The Oregon Supported Employment Center for Excellence (OSECE) is a collaborative project between Options for Southern Oregon, Lifeworks NW, and the Regional Research Institute of Portland State University (PSU). The CSECE was awarded by the State of Oregon, Department of Human Services, Addictions and Mental Health Division (RFP #2509). The OSECE will provide technical assistance to implement and evaluate evidenced-based supported employment in community mental health centers serving individuals with severe mental illness in 12 sites across the state of Oregon. The OSECE is funded from January 1, 2008 through June 30, 2009.

Options for Southern Oregon has emerged as a leader in the state of Oregon in supported employment- beginning in 1998 when Options secured a Community Action Grant through the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). In 1998 and 2000, the RRI was also awarded Phase I and Phase II Community Action grants through SAMHSA to implement the evidence based Individual Placement and Support Model in Washington and Multnomah Counties. Since that time, both Options for Southern Oregon and Lifeworks NW’s supported employment programs have thrived, and these two agencies have providing training and technical assistance to others interested in implementing supported employment across the state. Options is one of 20 sites in the U.S. working with Dartmouth University measuring the effectiveness of evidence based supported employment in a four-year Mental Health Treatment Study (MHTS).

The OSECE will assist 12 new supported employment sites across Oregon. The specific goals of the OSECE are to: 1) provide technical assistance in the implementation of evidence based supported employment models including trainings, supported employment toolkits, site-visits, and on-going consultation; 2) conduct supported employment fidelity reviews of each site; 3) help establish local stakeholder groups in each county to provide local oversight including mental health consumers, Vocational Rehabilitation Division staff, the business community; and 4) organize 2 state-wide conferences over the 18 month grant period.

The main contributions that PSU will provide to the Center of Excellence include: 1) creation of coursework that will feature Supported Employment and may be offered to both undergraduate or graduate students; 2) creation of Supported Employment curriculum and trainings for workforce development or CEUs for mental health and employment specialists already in the field; 3) through PSU’s connection with Peer LiNC provide workshops and training to consumers of mental health services and local consumer agencies in supported employment; and 4) the RRI will provide evaluation, data collection and statistical consultation as needed through the life of the project.