Episcopal Community Services (ECS) will provide evidence-based supported employment programming in the City of San Francisco. The target population is formerly homeless adult individuals with serious mental illness (SMI) or co-occurring disorders (COD) who are living in permanent or interim supportive housing. The population of focus will include individuals with intersecting marginalized identities, including but not limited to: people who inject or use drugs (PWUD), people of color, people with disabilities, people who identify as LGBTQ+, those with limited or no income or health insurance, and people who have been recently released from incarceration. The Transforming Lives through Supported Employment for Adults with SMI/COD in San Francisco Project will serve 250 unduplicated individuals over the course of the grant.
The goals of the project are:
-Goal 1: Increase competitive employment among formerly homeless adults with serious mental illness or co-occurring disorders living in supportive housing in San Francisco.
-Goal 2: Increase access to comprehensive treatment and recovery support services for formerly homeless adults with serious mental illness or co-occuring disorders living in supportive housing in San Francisco.
In order to achieve these goals, Episcopal Community Services will implement the Individual Place and Support (IPS) model of supported employment. IPS is a highly successful, evidenced-based model of supported employment that promotes a "recovery through work" philosophy whereby individuals with sever and persistent mental illness and co-occurring disabilities achieve competitive, integrated employment when assisted with ongoing support services. Measurable objectives include but are not limited to:
-Provide supported employment services to 250 targeted individuals over 5 years.
-Perform targeted outreach to 100 potential clients per year within ECS properties.
-Place 60% of job seekers (150) in their first job within 5 months.
-40% of first job placements will provide more than a minimum 20 hrs/week.
-75% of first job placements will provide a minimum $20/hour.
-Connect 100% of enrolled clients (250) to mental health services.
-60% of enrolled clients (150) will experience increased functioning in 3 identified areas.
-80% of enrolled clients who experience a Psychiatric Emergency Services (PES) episode will not be followed by a readmission to PES within 30 days.
-Link 100% of clients in need of housing services with Coordinated Entry.
-Provide benefits counseling to 100% of enrolled clients (250).
ECS will serve 40 unduplicated individuals in Year 1, 60 unduplicated individuals each year during Years 2-4, and 30 unduplicated individuals in Year 5. Demographic data shows that the 555 residents of ECS permanent supportive housing with SMI are: 39% White, 34% Black, 22% Latinx, 10% American Indian, 6% Asian, and 4% Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander; 63% are male, 34% are female, and 3% transgender; 17% identify as LGBTQ+; 2% are between the ages 20-29, 14% between ages 30-39, 19% between ages 40-49, 29% between ages 50-59, and 35% are age 60 or above; 9% self-report alcohol use disorder; 25% self-report drug use disorder; and 25% self-report both alcohol and drug use disorders.