Partners debut new employment model

Enhanced employment services are being offered to people with severe mental illnesses through the Central Ohio Supported Employment Collaborative initiated by COVA. The project, funded jointly by the mental health boards of Franklin, Delaware and Fairfield counties and the Ohio Rehabilitation Services Commission’s (ORSC) Pathways II program, aims to serve 320 participants annually in the three counties.

COVA is the vocational service provider in the collaboration, which includes the Franklin County ADAMH Board, the Delaware-Morrow Mental Health and Recovery Services Board and Fairfield County ADAMH Board. Eight COVA vocational specialists are embedded within existing treatment teams in each county, and the Coordinating Center of Excellence for Supported Employment at Case Western Reserve University is providing training and technical support for the vocational model.

“All three boards have employment as a strategic goal and understand the vital role of employment in recovery, making this a natural collaboration,” said Judy Braun, COVA president. “The county boards are interested in expanding their relationships with the ORSC, and particularly incorporating the evidence-based principles of supported employment into their existing treatment services.”

Meg Griffing, previously program director for Benefits Consulting at COVA, leads the new Pathways collaborative. The three county boards provided a total of $200,000 in match funds to secure $738,967 in federal dollars through ORSC.

“The evidenced-based practice of supported employment not only improves employment outcomes for individuals with severe mental illness, but it also
has proven to reduce symptoms of mental illness, hospitalizations and stigma in the community about mental illness,” said Stephanie Patrick, clinical director
of Franklin County ADAMH Board. “Our continued work with the [collaborators]
will lay the groundwork for future initiatives that will undoubtedly improve treatment outcomes for our consumers.”

 three counties
COVA's Pathways program aims to serve 320 participants in Delaware, Franklin and Fairfield counties.

The use of vocational specialists within treatment teams is a model that has generated immediate and long-term employment results with the target population, Judy said. In addition to increasing employment, supported employment has been proven to decrease dependence upon public systems of care, symptoms of mental illnesses, hospitalizations and stigma in the community about mental illness.

During the first year of adding an employment specialist, the Ohio CCOE reports employment rates of 40 percent to 50 percent, up from under 20 percent. Based on its follow-along services, COVA’s job retention rate of 90 percent far exceeds the industry results.

 

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