMHSA is doing, share their materials, and remember that we all play vital roles in caring for our mental health.
Employment is a valued social role that many individuals participating in behavioral health services indicate they are interested in pursuing. It is an expected adult role in our society and provides many benefits.
Employment offers access to financial resources, provides meaning and purpose in life, allows one to make a positive contribution to society, and it provides opportunities to increase social support systems. Research also suggests that employment promotes recovery!
As Foundational Community Support (FCS) staff, you have a direct impact on the people participating in services. Even if you aren't an employment specialist, you play an important role in the career development process. For example, if you are a case manager, you still interact with the people participating in services and getting them excited for employment could be as simple as starting a conversation or asking a few questions.
The following are some example questions to use as prompts to start a conversation. Focus mainly on gathering information by listening.
- What are your thoughts about going to work/school?
- What kind of work would you like to do? Tell me what about that job interests you?
- What kind of help do you think you need?
- How soon would you like to start working? (Now, next month, in three months, in six months?)
Remember, everyone can participate in encouraging people to get interested about pursuing employment! For individuals living with mental health conditions, work is associated with reduction in symptoms, increased satisfaction, and improved quality of life.
Washington Health Care Authority (HCA) Foundational Community Supports (FCS) team invites you to join us for our monthly office hours, the last Tuesday of each month.
Virtual office hours: the last Tuesday of each month, from 3 to 4 p.m.
Drop in to join the HCA trainers to learn about Medicaid documentation requirements to support FCS service activities. Our goal is to support staff in weaving in the 'Golden Thread' process to develop a seamless record that connects goals, life events, staff support, interventions and next steps that support Medicaid billing.
Let's create quality service plans and progress notes that support necessary services and activities that move program participants to achieve their goal of housing and employment.
Office hours will be held on Teams, the last Tuesday of each month from 3 to 4 p.m. (Previously held on the last Friday. Please update your calendar holds.) The next scheduled office hours will occur Tuesday, May 26.
Washington Health Care Authority (HCA) Foundational Community Supports (FCS) trainers are inviting you to join them in a six-part training series for The Golden Thread documentation training
Next training: Thursday, May 7, 2026, from 1 to 3 p.m.
Join us for a six-session training series that provides a comprehensive overview, with practical applications 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. The series will be presented with the newly developed Golden Thread Toolkit, a valuable new resource for FCS staff. It is recommended that participants attend all sessions in the series, as the information presented is cumulative.
This training is recommended for those who:
- Are new to providing supportive housing and supported employment services
- Are interested in improving the standards of personnel or agency documentation standards
- Are considering participating in a fidelity review and would like more information on how to prepare for it
Objectives
- Become comfortable with using Medicaid-compliant documentation of Foundational Community Support services, specifically the assessments, service plan, and progress notes.
- Learn what the Golden Thread is and its importance in providing quality services to participants.
- Receive guidance on writing documentation in a way that accurately and completely reflects a participant’s story in a person-centered way
Washington Health Care Authority (HCA) and Foundational Community Supports (FCS) team in partnership with Individual Placement and Support (IPS) present this virtual training series
Webinar: Tuesday, May 12, 2026, from 9:30 to 11 a.m.
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.
IPS is a multidisciplinary team of researchers and trainers who conduct research studies, disseminate findings, prepare training and educational materials, and provide training and consultation services. The center’s activities focus on employment for people with serious mental illnesses. Learn more about IPS.
Upcoming 2026 IPS webinars: May 26, June 9, June 23.
Washington Health Care Authority (HCA) Foundational Community Supports (FCS) team and Rutgers School of Psychiatric and Rehabilitation Counseling Professions invite you to join the May training topical
Webinar: Wednesday, May 13, 2026, from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
Engagement is the foundation of effective Foundational Community Supports (FCS) services. This 90-minute training equips Supportive Housing and Supported Employment staff with practical, recovery-oriented strategies to build trust, enhance motivation, and support meaningful outcomes for individuals experiencing serious mental illness and complex life challenges.
