Ticket to Work Training Collaboration among Employment Networks and Work Incentive Planning Assistan

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Ticket to Work TrainingCollaboration among
Employment Networks and Work Incentive Planning
Assistance John Miller, WIPA Project
Director(717) 763-0968 ext 118john.miller_at_ahedd.
org
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WIPA Strategic Value

• Agencies that provide employment services to
  persons with disabilities generally serve a
  significant number of SSA beneficiaries
  
• Historical limited impact on the employment of
  the SSA population due to
  
• little to no knowledge among community providers
  about SSA benefits and work incentives
  
• some organizations and/or staff may strive to
  maximize federal entitlements and view reduction
  or termination from benefits as detrimental to
  their customers
• existing payment schedules for employment
  providers tend to pay for expenses (not outcomes)
  or short term outcomes not necessarily related to
  the individual reducing dependency on government
  benefits.

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Advocacy

• The pursuit of influencing outcomes including
  resource allocation decisions.
  
• I want a PT job in order to keep my benefits. -
  cry for help
  
• How much money does SSA let me make? - wrong
  question

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WIPA Individual Impact

• Accurate complete information can offer
  beneficiaries power and control over an important
  area of their life.
  
• Timely work incentive counseling can positively
  influence career planning, and current employment.

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Current WIPA

• 23 million for 104 WIPA projects
• Over 85,000 beneficiaries served from October
  2006 through December 2007, approximately 120,000
  in 2008
  
• National data system WIPA Efforts to Outcomes
  (WIPA ETO) in Fall 2008.

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SSA Cooperative Agreement with WIPA

• Certified Community Work Incentive Coordinators
• Federal Clearance-Background check
• Serve beneficiaries (active status), ages 14-64,
  in a designated area
  
• Do not represent beneficiaries in overpayments or
  appeals
  
• Participate in targeted outreach
• Identify, address potential conflicts of interest

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CWIC Certification TA

• Virginia Commonwealth University WIPA National
  Training Center
  
• Initial Core Competencies
• Promoting Supporting Employment Outcomes for
  SSA beneficiaries
  
• Partnering with Community Agencies Conducting
  Outreach
  
• Understanding SSDI/SSI Benefits, Other
  Federal/state benefits and work incentives
  
• Providing Healthcare planning counseling (i.e.
  work incentives)
  
• Quality Assurance
• Providing Effective WIPA Services
• Supplemental Training technical assistance

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Certification Outcomes

• New Trainees/Completions 132/166 (80)
• Recertification/Completions 374/428 (87)

VCU WIPA NTC December 2007 July 2008
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WIPA Agencies

• Types
• Advocacy Agencies
• Employment Providers public, private, including
  Employment Networks
  
• Other providers.
• Goals
• Provide beneficiaries with objective information
  about work incentives to make an informed
  choice
  
• Target specific beneficiaries and influence
  decisions regarding employment and earnings and
  financial independence

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WIPA CWICs

• Technical knowledge
• Exemplary communication skills
• Awareness of employment service system for people
  with disabilities
  
• Case management

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WIPA Service Model

• Eligible beneficiaries/priority candidates for
  WIPA
  
• Phone vs. In Person
• Community Based vs. Centralized
• Documentation of benefits SSA, Medicaid agency,
  other
  
• Grounded in current or pending work plans
• Individualized written report Benefit Summary
  Analysis, Work Incentive Plans
  
• Beneficiary Follow-Up

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Beneficiary Demographics for Referral

• Age
• Type/amount of benefits
• Current or pending employment goals including
  monthly earned income
  
• Representative Payee status/contact

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WIPA Outcomes

• Information Referral
• Intensive Work Incentive Counseling
• Benefits Summary Analysis
• Work Incentive Plan
• Assistance with accessing and managing work
  incentives
  

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WIPA No-No

• Representing beneficiary with SSA appeals
• Assistance with applying for benefits
• Serving individuals who are being fraudulent with
  SSA and/or state Medicaid
  
• Recommending specific ENs
• Serving beneficiaries who are not interested in
  employment
  
• Discouraging beneficiaries from working or
  maximizing financial self-sufficiency

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Perspectives on Termination Success

• You know if you make too much money, SSA will cut
  off your benefitsyou will probably lose your
  Medicaid too! Be careful.
  
• You know if you earn enough money, consistently
  over a few years, you will be able to replace SSA
  cash benefits. If you still need Medicaid and/or
  Medicare, there are various options for
  continuation. Finally, after termination from
  SSA cash benefits, you have a 5 year window of
  reinstatement if you stop working.

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Some Tension Points

• Funding
• Referral Prioritization of referrals
• Timing/timeliness of service
• Quality of the reporting and service
• WIPA service complementing employment provider/EN

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AHEDD WIPA Age New Served
Note not national WIPA data, but rather 1 WIPA
agency.
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AHEDD WIPA Referral Source
Note not national WIPA data, but rather 1 WIPA
agency.
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AHEDD WIPA Project Follow-Along

• Quarterly 6 month look back of beneficiaries
  served
  
• Contact
• Employment Status
• Earnings
• Use of TTW and other incentives
• Analysis by staff, county, referral source

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Service Collaboration WIPA EN

• Being aware of each entitys services,
  priorities
  
• Establishing a protocol for referral, including a
  reason for referral
  
• Gather documentation of benefit status prior to
  referral to WIPA
  
• Scheduling rotation in specific communities,
  specific agencies
  
• Release of information to copy specific parties
• Follow-up.

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EN Staff- Work Incentive Competency

• Key differences between SSI and SSDI
• Appreciation for nuances of Medicaid and
  Medicare
  
• Medicaid Buy-In
• What is a CDR and what does the protection from
  CDR mean to the TTW user?

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EN Work Incentive Cases

• Michael gets SSI is 20 and is expected to stay in
  school until 21. A community provider is
  collaborating with transition staff to support
  him in a job earning 715/mo.
• Cindy, gets SSI and SSDI, is working PT and
  anticipating a FT job in the fall but needs a
  car.
  
• Louise gets SSI, SSDI, food stamps her children,
  ages 14 and 16, get some Social Security too.

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Benefits Planning Query

• The BPQY communicates information on SSA records
  specifically for beneficiaries with disabilities
  and encourages financial planning for a return to
  work. The information is generally accurate but
  if earnings were not reported by the beneficiary
  or if work reports were not processed by SSA, the
  data must be updated and corrected.
• A BPQY is given to beneficiaries upon request.
  The BPQY and its cover letter will be mailed
  directly to the beneficiary at the address shown
  on the current SSA record.

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Promoting the WIPA

• Significant response
• Numbers of beneficiaries in respect to existing
  resources and staffing
  
• Efforts to channel outreach
• Ongoing demand for community education

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Community Education WISE Events

• Outreach by WIPA, including WISE Events
  coordinated CESSI (Program Manager for
  Recruitment Outreach) http//www.cessi.net/ttw/
  

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Other Resources to Promote TTW

• Medicaid Infrastructure Grants (MIG)
• National TA Centers
• Disability Program Navigators (DPN)
• DB101