IPS Supported Employment Consulting
Empowering Recovery Through
Meaningful Work
What is IPS Supported Employment?
Individual Placement and Support (IPS) is the gold-standard, evidence-based model of supported employment for people living with serious mental illness — including schizophrenia spectrum disorders, bipolar disorder, and depression.
IPS helps people living with behavioral health conditions gain and maintain real, competitive jobs of their choosing — with no artificial time limits, no exclusions, and ongoing personalized support.
Unlike traditional vocational programs, IPS integrates directly with mental health treatment teams and prioritizes rapid job search based on each individual’s unique preferences and strengths. Mainstream education and technical training are also included as pathways to career advancement.
Employment isn’t just a goal — it’s a vehicle for recovery. Research consistently shows that people who work experience improved self-esteem, greater social connection, better symptom control, reduced hospitalizations, and a higher quality of life.
Integrated services
Employment specialists work alongside mental health treatment teams for seamless, coordinated care dedicated to the recovery journey.
Competitive Employment
Real jobs, open to anyone, at minimum wage or higher — with no artificial time limits set by the program.
Rapid Job Search
First employer contact happens within 30 days — the focus is on employment, not lengthy assessment and counseling alone.
Systematic Job Search
Employment specialists proactively visit employers, building relationships based on the job seeker’s preferences.
About Sofia Mendoza, LCSW
and her IPS Leadership since 2015
I’m Sofia Mendoza, LCSW. Since 2015, I’ve been in the role of Mental Health Clinical Supervisor for Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health, leading and coordinating the CalWORKs Employment Focused Mental Health Program where the goal is to help Department of Social Services participants remove mental health barriers to employment. I led a multidisciplinary team comprised of therapists (social workers and psychologists), psychatrist, and employment specialists. The therapists and I treated trauma, depression, anxiety and other mental health issues that impede clients in obtaining or maintaining employment using evidence-based practices such as DBT, CBT, ACT, EMDR, Solution focused therapy and Motivational Interviewing. The employment specialists focused on job readiness by assisting clients with resume building, job brainstorming, and eventually with job placement using the evidence-based practice Individualized Placement and Support (IPS) Supported Employment. I’ve achieved a 100% pass rate during IPS audits and site visits. Read more about IPS here.
I have served as a consultant and provided technical assistance for IPS throughout other county and county contracted mental health programs and teams.
I have created systems, documents, spreadsheets that assist with all the tracking to help IPS programs achieve and maintain fidelity. For many programs, this also means maintaining funding for continued IPS Supported Employment Programs.
Implementing IPS can seem like you are drinking water from a fire hydrant sometimes. Too much information all at once! I will help your organization and teams easily and painlessly implement the model.
Sustained Fidelity Achievement
Consistently led my agency’s IPS program to meet and exceed fidelity benchmarks across multiple review cycles — demonstrating the operational discipline and clinical knowledge that separate excellent programs from average ones.
Developing Employment Specialists
Developed and mentored numerous employment specialists through hands-on coaching, reflective supervision, and skills-based training — building confident, effective practitioners who deliver real outcomes.
Innovative Program Delivery
Pioneered creative, person-centered approaches to IPS delivery within community mental health settings — adapting evidence-based practices to real-world challenges while maintaining model fidelity.
Clinical Expertise
I am a seasoned therapist with 17+ years as a licensed therapist in community mental health, I specialize in treating trauma, racial stress, depression, anxiety, burnout, and co-occurring conditions. My Liberation Touchstone framework (from my co-authored book Stand Up, Speak Up, and Heal) guides clients toward a life rooted in personal freedom and self-determination.
Consultation Services
How I Can Help Your Program
Whether you are launching a new IPS program, preparing for a fidelity review, or strengthening your existing team, I offer tailored consultation rooted in over a decade of real-world experience.
Guidance on building a new IPS program from the ground up — including team structure, integration with treatment teams, employer engagement strategies, and documentation systems.
Hands-on preparation for IPS fidelity reviews — identifying gaps, strengthening documentation, and coaching your team to demonstrate the 8 principles clearly and confidently.
Individualized coaching for employment specialists — focused on how fidelity, caseload management, employer relationships, benefits counseling, and person-centered practice.
Support for new and experienced IPS supervisors in developing reflective supervision skills, building program culture, and sustaining high fidelity over time.
Analysis of your program’s outcomes, workflow, and team dynamics — with concrete, actionable recommendations grounded in IPS best practices and current research.
Consultation for team therapists focused on employment focused mental health treatment, adapted evidence based models and interventions (such as EMDR, CBT, DBT, Solution Focused, and ACT) for community mental health.
