Learning Objectives After this training you should have a better - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Learning Objectives

After this training you should have a better understanding of:

 the Experience Works (EW)/American Dream

Employment Network (ADEN) Ticket to Work (T2W) program

 how T2W can benefit EW participants and enhance

performance

 proper documentation of case management and case

note requirements for EW T2W

 the intensive services requirements for ticketed

participants

 staff annual individual goals for the EW T2W program

What is Ticket to Work?

• Ticket to Work is a free and voluntary Social Security

program (SSA) that helps people (referred to as “beneficiaries”) who are receiving disability benefits, return to work or begin work for the first time.

• Eligible ages are 18-64; for EW our age group is 40-64
• Participants must be receiving either:

Supplemental Security Income (SSI), or Social Security Disability Income (SSDI)

• Participants on the Ticket program are learning to

reduce or eliminate their dependence on SSI and/or SSDI cash benefits.

The Value of Ticket to Work for Experience Works

• EW T2W team is able to offer direct support to your

assigned participants on SSDI/SSI

• Ticketed participants will have every opportunity to

become self-sufficient

• SCSEP wages count for current participants!
• Funds received by EW from each qualified* ticketed

participant, once employed, are considered Unrestricted

• Funds. ($16,783 received since July 1, 2018.)

*SGA monthly income level per SSA

Current Active T2W Participants: Texas: 19 Arkansas: 15 Oregon: 13 Montana: 3 Idaho: 2 South Dakota: 1 Wyoming: 1 Mississippi: 3 Louisiana: 2 North Dakota: 0 Minnesota: 0

Let’s get started! Why should a participant agree to assign their ticket to EW?

While participating in the T2W, beneficiaries (our ticketed participants on SSDI/SSI) can get the help they need to safely explore their work options without immediately losing their benefits. And, because EW partners with ADEN, we have even more access to potential employers interested in diversifying their workforce. Ticketed beneficiaries (participants) may enjoy Work Incentives per the SSA, such as:

A Trial Work Period (TWP) Expedited Reinstatement (EXR) Protection from Medical Continuing Disability Reviews

Examples of Intensive Services for T2W participants

• Job Ready courses
• Computer training
• Job Club
• Job Quest
• Soft skills training
• Resume building
• Job Search skills

training

• Workforce Reentry

training

• Support Services
• Job Accommodation
• Benefits Counseling

Common Misconceptions about the Ticket to Work program

A common misconception is that if someone who receives SSI and/or SSI will lose all of their benefits immediately when becoming employed. The truth is the individual who is on SSI and/or SSDI, may:

go to work without automatically losing disability benefits; return to benefits if she/he must stop working; continue to receive healthcare benefits; and be protected from receiving the mandatory annual medical while using

the ticket and making the expected progress with work or educational goals.

Wait…I’m confused! Who is ADEN and how do they connect with EW??

• The Social Security Admin (SSA) rule is that an organization MUST be

affiliated with, or become, an Employment Network (EN) in order to serve beneficiaries (individuals receiving SSI and/or SSDI).

• In order to assist our EW Senior Community Service Employment Program

(SCSEP) participants with the SSA T2W program, EW joined forces with ADEN.

• ADEN serves EW as the administrative arm and direct link to the SSA.
• The EW T2W staff team, both of whom are certified Work Incentives

Practitioners, have access to the ADEN “portal”, where we can gather information at a glance on all of our ticketed participants.

Your EW Ticket to Work Team and How we Serve You!

