Foundational Community Supports (FCS) is a program offering benefits for supportive housing and supported employment for Apple Health-eligible beneficiaries with complex needs. Wellpoint will work with housing and employment providers to help enrollees find and maintain jobs; acquire stable, independent housing; and gain the necessary skills to be successful.

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This Medicaid behavioral health project offers a range of services, including:

 

• Case management

• Skill building

• Information and Referral

• Hands-on assistance with job and housing search

• Goal planning

• Problem solving

 

Services are provided to individuals who are experiencing a number of complex health and risk factors. The goals are to connect people to the resources they need—like health care, income, social supports—in order to get and keep housing and employment.

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The eligibility criteria for FCS is complex, and we are not always able to accommodate external referrals. Please call 253-271-7435 or send an email to easeemploymentservices@gmail.com with inquiries about FCS eligibility or availability.

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EASE is providing Foundational Community Supports in a wide variety of our programs within the agency. 

For more information from Washington state about Foundational Community Supports, please visit the Health Care Authority website: https://www.hca.wa.gov/assets/program/foundation-community-supports-faq.pdf

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What benefits are included in the foundational community services (FCS) program?

• Supportive housing

• Supported employment

 

Supportive housing

Community support services:

These are ongoing supports to help people find and keep stable, independent housing. Services include:

• Housing assessments

• Identifying housing resources

• Support obtaining a lease

• Independent living skills development

• Landlord relations

• Crisis management

 

Supported employment (based on the Individual Placement and Support (IPS) model)

 

Supported Employment services help people find jobs (in competitive or customized work settings or self-employment) and gain the skills necessary to be successful.

 

Services include:

• Vocational/job-related discovery or assessment

• Planning for employment

• Job placement, development, coaching

• Skills-building for negotiating with prospective employers

The supported employment benefit will not cover or supplement a beneficiary’s wages.

 

Who is eligible for FCS services 

FCS services are targeted benefits, meaning they are not entitlements for all enrollees.

Supportive housing services are designed for people who experience:

• Chronic homelessness (as defined by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development)

• Frequent or lengthy institutional contacts

• Frequent or lengthy stays in adult residential care

• Frequent turnover of in-home caregivers

• PRISM (Predictive Risk Information System) Risk score of 1.5 or above

 

Supported employment services target:

• People enrolled in the Aged, Blind or Disabled program or the Housing and Essential Needs program

• People diagnosed with severe and persistent mental illness (SPMI), substance use disorder (SUD), or co-occurring mental illness and SUD

• Vulnerable youth and young adults with behavioral health needs

• People who receive long-term services and supports

 

People who fall into these categories also must be determined to have a functional need for the services.

 

How will eligibility for FCS services be determined?

Individuals will be assessed to ensure they meet eligibility requirements and have an appropriate functional

need. Need can be demonstrated by:

• Assessments conducted within the behavioral health or long-term services and supports systems

• Meeting specific, functional criteria