Do I need to file an amended return? Can I just somehow amend my 2017 return to include the money I need to pay back?
If you have an unpaid balance on your installment plan, it will be offset against any refund due you. It doesn't matter that you may be current on installment payments. (This is what you agreed to when you signed up for the plan.)
If you have not yet amended the 2015 return to make the income correction then do so asap.
I think it's safe to assume that if he is repaying the $700 on an installment plan, the IRS has already assessed the deficiency. If the assessment is correct an amended return would serve no purpose.
It wasn't clear ... the CP 2000 notices for a 2015 return have not gone out yet.