Benefits and Work Incentives Planning: System Development

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Benefits and Work Incentives Planning System
Development

• NCHSD Fall Conference
• November 8, 2006
• Damon Terzaghi Oregon Competitive Employment
  Project
• Molly Sullivan Oregon Advocacy Center

Office of Vocational Rehabilitation Services
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Mission Statement

• The mission of the Oregon Competitive Employment
  Project, Oregons MIG, is to enhance the quality
  of life in Oregon by achieving, maintaining and
  advancing the competitive and inclusive
  employment of persons with disabilities.

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Current State of Benefits and Work Incentives
Planning in Oregon

• The state BPAO/WIPA program has 3 benefits
  planners, all housed within Oregons largest city
• Few private planners and direct service providers
  provide limited services
• Two centers for independent living are providing
  planning and referrals
• One county mental health agency provides services
  
• One Goodwill office has a certified planner
• Two initiatives that supported BP recently ended
  due to funding

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Challenges

• Developing a system
• Obtaining adequate and sustainable funding
• Fragmented systems
• Services limited to specific populations
• Need for connection and collaboration with
  provider agencies
• Need for consistent availability throughout the
  state
• Need for increased numbers of trained and
  qualified BP staff
• Maintaining established systems
• Utilization of highly trained BP staff for
  administrative duties
• Providing on an ongoing basis
• Outreach
• Intake and referral
• Training TA

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Benefits Planning Design Process
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Elements Used to Assess Oregons BP System

• Population being provided with benefits planning
• How consumers are informed of information about
  benefits
• Parties responsible for providing basic
  information, screening and referral
• How provision of basic information and referrals
  are being coordinated
• How benefits planning professionals and others
  responsible for providing benefits planning
  services are trained
• How training and technical assistance activities
  are subsidized
• Existing indicators and methods to ensure
  planners are qualified
• Available benefits planning tools

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Assessing Oregons BP System Provider Survey

• Survey developed in conjunction with BPAO/WIPA
• Survey administered via e-mails and phone calls
  to 120 Oregon provider agencies serving people
  with DD, SPMI, and physical disabilities
• 45 return rate
• Providers indicated a strong desire to be active
  participants in BP system, but needed proper
  training to provide accurate information
• 4 of the responding agencies reported providing
  some level of BP services, but only 1 had
  received SSA certification
• Survey results will guide involvement of
  community providers in proposed system

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System Design Process

• BPAO and Project jointly created 5 different
  models for delivering service
• BPAO assessed pros and cons of each model based
  on experience delivering services
• Project assessed pros and cons of each model
  based on national best practices qualitative
  research
• Project and BPAO jointly recommended desired
  model for Oregon to the workgroup

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System Design Process

• Presented desired model to Project leadership
  council DHS leadership
• Acquired funding for initial system development
• Plan to sustain WIPA collaboration through system
  design that includes
• Sharing in-state trainings with WIPA
• Sharing referrals for BP
• Collaborating on data collection and outcome
  monitoring

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Collaboration with WIPA

• WIPA changes are still pending
• Detailed collaboration will be based on WIPA
  requirements
• Project and WIPA working together to design data
  collection, benefits analysis format, and
  reporting system as required by WIPA regulations
• Project and WIPA will collaborate with CESSI on
  outreach

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System Implementation

• Project, State Independent Living Council, OVRS
  have earmarked funding that will more than double
  Oregons current BP capacity
• Project, WIPA, SILC and OVRS will jointly monitor
  outcomes, data collection and needed system
  refinements
• Information and data will be reported to CMS,
  Project Leadership Council, and SSA
• Information will be available to interested
  parties
• Project, WIPA and partners will collaborate on
  strategy to expand and sustain BP services in OR

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Primary Components of the System

• An Interactive Web-based Information, Referral
  and Planning tool
• A Training and Technical Assistance (T/A) Center
• Regional Benefits Planning Programs
• The WIPA Program
• Private Benefits Planners
• Service Providers and Community Programs
• An Integrated Outcomes Research Program

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Proposed Service Areas