The Ticket to Work Program Support for Americans with Disabilities Who Want to Work

1. The Ticket to Work Program Support for Americans with Disabilities Who Want to Work

2. Welcome! Today’s Presenters: • Tom Gloss, Ticket Program Specialist, TASC, Tom.Gloss@ssa.gov • Joel Middleton, Account Manager (NJ), TASC, jmiddleton@cessi.net • Emily Malsch, Workforce Specialist, TASC, emalsch@cessi.net • Donna DeJulius, Senior Account Manager, TASC DonnamDeJulius@maximus.com • Barbara Butz, Consultant & Workforce Specialist, barbara@askcapstone.com

3. Webinar Agenda • Ticket Trends • Ticket 101- The Basics • EN Technical Assistance and Support Center (TASC) • The Year of the Workforce

4. Ticket Trends

5. Tickets Assigned (National) On average, 1300 tickets were assigned per month from February 2010 to January 2011.

6. Ticket Payments (National) • The average monthly payment from February 2010 to January 2011 was $1,981,914.40

7. Ten + Tickets Assigned (National)

8. New Jersey Ticket Holders New Jersey has 274,328 Ticket Holders Estimate 10% of WIB customers are Ticket Holders!

9. Ticket 101: The Basics

10. Ticket to Work • What? Employment program administered by SSA • Who? Adults (ages 18 through 64) receiving Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) cash benefits based on disability • Referred to as “Ticket Holders”

11. Ticket to Work • Purpose? Expands choices for obtaining services and supports to enter and maintain employment • How? SSA compensates approved service providers as Ticket Holders achieve employment-related milestones and outcomes • Referred to as “Employment Networks” or “ENs”

12. An Outcome-Based Program • Payments based on milestones and outcomes > Associated with work and earnings > Achieved by a Ticket Holder after assigning his/her Ticket to the EN and after job placement • Not reimbursement for the cost of services provided

13. Goals of the TicketProgram Primary Goals • Expand choices available to beneficiaries with disabilities • Reduce/eliminate reliance on Social Security disability benefits Secondary Goals • Increase independence of beneficiaries • Improve quality of life for beneficiaries

14. What Do Beneficiaries Need to Know? • Ticket program is voluntary • No penalty for not participating • Ticket program is free • EN cannot charge for services provided under the Ticket program • Medicare and/or Medicaid can continue • Ticket Holders can choose • Whether/When to use their Tickets • Where to seek assistance • State VR agency • Approved EN

15. How Do Beneficiaries Participate? A paper Ticket is mailed when SSDI or SSI benefits are approved

16. How Do Beneficiaries Participate?(continued) • Many beneficiaries received their Tickets some time ago -- Paper Ticket not needed to participate Contact MAXIMUS to determine > Who is Ticket-eligible > Who has a Ticket available for assignment • Requires beneficiary’s name & SSN • Beneficiaries call Ticket to Work Helpline: 866-968-7842(v); 866-833-2967(tty) • ENs call: (866) 949-3687 (v)

17. Benefits to Beneficiaries • If disability benefits cease due to work and beneficiary stops working within 5 years of entering zero cash benefit status, there is an expedited reinstatement of benefits • If a beneficiary is using his/her Ticket and making timely progress towards his/her employment goals, regularly scheduled medical Continuing Disability Reviews (CDRs) will be postponed

18. What Is a Medical CDR? Medical CDRs are periodic reviews SSA conducts to determine continued eligibility for disability benefits based on a beneficiary’s medical or disabling condition Conducted every year or every several years, depending on the expectation of medical recovery A CDR may result in the loss of benefits if substantial evidence shows medical recovery

19. What Are Employment Networks? • Providers who are approved by SSA to assist beneficiaries to enter and maintain employment • Private (for profit/non-profit) organizations and service providers • Government agencies (state and local, not Federal) • One Stop Career Centers • An EN can be a single entity, two entities forming a partnership, or a coalition of organizations functioning as a single EN

20. How Do Ticket Holders Find ENs? A Ticket Holder can • Learn about ENs in the area by viewing the online directory at: www.yourtickettowork.com or calling (866) 968-7842 (v); (866) 833-2967 (tty) • Discuss his/her employment goal and the services and supports needed to achieve that goal with several ENs before assigning the Ticket Remember • Many beneficiaries are not aware that they have Tickets • Your organization may already be working with Ticket Holders

