FAST provided extra services to participants who qualified for FSS. FAST integrated the IPS supported employment model into the FSS program to provide participants with individualized job search assistance, job development services, and related supports based on their preferences and abilities. FAST also integrated motivational interviewing and a vocational assessment into the FSS program alongside IPS. To better support FAST participants, the caseload of FAST case managers was reduced to 50 active cases from an average of 75 to 100. FAST served TANF recipients who had a disability or shared a household with someone who had a disability. IPS is a model of supported employment focused on rapidly searching for jobs and prioritizing participant preferences in finding competitive employment in the community. FAST is a specific version of the IPS model. FAST was implemented in Ramsey County, MN.
The FAST program sought to improve employment outcomes by incorporating motivational interviewing and an Individual Placement and Support (IPS) model into the Family Stabilization Services (FSS) program. FAST served people who received Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) and had disabilities, and TANF recipients who shared a household with someone who had a disability.