The Vocational Unit Meeting takes place weekly, during which team members share ideas and information about individuals receiving IPS services. All IPS team members participate equally in the team meeting, which involves problem-solving about individuals’ job searches, job placements, follow-along support, and assertive engagement.
The meeting provides an opportunity to review the various aspects of the service. For example, employment specialists might bring in a completed career profile, job search plan, or follow-along plan and discuss how to improve these tools in-depth. This process will allow for additional consideration of the types of employment opportunities and/or the types of support needed to sustain employment. It is crucial to prioritize problem-solving over administrative tasks or merely providing updates on individuals.
Team members also utilize this time to share job leads and begin to identify specific cases that would best suit some of the job leads. The team meeting is an opportunity to celebrate successes that have occurred. Some examples include obtaining an interview, securing employment, or maintaining employment. The team meeting reviews the employment goals of individuals receiving services and the progress toward achieving these goals.
Additionally, the team lead facilitates the ongoing discussion, reviewing specific team outcomes as well as each employment specialist. Specific and concrete goals for improvement should be developed at least quarterly. Although employment specialists should have discrete caseloads, they should provide backup coverage to other team members as needed and appropriate.
