Overview

Supported employment extends beyond mere job placement; it mitigates the risks of homelessness and incarceration while empowering individuals to escape cycles of poverty. By emphasizing personal choice and support, it enables participants to flourish in their roles, enhance their lives, and become contributing members of their communities. This model is utilized in various environments, including community mental health centers and rehabilitation programs, and is adaptable to different geographic contexts and job markets.

Central to our initiative is the Individual Placement and Support (IPS) model, an evidence-based strategy designed to assist individuals in obtaining meaningful employment. This model prioritizes individual preferences, boosts self-esteem, and ultimately improves quality of life, financial stability, and mental health in Washington State.

Unemployment has a significant impact on overall well-being, often leading to reduced life expectancy, particularly among those with behavioral health issues or prior involvement in the justice system. Moreover, systemic barriers frequently hinder individuals from returning to work by diminishing public benefits, and there is a notable shortage of resources for benefit planning to facilitate transitions from public assistance to earned income. IPS programs demonstrate a high rate of successful implementation and sustainability over time.

Resources

• Supported employment Evidence-Based Practices (EBP) kit
• IPS employment center

Glidepath

Proviso 92 state Appropriation for fiscal year 2023-2025 is provided solely to support the creation of a bridge period for individuals enrolled in both Housing and Essential Needs (HEN) and the Foundational Community Supports initiative who are transitioning from HEN benefits (under RCW 74.04.805) due to increased income or other changes in eligibility. The Health Care Authority, Department of Social and Health Services, and Department of Commerce are collaborating on this effort.

This program has two separate contracts:

• One through the Department of Commerce with each county’s contracted HEN provider for additional rental assistance for the supported employment priority population to counter losing HEN benefit due to increased income or other eligibility criteria.
• One through HCA awarded to up to 10 agencies (one in each region) to provide region-wide benefit planning and supported employment services, as well as to distribute the support funds for this same supported employment priority population.

Glidepath resources

• Glidepath guidelines
• Glidepath information presentation
• Questions? Email Kimberly Castle.

Overview

The primary goal of supportive housing services is to empower individuals seeking housing to achieve stable and independent living by recognizing the various life factors that contribute to housing instability and tailoring coordinated support to meet their unique needs and objectives. Additionally, our program strives to reduce homelessness in Washington State and lower the costs associated with accessing high-quality behavioral health care, ultimately leading to healthier lives for our participants.

Supportive housing services are grounded in evidence-based practices derived from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration's (SAMHSA) principles of Permanent Supportive Housing (PSH) model. This model is founded on seven core principles that research has shown to yield the most effective long-term housing stability outcomes for those receiving housing support services:

• Choice of housing
• Separation of housing and services
• Decent, safe, and affordable options
• Housing integration
• Rights of tenancy
• Access to housing
• Flexible, voluntary services

Other FCS opportunities

Supportive housing case management services provide essential resources for those seeking assistance in achieving housing stability. These services can be particularly effective when combined with additional programs such as mental and physical health care, substance use disorder services, public benefits, housing subsidies, voucher programs, and more.

The Foundational Community Supports (FCS) program offers additional opportunities for individuals enrolled in supportive housing that eligible participants may consider alongside these case management services including:

• Supported employment
• Transition Assistance Program (TAP)
• Apple Health and Homes (AHAH) housing
• AHAH Rental Assistance Program (AHAH-RAP)

Transition Assistance Program (TAP)

Unemployment, job insecurity, homelessness, and unstable housing contribute to poor health. Homelessness is traumatic and cyclical, putting people at greater risk for developing physical and mental health conditions, including substance use disorders.

Enrollees of FCS supportive housing services often face financial obstacles to obtaining and maintaining safe, quality, affordable places to call home-especially when transitioning out of inpatient settings

Program goals

• Support supportive housing enrollees as they take steps to achieve their personalized housing goals.
• Lower barriers to securing housing stability by covering fees including but not limited to IDs, application fees, move-in costs, and more.