• Chris Ramey, Benefits Coordinator and certified Work Incentive Practitioner (BC/WIP)
• Jo Rinehart, Assistant Director Program Operations and certified Work Incentive Practitioner (WIP)
• We will have 2 additional Participant Assistants on our team in the next few weeks. One will be

based in Texas and the other will be from the Montana PA hub Here are some important ways in which your T2W team serve you:

• we work directly with your participants on SSI and/or SSDI
• we maintain a direct line of communication with you and update Job Ready case notes as

appropriate

• we determine what, if any, work incentives and/or special job accommodation(s) may be

appropriate for your participants – then work with you and your supervisor(s) for approval

• we do the IWP (similar to IEP, and must match the SCSEP IEP)-a T2W criteria for obtaining a Ticket

assignment

• we provide benefits counseling to your participants, whose biggest fear is losing their cash benefits

if they get a job

• we explain and provide suggestions for even more intensive services to you for your participants, in
• rder for them to have the best chance of being successful in a job

ETC/SPM or other designated staff and your T2W Responsibilities We will be discussing staff goals in a few minutes; meanwhile, here are essential responsibilities that the Employment and Training Coordinator (ETC) will maintain:

• Actively recruit and promote EW T2W program.
• Explain that EW has a BC/WIP who can assist in explaining, in a positive

manner, all of the information the individual will need to make their own, informed decision.

• Promote T2W to individuals who are deemed ineligible for SCSEP as well –

remember, our BC/WIPs are also working with SSI and or SSDI beneficiaries who are between the ages of 40 to 64.

• Staff will work with the T2W team to ensure a smooth program for the

participants that we will serve.

• When a participant states that they are interested in discussing and/or

assigning their T2W to EW, the ETC or other designated staff person will contact the T2W team to proceed with ticket assignment process.

Additional ETC T2W Responsibilities:

• When an ETC refers a EW SCSEP participant on SSI/SSDI to the T2W team – the T2W

team will create what the SSA calls an Individual Work Plan (IWP). The ETC will work with the T2W team to ensure IWP reflects the current IEP in Job Ready, to include all services and training plans reflected on the IEP.

• When a ticket has been assigned, the ETC/staff person is informed, and then

becomes responsible for updating the participant’s IEP to include Ticket to Work services as part of the plan.

• ETC’s will begin to provide intensive services to include job searching, resume skills,

job club, referrals to outside agencies.

• ETC’s will continuously update the T2W staff on trainings, supportive services and

employment information.

• Once the ticketed participant gets a job, the ETC/staff will continue to provide

customer service and case management at a minimum of 1 time per month to ensure the participant retains their job.

• It is MANDATORY that ETCs, Employment and Training Assistants (ETA)s, and

Participant Assistants (PA)s capture and record all T2W activities, functions, and case management using case notes documented in Job Ready.

What comes next, after the IWP is completed:

• Within 30 days from the creation of the Individual Work Plan (IWP) with the

T2W team, the ETC must update the Individual Employment Plant (IEP) internally.

• If you have not completed this type of an update please work with Eileen Hendrix, Job

Ready Manager, as she several great examples to show the correct way to update an IEP to reflect co-enrollment in T2W.

• Within 45 days of enrollment into T2W each ticketed participant will be

enrolled in a Job Club/ Job Quest. If the participant is rural then a referral to

• utside agencies will be noted in Job Ready case notes.
• If someone is not ready to participate in a Job Club/Job Quest type of training, the ETC

must document the reason and provide an explanation of what services will be conducted to prepare for Job Club/ Job Quest.

Monthly Reporting for EW SCSEP ticketed participants to ADEN by the EW T2W Team

• The SSA requires monthly case note updates on all ticketed

individual’s training and services.

• A Job Ready Case Note Report will be run by the T2W team on

the 15th of every month for the previous month of service.

• You will document all trainings, case management, and

referrals in Job Ready using standard case notes as per the Data Validation handbook.

Important Note: This is a mandatory SSA requirement; if case notes are not entered and reports cannot be submitted, we are considered to be out of compliance with ADEN and SSA.

T2W Case Management Requirements

CASE NOTES are a mandatory requirement, not only

• f EW, but of the SSA for all ticketed individuals.

Case notes must conform to the case note

requirements in the SCSEP Data Validation guide.

