Effective Practices Series

1. Effective Practices Series Employment Network Partnerships that Increase Employment Outcomes and Self-Sufficiency

2. Presenters Tammy Liddicoat, Executive Director, Employment Resources Inc. James Fratolillo, Director, Statewide Employment Services, Massachusetts Rehabilitation Commission Kevin Nickerson, DRC State Lead, NY Disability Employment Initiative

3. What is a Partnership? • Working together toward a mutual goal. • Every partner needs an incentive to work with you.

4. Partnerships • Employment Networks (EN) • State Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) Agencies • Social Security Administration (SSA) • Work Incentives Benefits Specialists (WIBS) • Other benefits programs and services

5. Employment Resources Inc. Tammy Liddicoat, Executive Director, Employment Resources Inc.

6. Employment Resources Inc. (ERI) • Small non-profit • Big focus on benefits/work incentives and employment for 20 years – direct service and training • ERI understands complicated benefits systems beneficiaries must operate under • Employment Network established in 2008 • EN built on partnerships between VR, SSA, and Work Incentives Benefits Counseling Services

7. SSA Vocational Rehabilitation Employment Networks Mutual goals Provide choices in employment services and access to meaningful work to reduce or eliminate a Ticket Holder’s reliance on Social Security disability benefits.

8. Ticket Holder Work Goal Many times based on level confidence in the risk of losing critical benefits.

9. Employment Status of Supplemental Security Income (SSI)/Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) Beneficiaries 40% 40% of SSI & SSDI beneficiaries report a desire to work 7% 7% are working at a given time 0. 2% 0.2% earn enough to leave the rolls

10. Barriers Confusion: SSA beneficiaries must navigate and operate under complex, interconnected but disjointed government systems when they want to work. Myths Beneficiaries are told: • You need to keep all your benefits even if you work. • You will be worse off if you work too much.

11. Work Incentives Benefits Specialists Experts in Social Security disability benefits, Work Incentives, Medicare, Medicaid, including state specific and local public benefits. • “It is possible to work and come out financially ahead even if benefits are reduced or terminated.” • “The benefit programs are complicated, but there are professionals trained to help you use the work incentives.”

12. Qualities of a Work Incentives Benefits Specialist • Training/Certification in Work Incentives and public benefits • Knowledge of state and local benefits • Participation in ongoing technical assistance or peer support • Relationships with SSA • Security clearance • Experience - How long/how much time is devoted • System for maintaining/updating knowledge • Associating, networking with peers

13. Partnering with a Work Incentives Benefits Specialist • Success of Ticket Holder • More confidence in pursuing, advancing and retaining employment. • Success of EN… based on benefits status • SSA Success measures (report card) • Getting paid

14. SSA’s Role to the Ticket Holder Role Maintain correct, timely data • Wage information is entered in SSA database • Work Incentives are implemented accurately • Benefits are stopped and started in timely fashion Needs Staff Capacity! Time and Information to complete or initiate • work reviews • reported income • completed work incentives to stop or reinstate benefits

15. EN Partnership with SSA How can ENs with Work Incentives Benefits Specialists help? • Established relationship with Area Work Incentives Coordinator (AWIC), WILs at SSA • Contact SSA when work review needs to be done • Provide assistance to save them time • Provide missing earnings information and all necessary data – full picture of work record and implementation of Work Incentives. • Anticipation of overpayments, proactive management

16. VR Agency’s Role to the Ticket Holder Needs Employment retention Services to ensure long term successful outcomes Long term, timely tracking mechanisms (contact info, earnings) for expedited Cost Reimbursement. Role Help to prepare, pursue and ATTAIN employment VR was never developed to be a long term answer.

17. EN Partnership with State VR Agency How can ENs with Work Incentives Benefits Specialists help? • Services to enhance potential for long term employment, self sufficiency • More income from Cost Reimbursement for VR to serve more consumers • Long term tracking and collaboration • Interventions to reduce DVR revolving door

18. Other Partners and Connections • Medicaid/Medicare • Medicaid Buy-in • ADA resources • Housing, food security programs • Financial literacy agencies • Asset development

19. Massachusetts Rehabilitation Commission James Fratolillo, Director, Statewide Employment Services

20. Partnership Plus Massachusetts

21. Partnership • Beneficiaries • Community Rehabilitation Providers (CRP) • Employment Networks (EN) • Massachusetts Rehabilitation Commission (MRC) • Social Security Administration (SSA)

22. Plus Create a mutually beneficial program for consumers, MRC, ENs and the Social Security Administration to work together so that it will benefit all; maximizing strengths and resources to provide optimum employment services, increase self-sufficiency and reduce recidivism.