Eligibility criteria

Individuals are eligible to access TAP funding, so long as they:

• Are receiving FCS-eligible Medicaid
• Are authorized for Supportive Housing services
• Are seeking to transition into the housing of their choice
• Identify as having a behavioral health treatment need

TAP resources

• Current example of moving attestation form
• TAP participant agreement
• TAP quick reference guide

Contact

Maureen Maples, FCS housing subsidies program manager for TAP

Apple Health and Homes

Apple Health and Homes (AHAH) is a multiagency effort that pairs health care services with housing resources for some of the state’s most vulnerable residents. AHAH aligns housing resources (capital financing and rental/operations assistance) with supportive services through the FCS program.

HCA has contracted with Wellpoint to be the coordinating entity that confirms eligibility for participants in conjunction with local FCS providers across the state.

HCA’s role is:

• Administration of eligibility determinations for services
• Enrollment in AHAH's CSS benefit
• Coordination of permanent supportive housing units for eligible individuals

Eligibility

FCS is a targeted Medicaid benefit designed to meet the needs of individuals with significant barriers to finding stable housing and employment.

Participants must be:

• Medicaid-eligible
• Meet certain age requirements
• Meet specific medical risk factors including chronic homelessness, complex behavioral health and co-occurring substance use needs among others, as well as a disability or other long-term care needs.

FCS does not pay for rent, rental subsidies, wages, or wage enhancements.

AHAH eligibility uses a subset of existing eligibility criteria used by Supportive Housing benefit. Enrollment in Supportive Housing requires individuals to meet several risk factors and medical necessity requirements.

While AHAH uses the Supportive Housing program’s eligibility criteria as a blueprint, AHAH’s eligibility criteria are more restrictive, based on two risk factors: frequent turnover of in-home caregivers, and individuals who have a predictive risk score of 1.5 or higher.

Resources

• AHAH assessment
• AHAH voucher drawing process
• AHAH legislation: ESHB 1866
• Apple Health and Homes legislative fact sheet
• Wellpoint AHAH webpage

Contact

Elizabeth Pitts, AHAH program manager

Apple Health and Homes rental assistance

The AHAH Rental Assistance Program provides project- or tenant-based rental subsidies. The legislature appropriated funds to provide rental assistance for persons enrolled in the AHAH program.

The Department of Commerce will pay rent each month on behalf of AHAH program participants deemed eligible for the program. Referrals will be received from Wellpoint, the program’s coordinating entity, signaling that the participant has located housing with the assistance of the local Supportive Housing service provider.

Prior to payment of rent, landlords will be contacted for confirmation and to gather information necessary to pay rents each month. The Department of Commerce is developing a data platform that will track real-time allocations of rent funds to each of the state’s ten behavioral health regions, the amounts spent in each region, and the amount of uncommitted funds in each region.

Resources

• AHAH rental assistance drawing process
• AHAH rental assistance quick reference guide

What is supportive housing and support employment?

• Supportive housing help individuals get and keep community housing.
• Supported employment help individuals with barriers to employment get and keep a job.

What doesn't FCS cover?

FCS does not pay rent, rental subsidies, wages, or wage enhancements.

Who is eligible for the FCS program?

FCS is a targeted Medicaid benefit designed to meet the needs of individuals with significant barriers to finding stable housing and employment.

Participants must be:

• Medicaid-eligible
• Meet certain age requirements
• Meet specific medical risk factors including:
  • Chronic homelessness
  • Complex behavioral health needs
  • Co-occurring substance use needs
  • A disability or other long-term care needs

Learn more about FCS eligibility with our quick reference guide.

Refer clients who need supportive housing and supported employment to Wellpoint, the third party administrator of FCS.

• Email: Wellpoint
• Call: 1-844-451-2828
• Visit: Wellpoint’s FCS participant website

Provider resources

• FCS provider contracting process
• Enrollment application and agreement for nonbilling provider organizations
• FCS enrollment pause and waitlist
• Provider map
• FCS provider contracting process
• Residence/Oxford House locations
• FCS reimbursement rate information
• Enrollment application and agreement for nonbilling provider organizations
• Division of Behavioral Health and Recovery (DBHR) housing program map
• Washington's Electronic Business Solution (WEBS) frequently asked questions
• FCS supplanting vs. supplementing

Need help with FCS training?

For supportive housing program managers:

• Jackie Velasco (Western Washington)
• Anessa Williams (Eastern Washington)

For supported employment program managers:

• Darren Paschke (Western Washington)
• Dawn Miller (Eastern Washington)