On November 7-8, 2018, Great Minds at Work hosted a Work Behavioral Health Supported Employment conference in Tacoma, WA. The event was a collaborative effort between the Health Care Authority- Division of Behavioral Health and Recovery, University of Washington Department of Rehabilitation Medicine and the SAMHSA BEST project.
The goal of the conference was to promote the Supported Employment Medicaid benefit and bring together a diverse group of presenters to share information about recovery supports, promising programs, and policies that advance best practices. This conference was a huge success, with over 236 Attendees and topics covered included:
- Customized employment (The untapped job market)
- Job Development for individuals with justice involvement
- Youth Career planning
- How working effects benefits and work incentives
- Peer role in employment and recovery
- Job Seekers and Homelessness
- Documenting medical necessity
- Tribal VR and IPS (Tribal VR Grants) Culture-specific
- Social determents of health
- Opportunity for Choice (assessment, career explorations, and non-bias)
- Staff recruitment, training, and retention tools
The conference provided a unique venue for the exchange of ideas and information across all sectors working with behavioral health conditions. Some of the ideas attendees explored included financing employment services, educating the workforce on placement and support services, expanding FCS services for Washington residents who have most immediate needs, cross-systems collaboration among employers, housing providers, workforce development and culture change to include employment as a recovery-orientated outcome.
Conference organizers designed the conference to educate and inspire system partners, agency leaders and staff, clinicians, employment specialists, peer counselors and individuals with lived behavioral health experience on the role employment plays in the recovery process and address how long-term unemployment contributes to poor physical and behavioral health outcomes.
Stay tuned for information about the 2019 conference.