The Center for Practice Innovations (CPI) offers training and support to PROS programs and OMH state facility clinics across New York State to bring consumers the Individual Placement and Support (IPS) approach to supported employment. Because of the high rates of employment attained by consumers participating in high-fidelity IPS programs across the country, IPS has become the gold standard for supported employment.

The Center for Practice Innovations makes regional learning collaboratives available to all PROS programs and state facility clinics. Program leaders, supervisors and employment staff meet on a regular basis -- through online meetings, webinars, conference calls and face-to-face training events. In addition, CPI provides on-site technical assistance to many programs involved in our learning collaboratives.

Meetings for program leaders focus on developing practical implementation strategies that include ways to sustain the IPS practice over time. Meetings for employment staff focus on training and coaching in the specific skills required to help consumers find competitive employment.

An important resource that is available to all behavioral health programs across NYS is the Employment Resource Book, which is designed for consumers to use with employment specialists, other practitioners, peer specialists, and on their own. This important resource contains over 30 topics and 10 appendices that focus on three themes: prior to the job search, during the job search, and after getting a job. This isn't a curriculum that individuals would need to complete it any specific way - rather, people focus on topics as they become relevant to their lives. Each topic is organized to provide important information, personalized activities, and next steps.

You can obtain the Employment Resource Book by clicking on the "Products" tab on this website’s home page. You will be asked to register and to select a password for your account. Once your account has been established, you will be able to download an electronic version for free or purchase bound paper copies.

In addition, all behavioral health programs across NYS have access to three online training modules focusing on IPS, through CPI’s learning management system (“CPI Learning Community”): “Individual Placement and Support” provides a comprehensive overview of the principles and practices of IPS, “IPS Job Development” focuses specifically on this important practitioner skill set, and “Using the Employment Resource Book” provides an introduction to CPI’s Employment Resource Book and explains how this important resource can best be used.