Four of Monarch’s outstanding Individual Placement and Support (IPS) team members were recently honored at the UNC Institute for Best Practices ACT and IPS Conference in May 2025. These dedicated staff members were selected from providers across North Carolina:
- Latasha Anderson (Wake IPS) – IPS Team Lead of the Year
- Charlene Banks (Cleveland IPS) – IPS Employment Support Professional of the Year
- Tonya Edmond (Nash/Robeson IPS) – IPS Program Assistant of the Year
- Cheryl Rogers – Benefits Counselor of the Year
Monarch’s IPS teams play a vital role in supporting individuals living with mental illness in finding and maintaining meaningful employment. The IPS model focuses on helping individuals aged sixteen and older with significant behavioral health needs secure competitive, community-based employment — even when employment has been previously interrupted or unattainable.
During the third quarter of this fiscal year, Monarch conducted Comprehensive Clinical Assessments (CCAs) for 3,283 new individuals. Among those assessed, 25.4% were employed full-time, 19.2% were students, 19% were unemployed, 18.8% were receiving disability benefits, 13.7% were employed part-time, 2.7% were retired, and 1.1% identified as homemakers.
These figures underscore the continued demand for Individual Placement and Support (IPS) services and highlight the vital role our teams play in meeting the diverse needs of our community.
Here are the current employment rates across our IPS teams:
- Cleveland: 47%
- Mecklenburg County: 30%
- Forsyth: 44%
- Guilford: 42%
- Robeson-Nash: 44%
- Stanly: 40%
- Wake: 38%
If you have questions about Monarch’s IPS services, call (866) 272-7826.