Grounded in psychiatric rehabilitation, low-barrier housing principles, and Supported Employment (IPS), this session focuses on real-world strategies to engage individuals who may be socially isolated, ambivalent, or distrustful of systems. Participants will learn how to use assertive, trauma-informed, and person-centered approaches to strengthen relationships, support housing and employment stability, and promote recovery.
Objectives
- Describe how engagement supports recovery and outcomes within FCS services
- Apply assertive, motivational and trauma-informed strategies to build trust and sustain engagement
- Analyze common barriers to engagement (isolation, substance use, hoarding, system distrust) and identify effective responses
- Apply practical strategies - including hard reduction and community0based approaches to support stability, participation and recovery
Washington Health Care Authority (HCA) Foundational Community Supports (FCS) team in partnership with Rutgers School of Psychiatric Rehabilitation and Counseling Professions invite you to this two-part Supported Employment series
Webinar (part 1): Thursday, May 14, 2026, from 9 to 10 a.m.
Webinar (part 2): Thursday, June 11, 2026, from 9 to 10 a.m.
Often, job seekers are unsure about returning to work because they are concerned about how work might affect their Social Security. This two-part webinar provides an overview of the types of work incentives available to SSI and SSDI recipients.
Part one will review specific work-related information relevant to Supplemental Security Income (SSI), and part two will cover Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI). Additionally, local benefits planning resources will be reviewed.
Objectives
- Understand work incentives available to SSI and SSDI recipients
- Describe the impact of work on each of the SSI and SSDI entitlement programs
- Identify resources and supports to assist with benefit planning
Washington Health Care Authority (HCA) Foundational Community Supports (FCS) invite you to join us in learning about updates to HRSN
Webinar: Monday, May 15, from 4 to 5 p.m. (every other Monday thereafter)
Foundational Community Supports (FCS) team are excited to announce that the Health-Related Social Needs (HRSN) rental arrears funding launched April 1, 2026!
Join us every other Monday for an informal conversation via Teams where you can ask questions and learn more about this funding and program reach.
Resources
Please contact Anessa Williams (anessa.williams@hca.wa.gov) with any additional questions in the interim.
Washington Health Care Authority (HCA) Foundational Community Supports (FCS) team in partnership with Department of Social and Health Services (DSHS) invite you to this supported employment training
Webinar: Monday, May 18, 2026, from 10 a.m. to noon
Supported employment staff are often called on to help when a job seeker is experiencing paranoia, delusional thinking, or other psychosis related symptoms and is declining practical services because they do not believe anything is wrong. In these situations, trying to argue the facts usually does not help and can quickly damage trust. This webinar offers supported employment providers a respectful, practical approach for staying connected, reducing escalation, and continuing to support the person’s employment goals.
Participants will learn a non-confrontational communication approach and practice brief, usable scripts that acknowledge feelings without reinforcing inaccurate beliefs. The training then translates those skills into a one-page Shared Job Support Plan, a tool for identifying next steps together even when a person is declining treatment or other services.
Objectives
- Identify how reduced insight can show up in psychotic disorders and how it affects engagement, helping staff shift from trying to convince someone to focus on connection and practical planning
- Apply a structured, non-confrontational communication approach to respond to delusional beliefs in a way that reduces escalation, supports trust, and avoids reinforcing the belief itself
- Develop a Shared Job Support Plan that helps move services forward even when a person declines support, by focusing on goals, day to day functioning, early warning signs and small realistic next steps
- Recognize when it may be appropriate to involve behavioral health partners, crisis supports or coordinated specialty care resources, especially when workplace functioning or safety concerns begin to increase
Washington Health Care Authority (HCA) Foundational Community Supports (FCS) team in partnership with Rutgers School of Psychiatric Rehabilitation and Counseling Professions present this May Cultural Responsiveness webinar
Webinar: Tuesday, May 19, 2026, from 3 to 4:30 p.m.
