Benefits and Work Incentives Planning: System Development

1. Benefits and Work Incentives Planning: System Development NCHSD Fall Conference November 8, 2006 Damon Terzaghi: Oregon Competitive Employment Project Molly Sullivan: Oregon Advocacy Center Office of Vocational Rehabilitation Services

2. Mission Statement The mission of the Oregon Competitive Employment Project, Oregon’s Medicaid Infrastructure Grant, is to enhance the quality of life in Oregon by achieving, maintaining and advancing the competitive and inclusive employment of persons with disabilities. The project is funded through a Medicaid Infrastructure Grant from the U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CFDA #11-P-92415/-01).

3. Current State of Benefits and Work Incentives Planning in Oregon • The state BPAO/WIPA program has 3 benefits planners, all housed within Oregon’s largest city • Few private planners and direct service providers provide limited services • Two centers for independent living are providing planning and referrals • One county mental health agency provides services • One Goodwill office has a certified planner • Two initiatives that supported BP recently ended due to funding

4. Challenges • Developing a system: • Obtaining adequate and sustainable funding • Fragmented systems • Services limited to specific populations • Need for connection and collaboration with provider agencies • Need for consistent availability throughout the state • Need for increased numbers of trained and qualified BP staff • Maintaining established systems: • Utilization of highly trained BP staff for administrative duties • Providing on an ongoing basis: • Outreach • Intake and referral • Training & TA

5. Benefits Planning Design Process

6. Elements Used to Assess Oregon’s BP System • Population being provided with benefits planning • How consumers are informed of information about benefits • Parties responsible for providing basic information, screening and referral • How provision of basic information and referrals are being coordinated • How benefits planning professionals and others responsible for providing benefits planning services are trained • How training and technical assistance activities are subsidized • Existing indicators and methods to ensure planners are qualified • Available benefits planning tools

7. Assessing Oregon’s BP System: Provider Survey • Survey developed in conjunction with BPAO/WIPA • Survey administered via e-mails and phone calls to 120 Oregon provider agencies serving people with DD, SPMI, and physical disabilities • 45% return rate • Providers indicated a strong desire to be active participants in BP system, but needed proper training to provide accurate information • 4 of the responding agencies reported providing some level of BP services, but only 1 had received SSA certification • Survey results will guide involvement of community providers in proposed system

8. System Design Process • BPAO and Project jointly created 5 different models for delivering service • BPAO assessed pros and cons of each model based on experience delivering services • Project assessed pros and cons of each model based on national best practices & qualitative research • Project and BPAO jointly recommended desired model for Oregon to the workgroup

9. System Design Process • Presented desired model to Project leadership council & DHS leadership • Acquired funding for initial system development • Plan to sustain WIPA collaboration through system design that includes: • Sharing in-state trainings with WIPA • Sharing referrals for BP • Collaborating on data collection and outcome monitoring

10. Collaboration with WIPA • WIPA changes are still pending • Detailed collaboration will be based on WIPA requirements • Project and WIPA working together to design data collection, benefits analysis format, and reporting system as required by WIPA regulations • Project and WIPA will collaborate with CESSI on outreach

11. System Implementation • Project, State Independent Living Council, OVRS have earmarked funding that will more than double Oregon’s current BP capacity • Project, WIPA, SILC and OVRS will jointly monitor outcomes, data collection and needed system refinements • Information and data will be reported to CMS, Project Leadership Council, and SSA • Information will be available to interested parties • Project, WIPA and partners will collaborate on strategy to expand and sustain BP services in OR

12. Primary Components of the System • An Interactive Web-based Information, Referral and Planning tool • A Training and Technical Assistance (T/A) Center • Regional Benefits Planning Programs • The WIPA Program • Private Benefits Planners • Service Providers and Community Programs • An Integrated Outcomes Research Program

13. Proposed Service Areas