Recovery, Work, and Benefits

1. Recovery, Work, and Benefits Keirstyn Silver, CPRP, CPWICProgram Director T-Kea BlackmanPeer Career Advancement Specialist The Maryland Employment Network

2. My Story • Diagnosis: Major Depressive and Generalized Anxiety Disorders • Forced Into Hospital By Police For Suicide Attempt • Master’s degree from Georgetown University and Bachelors degree from Howard University • Seven years of experience as communications/media professional

3. How My Mental Illness Impacted Work?

4. Why Did I Return to Work?

5. Why I Decided To Become A Peer Specialist? Desire to be the support I needed because clinical support was not enough Dispel myths about mental health Provide education to the community Impact others in recovery Show that recovery and employment is possible

6. My Role As A Peer Career Advancement Specialist - Provide expertise and support to The Maryland Employment Network and its partners based on my lived experience - Use my lived experience with mental illness, recovery and employment to encourage clients of MD-EN and their partners to work towardself-sufficiency - As peers, we know that talking to someone who has had similar life experiences can be beneficial to one’s achievement of goals and overall recovery- Hope to demonstrate the importance of peer support specifically in employment services

7. How Has Employment Helped My Recovery?

8. 4 Major Dimensions That Support a Life in Recovery • Health • Home • Purpose • Community

10. What Dimensions of Recovery Did You Hear in T-Kea’s Story?

11. How does work fit into YOUR personal journey through recovery?

12. Did You Know?

13. Barriers to Employment • Psychiatric Symptoms • Difficulty with ADL’s • Social Skills • Active Substance Use • Stigma • Justice Involvement • Intermittent or Inconsistent Work History • Limitations imposed by treatment professionals • Somatic Health Concerns • Lack of Resources • Logistical Barriers • Lack of Support • Cultural Ambivalence • Myths Surrounding Work and Public Benefits

14. So let’s talk about money!

15. Social Security and Work: True or False? • Social Security beneficiaries can’t work at all – true or false? • Social Security beneficiaries can only work 20 hours a week– true or false? • Beneficiaries do not have to report earnings to Social Security when working – true or false? • Social Security benefits are effected differently depending on the type of benefit and the individual recipient’s job and earnings – true or false?

16. Social Security Benefits

17. Employment and Earnings Impact- The Basics • Supplemental Security Income (SSI): The more money earned, the smaller the SSI payment becomes • Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI / other Title II Benefits): All or nothing, based on the length of time in which someone has been working

18. Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI)

19. Continuation of Medicare Benefits • If someone is eligible for SSDI, they are typically eligible for Medicare as well. • If a person loses a Title II benefit (includes SSDI) due to work, he/she retains Medicare for at least 93 months (seven years and nine months) after the end of the Trial Work Period

20. Supplemental Security Income (SSI) • The most SSI any one person can be receiving in 2019 is $771 per month. • SSI is like a seesaw: The more money someone earns, the less their SSI check will be. • The adjustment is not a dollar for dollar decrease. • Individuals with SSI benefits are ALWAYS better off financially working.

21. Continued Medicaid Coverage • If a beneficiary receives SSI, they are likely eligible for Medicaid as well. • If the SSI cash benefit stops due to earned income, Medicaid can continue under the provision “1619(b).” • There is no time limit on how long Medicaid can be kept using 1619(b), as long as someone continue to meet the eligibility criteria. • To remain eligible, one must: • Have income less than $40,365 • Meet the medical criteria for disability • Need Medicaid in order to work

22. Expediated Reinstatement • If benefits ended due to work earnings, the beneficiary can request reinstatement without having to do a new application. • While eligibility is determined, an individual can receive provisional benefits for up to six months. Provisional benefits include Medicare/Medicaid coverage. • These provisional cash payments do not typically have to be re-paid if the request for reinstatement is denied.

23. Employed Individuals with Disabilities Program • The Employed Individuals with Disabilities (EID) program allows eligible Marylanders with disabilities to pay a small fee and receive health care coverage • EID provides full fee-for-service Medicaid coverage for those with other health insurance or Medicare. Monthly premiums range from $0-$55

24. Reporting • ANY work activity should be reported to SSA, whether someone receives SSI, SSDI, or both. • Not reporting in an accurate and timely fashion could result in miscalculation of benefits amount, miscalculation of work incentives, inaccurate records, overpayments, etc. • Reporting can be done various ways, including in-person, online, by phone, or via a smartphone application.

25. Ticket to Work • The Social Security Administration (SSA) started the Ticket to Work program to help people who get Social Security disability benefits get the services they need to find a job and to stay employed. Most beneficiaries between the ages of 18-64 are eligible for the Ticket to Work program. • SSA has set up agreements with hundreds of community programs around the country so that people can find these services in their communities. Most often, the services are career guidance, job placement, job coaching and/or benefits counseling • Social Security calls these agencies “employment networks,” or ENs. • The goal of the Ticket to Work program is to help people get to work and increase their financial independence. • Ticket to Work is voluntary; there are no repercussions for not participating.

26. How Does the Ticket Help a Beneficiary? • When a Ticket is assigned to an employment network, SSA will not conduct a Continuing Disability Review as long as Timely Progress is being met (Timely Progress is simply showing a steady increase in earnings that meets SSA expectations). • The beneficiary gets no-cost employment support services. • Some agencies provide ongoing personalized benefits counseling about Social Security’s safety nets for cash benefits and medical coverage.

27. Making Employment Work • There are many, many other work incentives and safety nets available to individuals who receive benefits and wish to obtain employment. • To learn more, consider taking the Maryland Benefits Counseling Network’s Making Employment Work Training. • Making Employment Work is a full day workshop that examines the impact of work on benefits, work incentives, and safety nets in depth. • CEU’s are available for attending the Making Employment Work training.

28. Let’s Review! • Social Security beneficiaries can’t work at all – true or false? • Social Security beneficiaries can only work 20 hours a week– true or false? • Beneficiaries do not have to report earnings to Social Security when working – true or false? • Social Security benefits are effected differently depending on the type of benefit and the individual recipient’s job and earnings – true or false?

29. How Can We Support the Individuals We Serve With Employment? • Help them get connected to the supports they may need: • Supported Employment Programs can help people with mental illness find and keep meaningful jobs, supporting their mental health recovery. • Certified Benefits Counselors (CWICs or CPWICs) can provide individualized, ongoing services designed to help someone navigate the SSA system while employed.

30. Resources:

31. Resources Continued:

33. Contact Us! • Maryland Employment Network • Phone: 1-855-384-2844 • Website: http://ticket2workmd.org/ Don’t forget to Like us on Facebook for more information!!! www.facebook.com/MDEmploymentNetwork