This training examines how ableism, often subtle and systemic, shows up in our behavioral health services. Participants will build awareness, identify practice-level impacts, and develop concrete strategies to promote equity, autonomy, and recovery-oriented services for individuals. Participants will explore how ableism can be embedded in everyday decisions, including goal setting, service planning, documentation, and risk assessment.
The session will explore how even well-intentioned practices can unintentionally limit opportunity when expectations are lowered or choice is constrained. Participants will leave with practical tools to recognize and interrupt ableism strengthening engagement and advancing more equitable service delivery across Washington State FCS programs.
Objectives
- Define ableism and distinguish between individual, structural, and internalized ableism
- Identify how ableism shows up in FCS service delivery
- Analyze the impact of ableism on engagement, outcomes, and equity
- Apply strengths-based, recovery-oriented, and person-directed strategies to reduce ableism in practice
- Reflect on our own assumptions and service patterns using a practice audit lens
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, May 20, 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: 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 School of Psychiatric Rehabilitation and Counseling Professions present this May Supervisory webinar
Webinar: Wednesday, May 20, 2026, from 2 to 3:30 p.m.
Executive functioning (EF) skills, such as planning, organization, task initiation, and self-regulation, are central to success in both employment and housing stability. FCS staff are often supporting these skills every day, but may lack a clear framework for assessing EF needs or translating them into effective, person-centered interventions.
This session equips supervisors with tools to guide, coach, and develop staff competency in identifying EF skill needs and integrating EF supports into everyday service delivery. Emphasis is placed on real-world application, supervisory observation, and data-informed coaching, while maintaining alignment with recovery-oriented, housing and IPS principles. Supervisors will leave with concrete strategies to strengthen staff confidence, improve consistency in practice, and enhance outcomes for job seekers and tenants.
Objectives
- Define key executive functioning (EF) domains and their relevance to housing and employment
- Support staff in observing and informally assessing EF skills in real-world contexts
- Coach staff to translate EF challenges into concrete, teachable skill targets
- Use supervision (individual, team, in vivo) to strengthen EF-focused interventions
Washington Health Care Authority (HCA) Foundational Community Supports (FCS) team in partnership with Rutgers School of Psychiatric Rehabilitation and Counseling Professions eagerly invite you to join our upcoming 4-part Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) guided employment series
Webinar: Thursday, May 21, 2026, from 8:30 to 10 a.m.
This four-part series launches with Part one: Introduction to DBT and Mindfulness Strategies for Career Readiness. In this webinar, we will explore core Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) mindfulness skills and how they help individuals stay focused, reduce job-related anxiety, and make intentional choices throughout the job search and employment process.
In part two, the focus is on how to teach DBT distress tolerance skills to manage crises, handle job-related stress, and build emotional resilience during the job search and early stages of employment.
Objectives
- Review the core concepts of Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) and understand its application in career contexts
- Understand how distress tolerance supports persistence during job search and early employment
- Teach crisis survival skills to help individuals manage intense emotions (e.g., interview anxiety, rejection, workplace conflict, sudden schedule changes)
- Identify practical ways to apply distress tolerance skills in real-world employment situations to maintain focus, problem-solve, and navigate challenges effectively
Upcoming webinars in this series:
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Thursday, May 21: Part three: Emotion Regulation Strategies for Sustainable Employment
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Thursday, June 18: Part four: Distress Tolerance Strategies for Employment Stressors
All webinars will be from 8:30 to 10 a.m. You may use the same link to register for each; this will be shared monthly as well with updated webinar descriptions as the series progresses.
Washington Health Care Authority (HCA) Foundational Community Supports (FCS) team in partnership with Rutgers School of Psychiatric and Rehabilitation and Counseling Professions invites you to this new webinar series
Webinars:
(Part I: Thursday, April 16)
Part II: Thursday, May 21, from 3 to 4 p.m.
