Ticket to Work One Stop Employment Strategy

1
Ticket to Work One Stop Employment Strategy

• A Report on the Full Employments Council Ticket
  to Work Program
•  By
• Gary E. Enyard, Project Manager/Rehabilitation
  Coordinator

2
The Full Employment Council

• The Full Employment Council
• The Full Employment Council is a business-led,
  private, nonprofit corporation whose mission is
  to obtain public and private sector employment
  for the unemployed and underemployed residents of
  the Greater Kansas City area. The Full Employment
  Council also serves as the fiscal agent for the
  One Stop Career Centers in the Greater Kansas
  City area.

3
The Full Employment Council

• The Full Employment Council accomplishes this
  goal by working in collaboration with business,
  local units of government, educational
  institutions, labor and community-based
  organizations. This partnership responds to
  employer needs while reducing unemployment,
  underemployment and the public dependency of area
  residents.

4
Background

•  The decision to become an EN (Employment
  Network) under the Ticket to Work program evolved
  as a natural progression from the Full Employment
  Councils experience as a Work Incentive Grantee.
  The Full Employment Council received a Work
  Incentive Grant in October 2000 to improve the
  capacity of the One-Stop System to more
  effectively serve individuals with disabilities.

5
Background

• The decision to become an EN (Employment Network)
  was based on the fact that the One- Stop system
  was serving clients with disabilities under the
  Work Incentive Grant. Additionally, it was noted
  that the One Stop system was serving a number of
  individuals with disabilities who were receiving
  social security benefits.

6
Background

• The Ticket program presented an opportunity to be
  reimbursed for services already being provided to
  clients under WIA and non-WIA programming and at
  the same time afford the Full Employment Council
  the opportunity to access additional funds by
  targeting Ticket beneficiaries. Therefore the
  Full Employment Council became an EN in January
  2003.

7
Disability Resources

• The resource infrastructure for Ticket
  beneficiaries established under the Work
  Incentive grant was established in partnership
  with the Missouri Division of Vocational
  Rehabilitation, Rehabilitation Institute, Jewish
  Vocational Service, Helping Hand of Goodwill,
  Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce, and the
  Local Investment Commission.

8
Resources at the One- Stop centers include the
following

• physical and program accessibility
• placement of Rehabilitation Specialists within
  each One Stop center
• placement of One Stop Liaison Vocational
  Rehabilitation Counselors at each One Stop center
  
• utilization of tools to screen for disabilities,
  to include specific learning disabilities
• placement of assistant technology equipment
  within the One Stop center

9
Resources at the One- Stop centers include the
following

• placement of language interpretive services
  within each One Stop center
• development of a management information system to
  track individuals with disabilities
• establishment of disability web site through the
  Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce
  (kchasjobs.com)
• continuous cross training of One Stop staff and
  partner staff on vocational and disability
  aspects
• establishment of a Rehabilitation Advisory Board

10
Implementation Challenges

• Inadequate staffing
• Lack of disability training
• Marketing and outreach
• Client Screening
• Call volume
• WIA benchmarks
• Non-WIA Funding
• Access to BPAO
• Relationships with other organizations
• Lack of upfront capital
• Medical stability

11
Current Status

• The Ticket program has been integrated into the
  One Stop menu of services
• Ticket beneficiaries are being evaluated for
  services
• Ticket beneficiaries are being enrolled into WIA
  and non-WIA programming
• Ticket beneficiaries are being placed into
  training
• Ticket beneficiaries are being pre-screened
• Ticket beneficiaries are being referred for
  placement

12
 Conclusions

•   The decision to utilize the Ticket program as
  an employment strategy within the One Stop system
  has been positive in that the strengths of the
  One-Stop Centers are classroom training, on the
  job training, internships, work
• experience and employer contact. These strengths
  compare favorably with that of traditional
  vocational rehabilitation programs, which tend to
  be strong in the area of medical diagnostic,
  evaluation and assessment.

13
Conclusions

• The Ticket program has forced the One- Stop staff
  to acquire a level of expertise in vocational and
  disability aspects, which previously they felt no
  obligation to acquire.

14
Conclusions

• The establishment of a strong partnership with
  Vocational Rehabilitation is crucial in securing
  supportive services and expertise on the
  accommodations of certain disabilities.

15
Conclusions

• The Ticket program as an employment strategy at
  the Full Employment Council is a work in
  progress. There is still a need for additional
  staff with training and experience in the
  placement of individuals with disabilities and
  the need to identify sufficient funding beyond
  WIA funding to serve Ticket beneficiaries.

16
Conclusions

•   As the One Stop system gains more experience,
  there is every reason to conclude that utilizing
  the Ticket to Work Program as an employment
  strategy will turn out to be a prudent and
  profitable decision.