Case management of T2W will last for 5-7 years after

becoming employed in order to ensure self-sufficiency and to support participants with any concerns that may arise.

Employment Exits of Ticketed Participants

• When a ticketed EW participant “gets a job”, the ETC will immediately alert

the T2W team

• The ETC will send a copy of the Employment Exit Form to:

t2w@experienceworks.org – or, cramey@experienceworks.org AND jrinehart@experienceworks.org

• Monthly wage follow-ups (after participant gets a job): SSA requires that

all ticketed individuals who have gotten jobs – or ticketed SCSEP participants in training assignments – report their income monthly for the previous month. This is mandatory, and essential that staff remind their participants to provide SSA with this information.

• The T2W Team can provide staff with helpful tools for their participants

such as a calendar reminder document for reporting their wages.

• SSA requires submission of paystubs

The T2W Team and Follow-Ups

• The EW T2W team will have follow-up calls with each exited

participant to a job on a monthly basis.

• If a participant is found to be unemployed, the EW ETC and the

T2W team will work with them to assist in finding new employment.

• If someone exits SCSEP for health or “for cause” this does NOT

mean that they are exited from T2W. Individuals are considered to have an active Ticket to Work with Experience Works until we receive notification of it being un-assigned.

EW Staff Goals for the T2W Program

• PLACEMENT in a JOB: At a minimum, 2 ticketed participants per

ETC in each 6 month period are placed into jobs earning above $840 per month.

• EARNINGS: Placed participants will meet the SSA Ticket to Work

earnings requirement of $840 per month for 2018 (this figure is increased annually by the SSA)

• RETENTION: Placed participants retain a job for 18 months; and,

meet the SSA TWP earnings requirement for 18 months.

Staff Goals for Contact of Participants

The following individuals are to be contacted regarding the T2W program as follows:

 100% of all NEW enrollment participants

• upon enrollment

 100% of all ACTIVE participants on

SSDI/SSI

 100% of all EXITED participants to jobs

• n SSDI/SSI

Talking Points for Recruitment

What you can say to:

• Participants: As a participant on the SCSEP, your goal is to

achieve economic self-sufficiency. Experience Works and the Ticket to Work Program can help you achieve this goal.

• Host Agency Supervisors: As a partner with Experience

Works, it is incumbent upon us to assist our participants with as much information and training as possible in order for them to reach their goal of economic self-sufficiency. We trust you will encourage your participant(s) to participate in this program, and will come to us with any questions they may bring to you.

Just a few more thoughts:

• Remember – your SCSEP participants are on the program

because they need and want to work. If they don’t, we should provide them with referral services off the program in their communities.

• Believe it – many individuals who are beneficiaries of SSDI or SSI

payments DO want to work.

• The EW T2W Team is ready to work with you so that your

participants understand their options.

If you have questions, please contact:

• Jo Rinehart, Assistant Director of Program Ops, Work Incentive

Practitioner jrinehart@experienceworks.org

• Chris Ramey, Benefits Coordinator, Work Incentive Practitioner

cramey@experienceworks.org

NOTE: EW Staff are not to contact the organization where the ticket currently resides if they are assigned to another EN or SSA for training or questions regarding the Ticket program—staff must go through the EW Ticket to Work staff listed above.

Helpful URL’s

https://www.chooseworkttw.net/index.html https://www.chooseworkttw.net/materials/TTW_Unassignment_Templa

te.pdf

https://www.ssa.gov/work/overview.html https://www.ssa.gov/work/WIPA.html http://www.disabilitysecrets.com/page5-13.html https://yourtickettowork.com/web/ttw/individual-work-plan www.iowawins.org

Lets review what we learned

You should now have a better understanding of:

 the EW/ADEN Ticket to Work program  how T2W can benefit EW participants and enhance

performance

 proper documentation of case management and case note

requirements for EW T2W

 the intensive services requirements for ticketed participants  staff annual individual goals for the EW T2W program