Part III: Thursday, June 18, from 3 to 4 p.m.
Organizations that actively incorporate participant feedback are consistently linked to higher service quality, stronger engagement, and improved outcomes. Effective program evaluation starts with asking the right questions and using the responses to drive meaningful program change. This three-part interactive series introduces foundational survey design alongside principles from implementation science to ensure feedback is meaningfully integrated into practice.
Part one focuses on designing surveys aligned with best practices to assess the satisfaction and experiences of people engaged in SE/SH services.
Part two explores how to interpret results, engage teams, and embed data use into ongoing quality improvement. Walk away with practical tools to build a feedback system that strengthens your work and the experience of people engaged in FCS programs.
Part three will allow attendees to engage in a roundtable discussion on satisfaction survey development, data utilization plans, and problem solving with the session facilitator and peers, with the outcome of the beginning draft of an evaluation plan
Washington Health Care Authority (HCA) Foundational Community Supports (FCS) team in partnership with Rutgers School of Psychiatric Rehabilitation and Counseling Professions present the Buried in Treasures learning community one Thursday a month, January through June, and invite you to join
Webinar: Thursday, May 22, 2026, 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.
Upcoming Buried in Treasure 2026 webinars: June 25.
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, June 5, 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.
In-person session I
Friday, June 5,2026, from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
Location: Richland Library Conference Room A and B 955 Northgate Drive Richland, WA 99352
In-person session II
Tuesday, June 9, 2026, from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
Location: Orion 1590 A Street NE Auburn, WA 98002
Many people living with serious mental health conditions have experienced trauma, even if it is not diagnosed or documented in their clinical records. About one-third of these people meet the criteria for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and some studies report rates close to 50 percent.
Those with both severe mental illness and PTSD often face extra challenges. They may have trouble keeping a job and are less likely to succeed in supported employment programs. Housing can be unstable, with repeated moves or even homelessness. These difficulties can make it harder to trust providers, maintain employment and stable housing.
Trauma-informed care is more than just diagnosing PTSD. It looks at the whole person and how past experiences affect current challenges, behaviors and emotions. Providers are trained to notice trauma, respond without judgment, involve clients in decisions, and create safe, supportive environments. Programs are designed to reduce triggers and build trust. When trauma-informed care works well, it can help people keep housing, succeed at work, and achieve stability. It also strengthens resilience, teaches ways to handle stress, and lowers the chance of being retraumatized. Overall, trauma-informed care changes the way services are provided. It helps people with severe mental illness feel respected, understood, and supported in meaningful and lasting ways.
Washington Health Care Authority (HCA) Foundational Community Supports (FCS) team in partnership with Rutgers School of Psychiatric Rehabilitation and Counseling Professions present this June webinar
Webinar: Wednesday, June 10, 2026, from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
This focused 90-minute training is designed to strengthen your ability to effectively support individuals with serious mental health conditions during high-risk behavioral health crises. This practical session will equip you with concrete strategies to anticipate and reduce crisis escalation, apply evidence-based de-escalation approaches, improve collaboration with law enforcement, and use proactive housing and service interventions to decrease unnecessary police involvement.
Participants will leave with stronger skills to enhance client safety, advocate more effectively during law enforcement interactions, prevent avoidable crises, and confidently promote stability-centered outcomes that protect both clients and communities.
Objectives
- Analyze how law enforcement involvement and use-of-force risks impact individuals with serious mental health conditions during behavioral health crises
- Assess Washington State crisis response trends, systemic barriers, and available community resources to strengthen intervention planning
- Demonstrate evidence-based de-escalation, engagement, and prevention strategies that promote client safety, stability, and improved crisis outcomes
- Develop proactive FCS housing and service interventions that reduce crisis escalation and minimize unnecessary law enforcement involvement
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