23. Traditional Upon closure, vocational rehabilitation consumers are informed of the ENs offering their services in Massachusetts and the benefit of assigning their ticket.

24. The Partnership Plus Advantage • We were NOT trying to create a whole new program. We were looking to make an existing program more advantageous to all.

25. Program Goals • Enhanced services to our consumers • Reduction in recidivism • Leverage funding • Promote utilization of Ticket to Work and Employment Networks • Maximize cost reimbursement • Strengthen relationship between MRC and CRPs/ENs

26. Enhanced Services In addition to the supports received through Partnership Plus, ten individuals have been subsequently recognized as needing more comprehensive services to maintain their employment (Supported Employment)

27. Reduction in Recidivism Only two individuals while enrolled in the program had lost their job due to performance issues.

28. Leverage Funding As a result of the down economy, lower revenues have a significant impact on funding and budgets. Exploring, promoting, and augmenting alternative funding resources are more important than ever to all.

29. Promoting EN Participation The ability to have a “seamless handoff” to an EN, for some of our consumers is a resource we should be embracing and promoting in the interest of our consumers.

30. Maximize Cost Reimbursement Reduction in recidivism/ longer periods of successful employment will have potential savings and increased revenues.

31. Strengthening the Relationship • Shared values • Mutual trust • Interdependence

32. Make it “Fit” • Compliance with existing RSA Federal Regulations • Utilization of existing service delivery system • Simplification of referral and monitoring of service • Senior Management approval • Counselor “Buy-In” • Promotion to CRPs/ENs

33. How it Works • Counselor explains initiative and benefit to consumer • Agree upon proactive Post Employment Services (PES) • Select CRP/EN • Initiate referral to Statewide Employment Services Department (SES) to facilitate authorization and initiate service • Terms of service and start date established • Consumer is place in Status 32 and transferred to SES • Upon referral to EN consumer assigns ticket

34. Terms of Agreement • Contract Order (CO) will be initiated at a minimum of 2 hours up to a maximum of 10 hours a month for up to 8 months • The existing hourly rate is used at $34.24 an hour • The type of service and the utilization of authorized hours/months will be based on the Consumers needs • The duration will not exceed 8 months

35. Invoicing/Case Management • The electronic invoicing, along with a monthly narrative is sent to SES and processed • Flexibility is provided but communication is key • Case management/case notes and data is maintained centrally • Should the individual lose their job, a referral back to the original VR counselor is facilitated

36. “Place and Train” “Implement and Build”

37. NY Disability Employment Initiative Kevin NickersonDisability Resource Coordinator, State Lead

38. Establishing Your EN “Roots” • Challenge Workforce Solutions was one of the first private ENs established in NY, in 2001 • Getting established as an EN has many challenges, however, our first priority was letting our community know we were here, and available to assist Social Security Disability beneficiaries • After more than 10 years in business, we now regularly receive referrals from a variety of sources in our community, based on years of outreach and partnering efforts. • Some of our referral sources now include: • Other beneficiaries • Doctors offices • Lawyers (WC, and other) • Community Providers (Red Cross, Housing, Other employment providers, faith based organizations, Universities) • 211 (information & referral call in center) • Don’t forget your internal partners (Job Center Partnership)

39. How did we get there? • Start with the basics, and build from there • Benefits Planning services • Vocational Rehabilitation relationship • Community providers • Understanding the Job Center, and the resources available to job seekers, can expand opportunity for both Ticket Holders and ENs • There are a variety of ways to partner with your local Job Center, but at a minimum your Ticket Holders should be encouraged to register for services

40. Why Partner with America’s Job Centers? • Large numbers of individuals with disabilities are accessing Job Centers for “main stream” employment supports • Based on a recent report entitled: “Use of One-Stops by Social Security Disability Beneficiaries in Four States Implementing Disability Program Navigator Initiatives”up to 25% of All Work-Oriented SSA Beneficiaries actively pursuing employment visited One-Stops (now known as Job Centers) in these states* • Job Centers are becoming much more engaged with supporting Ticket holders, as SSA continues to streamline the administrative burden for this system • Ticket funding can help to support ongoing disability services that can benefit customers, and staff in Job Centers • Job Centers are already providing many of the required services SSA expects of any EN *Produced by Mathematica, May 2010, Gina A. Livermore & Silvie Colman, link to report: www.doleta.gov/disability/pdf_docs/Final_DPN_Report_05_2010.pdf

