Kansas Benefits Counselors Network

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Kansas Benefits Counselors Network
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About KS Beneficiaries

• Approximately 72,000 people received Supplemental
  Security Income (SSI) and/or Social Security
  Disability Income (SSDI/SSDAC) in Kansas in 1999.

• Of these, approximately 8,000 were working (11).

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II. What Benefits?

• Income maintenance benefits

• Healthcare benefits

• Work incentives

• Others housing subsidies, food stamps, veteran
  benefits, TANF, unemployment insurance, workers
  compensation, Earned Income Tax Credit, etc.

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Kansas Benefits Counselors Network

• Benefits Planning, Assistance and Outreach in
  Kansas

• A project of the Cerebral Palsy Research
  Foundation of Kansas

• Under cooperative agreement with the Social
  Security Administration

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Benefits Specialists (CPRF)

• SSA/Program Manager trained

• Perform benefits and work incentives calculations

• Coordinate plans with benefits counselors and
  beneficiaries

• Use WorkWORLD decision support software

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Benefits Counselors (Field)

• Who are they?

Case managers, transition counselors, Kansas
Rehabilitation Services counselors, Independent
Living Center peer counselors, employment
specialists, community rehabilitation services
counselors, representative payees
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Case Management Info

• Beneficiary Demographics

• Family Living Situation

• Work/School Situation

• Beneficiary Budget

• Beneficiary Knowledge of Her/His Benefits

• Beneficiary Goals and Objectives

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KBCN Workflow(see handout)
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Benefits Management Plans

• Support beneficiary goals and objectives

• Developed by beneficiaries and benefits counselors

• Similar to (or use) IEP, ISP, IPE

• Include agreement for monitoring and
  communication between beneficiary and benefits
  counselor

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I. KBCN Project Structure
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Kansas TWWIIA Website

• Public information, including lists of agencies
  and providers in Kansas

TWWIIA

• Secure Benefits Counselors section

Ticket to Work and Work Incentives Improvement
Plan (pronounced twee-uh)

• Link to KS JobLink (WIA) One-Stops

• www.kstwwiia.cprf.org

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• Produced by Virginia Commonwealth University
  for the Social Security Administration

• Handles more than 700 interactions among
  benefits

• Will be fully accessible Fall 2001

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KBCN Continuing Education

• Purpose facilitate increased skills and
  competence of benefits counselors and
  beneficiaries

• Channels KS Board of Regents Telenet 2
  videoconferencing, KS TWWIIA Website, and
  presentations at statewide conferences