Personnel time required for supported employment and education services for individuals in a recent-onset psychosis treatment program.

Aim: Individual Placement and Support (IPS) improves vocational outcomes in first-episode psychosis patients, but policy makers need information on costs (and personnel time required) to conduct effective IPS.

Methods: Using chart records of 42 clients in a first-episode psychosis study, we examined service time for specific activities over 18 months.

Results: The IPS specialist averaged 92 (SD = 62) minutes per client per week: 39% of time was spent in direct client contact, 9% in meetings without the client, 14% in meetings with the treatment team, 14% in supervision and 24% on travel time. Time required was significantly higher when participants were seeking work/school placements, decreased over duration of enrolment and was similar for those using work vs school support.

Conclusions: IPS service time covers numerous activities, is reduced when not seeking work/school placements and required less time over enrolment duration. Financing structures should support the full range of IPS services.