Ethical Issues in the Delivery of Work Incentives Counseling Services

1. Ethical Issues in the Delivery of Work Incentives Counseling Services Guidelines for CWICs

2. Asking Questions During Webinar 1. Use Text Chat B. Your question will appear in this box A. Type question here and hit enter on your keyboard

3. Asking Questions During Webinar 2. If you are unable to access the text chat, contact the Wimba Help Desk at 866-350-4978 or technicalsupport@wimba.com 3. Rules for asking questions – please use text for questions ONLY – not chatting with other participants! 4. Phone lines will be queued for questions at designated points in the presentation. Follow the operators instructions to ask a question directly to the presenters.

4. Ethics & the CWIC • Some basic principles of ethical practice: • Discretion • Judgment • Maturity • Balancing competing demands • Maintaining and upgrading skills • Continuing education • Effective use of TA • Trust your intuition!

5. 5 Categorical Principles • Treating Beneficiaries with Dignity & Respect • Maintaining Professional Competence • Commitment to Beneficiary Choice • Avoiding Conflicts of Interest • Maintaining Personal Integrity

6. Treating Beneficiaries with Dignity & Respect • Dignity & Respect include accommodating individual differences in every aspect of your work. • Beneficiaries’ unique interests, goals, values, preferences and personal situations must be recognized and respected during all aspects of service delivery. • Services cannot be offered in a “cookie cutter”/”one size fits all” manner.

7. Treating Beneficiaries with Dignity & Respect • Our clients are our customers and the reason that we have jobs. Remember the old adage: “the customer is always right”! • We are here to support our clients’ ability to make an informed choice. We must then respect that choice after we’ve empowered them to make it! • The ULTIMATE decision concerning the customer’s path must be accepted by the CWIC with grace.

8. Treating Beneficiaries with Dignity & Respect • Confidentiality is also part of respectful treatment of beneficiaries. • Information MUST be kept confidential and the beneficiary should be informed of the steps the CWIC takes to maintain confidentiality. • Release of information forms should cover short time periods and require regular renewal.

9. Treating Beneficiaries with Dignity and RespectDiscussion Problem • Kathleen, a CWIC, meets a friend for lunch during the work week. She is particularly frustrated with a consumer and “vents” to her friend. While she doesn’t use any names, she is pretty verbal about specific facts. • Has she breached her consumer’s confidentiality? • Next, assume that a woman at the next table takes notice and becomes obviously upset. • Does this change your decision?

10. Maintaining Professional Competence • Continuing education and maintaining the “core knowledge base” is critical to every CWIC’s ability to provide quality services. • A serious error in a BSA can have disastrous effects on a consumer’s ability to continue with a work effort and/or meet basic needs!

11. Maintaining Professional Competence • The information that CWICs deal with on a daily basis changes frequently. • Simple issues include annual COLAs, 1619 thresholds, etc. • More complex issues may involve major statutory and/or regulatory changes to the disability benefits system and/or other public benefits provided by the state and/or federal government.

12. Maintaining Professional Competence • How can professional competence be maintained? • Appropriate use of technical assistance • Attendance at on site trainings • Attendance at webinars • Attendance at state conferences and trainings discussing state funded benefits • Using your colleagues • USING YOUR RESOURCES – POMS, Regs, www.socialsecurity.gov

13. Maintaining Professional CompetenceDiscussion Problem • Juanita, a very experienced CWIC, is preparing a complex BSA involving a Workers’ Compensation claim that is being resolved by a local attorney. While Juanita is firm in her knowledge of SSDI, she is unsure of how the Workers’ Compensation award may impact the consumer’s SSDI award and return to work effort. • What should she do?

14. Commitment to Beneficiary Choice • The CWIC’s role is to assist beneficiaries to develop and achieve employment and greater financial independence. • Beneficiaries should be counseled to carefully consider the possibility of obtaining employment and reducing or eliminating the need for cash benefits. • Being a “Cheerleader for Employment” is very consistent with our ethical responsibilities to our beneficiaries.

15. Ensuring that Beneficiaries have All the Information Necessary to Make Informed Choices • Our ethical responsibilities require CWICs to use their “best knowledge” to inform the beneficiary of ALL potential consequences of employment and financial stability goals in order to allow for an “informed choice” by each beneficiary.

16. Ensuring that Beneficiaries have All the Information Necessary to Make Informed Choices • The goal of the CWIC is to work with each beneficiary to individually determine what that person’s goals and needs are and to support that individual to achieve the highest earnings potential possible. • Helping beneficiaries understand the implications of employment and zero cash benefits on their health care, family member benefits, etc. is the central focus of our mission

17. Serving Beneficiary Interests While Promoting Employment & Self-Sufficiency • Edwin is a man with a long work history who became disabled and is now collecting $2300 in SSDI and his dependents receive an additional $1150; totaling $3450 per month. • Edwin is ready to return to work. • He has arranged with his former employer to return to work part time to determine is capacity for full time work at a monthly salary of $2750. He’s ready to jump at the chance! • What are the ethical considerations that might arise when providing work incentive counseling services to Edwin?

18. Avoiding Conflicts of Interest • A conflict of interest (COI) occurs when an CWIC or WIPA is involved in multiple interests or responsibilities, one of which could possibly be at odds with the ethical responsibility on behalf of the other interest.

19. Avoiding Conflicts of Interest • Whenever a real, perceived, or potential conflict exists, it is critical for the CWIC to disclose all information concerning the conflict and provide the beneficiary the option to receive services from another CWIC or obtain services from another WIPA program.

20. Avoiding Conflicts of InterestDiscussion Problem • Ray receives a call from a new consumer, Julie. After a brief discussion Ray realizes that Julie is the spouse of another of Ray’s clients and that the couple receives SSI as a couple. • Is there a conflict? • What should Ray do?

21. Avoiding Conflicts of Interest Discussion Problem • Becky works as a CWIC in an agency that also houses an Employment Network. During a joint staff meeting, the EN Director “encourages” all CWICs to consider referring all consumers to the in-house EN before looking elsewhere and informs the CWIC team that the use of some work incentives could have a negative impact on EN payments. • Is there an issue?

22. Maintaining Personal Integrity • Of all the CWIC’s ethical concerns, this is paramount! • Consumer trust is based on the CWIC being honest and dependable, focusing exclusively on the beneficiary’s best interest. • The CWIC must meet programmatic and consumer goals while, at all times, acting within the bounds of legal and ethical codes.

23. Maintaining Personal Integrity • NO ONE can force a CWIC to act inappropriately or illegally!! • In fact, the CWIC should refrain from taking any steps that “upset” his/her internal moral compass without discussing the scenario with a supervisor or colleague. • If your internal compass says it’s wrong, it most likely is!!

24. Maintaining Personal IntegrityDiscussion Problem • Molly sits down with a consumer to discuss a BSA that she has developed. During the discussion the consumer informs Molly that he has been working “under the table” earning $1500 monthly. • What is Molly’s next step?

25. CONCLUSION • Ethical considerations abound in our work. • Not only is the reputation of the CWIC at stake, but also the trust and confidence of many beneficiaries. • Your actions affect yourself, your beneficiaries, and many other people!