41. Overview: Workforce Investment Act What are America’s Job Centers? • Job Centers are located across the country, and provide a variety of services to employers, and ALL job seekers, including individuals with disabilities

42. Overview: Workforce Investment Act continued Job Centers provide many customer focused services, including but not limited to: • Workshops (on a variety of topics, based on local needs) • Training funds, known as Individual Training Accounts (ITA, based on eligibility) • Resume development • Job Matching services through Job Bank • SMART Technology – Advanced electronic job matching • On the Job Training funds (also based on eligibility) • Labor Market Information • Employer connections and more • Job Center services vary from state to state, and within states

43. Advantages of Partnering with Job Centers Services a One-Stop / EN can provide: • Individual Training Accounts - limited in scope, but can offer short-term training to eligible customers, and may be appropriate in some cases. For more extensive training needs, your states Vocational Rehabilitation system may be a better fit for your Ticket holders needs. • On the Job Training funds (OJT) – Provides funding to assist in paying a customers wage, or a portion of the wage, as they learn a new skill on the job, for a defined period of time. This can be very useful to customers with disabilities that may have skills, however, that may be outdated, but could be addressed with training on the job site. • Youth services - Job Centers offer a variety of services for youth, which will vary greatly based on location. Summer Youth programs offer a full wage subsidy, helping to open doors for inexperienced customers • Training programs for older workers, like Experience Works, typically located in Job Centers, can provide subsidized wage employment for training purposes (part-time, up to 20 hours/week, at min. wage)

44. Where to Begin • Discuss your services as an EN with your local Job Center, with the Job Center Manager • Understand what their level of expertise might be in providing services to customers with disabilities • Remember that some states are now engaged with providing enhanced services to customers with disabilities through the Disability Employment Initiative (DEI) • Job Centers that are part of the DEI, may have a disability expert on staff, called a Disability Resource Coordinator • These Job Centers will also be operating as an EN, therefore, this will require a different approach when discussing partnership options

45. Alternative Partnering: Advancing the Financial Security of Ticket Holders • Why focus on financial literacy and asset development strategies? • People with disabilities are more likely to be unemployed and to live in poverty than any other single demographic group in the United States today • Public benefit programs for people with disabilities, especially Supplemental Security Income (SSI), are not aimed at increasing assets and independence for people with disabilities • More so than any other population on a fixed income, services and policies do not hold the expectation of economic self-sufficiency The goal of the Ticket to Work program is to help individuals become self-sufficient!

46. How we started our Asset Coalition • In 2008, six locations in NYS were chosen to develop Asset Coalitions, with seed funding through our states Medicaid Infrastructure Grant (MIG) • The grant was very small, approximately $10,000, with the primary goals being: • Develop a partnership (Asset Coalition) which included representation from the banking/financial, disability community, and other key recommended partners, such as United Way • Increase the number of individuals who are utilizing the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) • We achieved the goals of the initial MIG grant, and members of this coalition, and goals, continued to evolve

47. A Unique Partnership Tompkins County Asset Coalition Committee Members • United Way of Tompkins County • Challenge • Finger Lakes Independence Center • Cornell Cooperative Extension Center • Alternatives Federal Credit Union • Lifelong • Tompkins Community Action • Ithaca Housing Authority • Tompkins Workforce New York • FranziskaRacker Centers • Catholic Charities

48. Developing a New Model with Existing Resources • The Path to Prosperity is a new way of engaging community resources for the purpose of helping to lift individuals with disabilities out of poverty • The Tompkins County Asset Coalition was formed to develop new and targeted partnerships • Utilizing strong referral and tracking techniques, and educating community providers and beneficiaries of all available resources that can help to economically empower individuals with disabilities

49. Path to ProsperityTompkins County Asset/Disability Partnership This process allows for more streamlined referrals within our coalition membership

50. Overview of Asset Coalition Accomplishments • Year 1 – established local coalition, with the goal of increasing EITC claims, by people with disabilities • Marketing was key (bus promotion) • Asset Summits – Providing the vision to the community • Year 2 – Increased coalition membership, refined vision to include assistance to a sampling of customers • Developed a tracking system • Assisted a few customers in accessing needed services from coalition members with success