Supporting FCS Participants Experiencing Psychosis: Practical Communication and Care Planning Tools for Supported Employment Providers

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Details
Supported employment staff are often called on to help when a job seeker is experiencing paranoia, delusional thinking, or other psychosis related symptoms and is declining practical services because they do not believe anything is wrong. In these situations, trying to argue the facts usually does not help and can quickly damage trust. This webinar offers supported employment providers a respectful, practical approach for staying connected, reducing escalation, and continuing to support the person’s employment goals.

Participants will learn a non-confrontational communication approach and practice brief, usable scripts that acknowledge feelings without reinforcing inaccurate beliefs. The training then translates those skills into a one-page Shared Job Support Plan, a tool for identifying next steps together even when a person is declining treatment or other services.

Objectives:

Identify how reduced insight can show up in psychotic disorders and how it affects engagement, helping staff shift from trying to convince someone to focus on connection and practical planning.
Apply a structured, non-confrontational communication approach to respond to delusional beliefs in a way that reduces escalation, supports trust, and avoids reinforcing the belief itself.
Develop a Shared Job Support Plan that helps move services forward even when a person declines support, by focusing on goals, day to day functioning, early warning signs, and small, realistic next steps.
Recognize when it may be appropriate to involve behavioral health partners, crisis supports, or coordinated specialty care resources, especially when workplace functioning or safety concerns begin to increase.
Speakers (1)
Mehrnoosh, Nicholas (DSHS/HCLA/HCS)
R1 BEHAVIOR SUPPORT TRAINER
DSHS-ALT
Nicholas “Nick” Mehrnoosh is a Behavior Support Trainer with Washington State’s Home and Community Services within the Home and Community Living Administration. He holds a Master of Science in Psychology from Eastern Washington University and is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor and designated Mental Health Professional in Washington State.