Baltimore Federal Executive Board

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• Baltimore Federal Executive Boards
• 1st Annual Interagency Human Capital Council
• EEO Diversity Inclusion and Disability
  Awareness/Employment Training Symposium
• June 6, 2012
• Keynote Speaker Bob Williams
• Associate Commissioner
• Office of Employment Support Program

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Five Major Take-Aways

• 1. What Do SSA Employment Support Programs Do?
•  
• 2. What Do We Know About Those Who Work And Earn
  Their Way Off Disability Benefits?
•  
• 3. What Are Beneficiaries Looking for In an
  Employer, Job and Career?
•  
• 4. Why Should Your Agency Aggressively Recruit,
  Employ and Promote Current and Former
  Beneficiaries?
•  
• 5. An invitation to Learn More and Leverage
  Better Employment Results Together

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Question 1

• What Do SSA Employment Support Programs Do?

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OESPs Job One Spurring GreaterOpportunities
for Employment Success and Prosperity For
Working Americans with Disabilities Ages 18
to 64 who receive SSDI or SSI
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OESP Only Pays for Real Results

• We Pay Our Employment Support Providers Only When
  Someone Is
• Working part time at least 20 hours a week for
  
• At least 9.37 a hour or 720 per month
• No more than 9 months out of 18 months
• Earning over 1,000 per month or,
• Fully employed and no longer in need of cash
  benefits

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The Ticket to Work and Self Sufficiency Program
Is

• Not for Everyone
• Performance Driven
• Enabling individuals to gain and sustain
• Good Jobs
• Good Careers and,
• Better, Fully Self Supporting Futures

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OESP Partners with a National Network of

• 75 State Vocational Rehabilitation Agencies
• 1057 Employment Networks, including
• 138 State and Local Workforce Boards and,
• A Growing Number of Other State and Local
  Agencies

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Our National Reach

• Approximately, 300,000 Americans with
  disabilities currently use our employment
  support services.
• These individuals
• Attend college and other career training
  programs
• Work at least part time
• Get help on how to keep health coverage after
  earning their way off disability benefits and,
• Get help with job prep as well as on going
  supports for job retention.

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What Makes Us Unique

• The Ticket is the only program that funds support
  for 3 to5 years after someone
• starts working full time and,
• leaves disability benefits
• These ongoing supports can include
• Help keeping Medicaid or Medicare after leaving
  benefits
• Help finding accommodations
• Career development advice
• Financial planning assistance
• Troubleshooting
• Someone to bounce ideas off of

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Closer to Home ---- In the DC-MD-VA Area

• We work with
• 4 State Vocational Rehabilitation Agencies
• 63 Employment Networks, including
• 9 State and Local Workforce Boards and,
• A Growing Number of Other State and Local
  Agencies

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In DC, Maryland and Virginia

• 19,893 beneficiaries are receiving SSA employment
  support services. Of this
• Many are in college or other training programs
• An estimated 605 are already employed and,
• Many more are ready, willing and able to accept
  part time and full time positions today.

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Executive Order 13548

• The Bottom Line
• Make the Federal Government a model employer
• Hire at least 100,000 new federal workers with
  disabilities by 2015
• Take specific actions to employ those with
  targeted, i.e., significant disabilities

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QA

• Q Who is accountable for achieving these
  bottom line results?
• A You and I are accountable.
•  thats why
• PARTNERING IS NOT AN OPTION. . .
• it is an imperative

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Question 2

• What Do We Know About Those Who Work And Earn
  Their Way Off Disability Benefits?
• Those on SSDI or SSI who work or want to work
  differ from others in several key ways
• Of the 13 million Americans with disabilities on
  SSDI or SSI today

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Most Are Not Working for a Simple Reason ----
They Cant
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• Roughly 60 are not working due to multiple
  reasons
• Poor health, including terminal illness
• Few skills for todays economy
• Near retirement
• Many fear the loss of cash benefits and health
  coverage if they earn too much

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• Significant Numbers Work or Want to Work,
  However
• In fact, 40 of disability beneficiaries
• Are working,
• Actively pursuing a job, or
• Say they want to work in the future 
• These individuals also tend to be
• Younger
• Healthier
• Better educated
• Than most other social Security beneficiaries.

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This is ESPECIALLY TRUE of those using Ticket
services

• Nearly half are 39 or younger
• Over one tenth are under 25
• About 80 have at least finished HS
• Nearly half have some college or training after
  HS
• Many have their entire lives ahead of them.

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• Hence, for Many. . .
• Good Jobs and Good Careers
• In Federal Service Could
• Better Self Supporting Futures

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Question 3

• What Do Ticket Participants Want In an Employer,
  Job and Career?
• They want
• Employers they believe will give them an equal
  chance
• Employers they trust will not discriminate
• Employers that are knowledgeable about reasonable
  accommodations and workplace flexibility

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• They want
• Part time work that leads to full time employment
  
• Work that pays them what they are worth, not what
  they are willing to accept
• Full time jobs that pay more than they would
  otherwise have by staying on benefits and working
  part time

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• They want
• Entry level and other positions that have career
  paths and a future
• Good jobs in diverse fields that pay well and
  have good health and retirement benefits
• Jobs and careers where they are making a
  difference

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• Is it any wonder. . .
• They want the same types of jobs and careers you
  and I have in the Federal government???

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Question 4

• Why Should Your Agency
• Aggressively Recruit, Employ and Promote Current
  and Former Disability Beneficiaries?

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• Simple Math
• These individuals make up
• The majority of unemployed and under employed
  people with disabilities in the U.S.
• A large percentage of those with targeted
  disabilities
• A huge pool of untapped talent and labor

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• Common Sense and Simple Justice
• If we are to be a model employer and an exemplar
  to others, we must seek out all not just some
  talented prospective federal workers with
  disabilities.
• Many current and former beneficiaries are ready,
  willing and able to fill many types of jobs today
  
• Failure to recruit such individuals is not good
  business

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• An invitation to Learn More
• and Leverage Better Results Together
• Join us July 27, 2012 from 200 to 400 PM
• For A Webinar
• To Explore How the Ticket Program
• Can Best Support Your Agency to
• Aggressively Recruit, Employ and Promote Current
  and Former Disability Beneficiaries
• Webinar Contact Mildred Owens from OESP, Vice
  Chair EEO Diversity Inclusion and Disability
  Awareness/Employment Committee Baltimore Federal
  Executive Board 410-965-6451, Mildred.Owens_at_ssa.go
  v