21. EN Services • Services EN plans to provide are listed in application to SSA • Services available through approved ENs are listed in EN Directory on MAXIMUS website: www.yourtickettowork.com • Services to Ticket Holder should be individualized based on employment goal and service needs

22. EN Chooses Which Ticket Assignments to Accept An EN can refuse a Ticket assignment or have a Ticket un-assigned • Goal is to find a good match between what the Ticket Holder needs and what the EN offers • After Ticket is assigned, the EN or the Ticket Holder can terminate the relationship by asking MAXIMUS (in writing) to un-assign the Ticket

23. ENs: Connecting with Beneficiaries • Look at those you are already serving • Develop relationships with SSA staff and SSA sponsored programs and services • Area Work Incentive Coordinators (AWIC) • Work Incentive Planning and Assistance (WIPA) projects • Protection and Advocacy for Beneficiaries of Social Security • Attend a Work Incentives Seminar Event (WISE): http://www.chooseworkttw.net/

24. How Do ENs Work with Ticket Holders? • EN and Ticket Holder negotiate Individual Work Plan (IWP) > IWP template available at www.yourtickettowork.com > Signed IWP submitted to MAXIMUS for approval > Approval of IWP triggers Ticket assignment to EN • EN provides the services/supports outlined in IWP • Ticket Holder goes to work and EN submits Payment Request form and documentation of earnings to MAXIMUS

25. Why Become an EN?

26. Why Become an EN? Opportunities for Success • New sources of funding in era of shrinking budgets • New options for funding long-term employment supports • Unrestricted funds • SSA places no requirements or restrictions on use of Ticket payments • SSA does not view Ticket payments to ENs using other sources of funding to serve beneficiaries as “double dipping”

27. Medicaid Policy Clarification • CMS Medicaid Director’s Letter • Issued Jan 28, 2010 • Ticket Payments do not conflict with Medicaid • Encourages State agencies/services providers to be ENs

28. Other Sources of Funding How do other funding sources view Ticket payments? State VR agencies, IL Centers, PWIs, and other programs funded under the Rehab Act: Ticket payments constitute “program income” and must be used to further the purposes of the program Workforce Investment Boards and One-Stop Centers: DOL guidance (12/12/07) encourages both to become ENs and clarifies that Ticket payments are not program income (thus, unrestricted funding)

29. ENs Have Choices! When signing the contract with SSA, an EN chooses between payment systems Outcome Payment System: EN receives payments when Ticket Holder has substantial-level earnings (referred to as Substantial Gainful Activity) and no longer receives cash disability benefits Milestone/Outcome Payment System: EN receives payments when beneficiary attains prescribed levels of work and earnings Milestones based on lower-level earnings consistent with part-time work and Ticket Holder can still receive cash disability benefits

30. Outcome/Milestone Payment System(2011 Rates)

31. Phase 2 Milestone Payments(2011 Rates)

32. Outcome Payments Under Outcome-Milestone Payment System (2011)

33. Outcome Payments Under the Outcome Payment Method 2011 Rates

34. State Vocational Rehabilitation Agencies State VR agencies (SVRA) have two options for seeking compensation for successfully serving beneficiaries with disabilities • Cost Reimbursement (authorized in 1981) > Only available to SVRAs • Ticket to Work program (authorized in 1999) >Available to State VR agencies and approved ENs • Ticket legislation permits VR to choose on a case-by-case basis between seeking compensation under CR or Ticket program

35. What Is Partnership Plus? State Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) agencies and ENs can partner to meet needs of Ticket Holders • Old Ticket Regulations – SSA paid for beneficiary success under either the VR Cost Reimbursement (CR) program or under the Ticket program, NOT BOTH • New Ticket Regulations – Permit payments to VR under the CR program and to an EN under the Ticket program on behalf of the same beneficiary for the same Ticket in certain circumstances

36. Partnership Plus(continued) Circumstances required for a Partnership Plus case • State VR agency chooses to serve beneficiary under CR program • Beneficiary decides to assign Ticket to an EN after VR case closure • Compensation is for provision of sequential, not concurrent, services Bottom Line: When VR serves a Ticket Holder under the CR program, the Ticket still has value when taken to an EN after VR closes the case

37. Benefits of Partnership Plus • Opportunity to address need for post-employment supports to help beneficiaries maintain and advance in employment, including Ongoing support services Job coaching Benefits planning Skill building Job retention services Transportation Additional Education/Training Mentoring Other services/supports to maintain/advance in employment

38. Benefits of Partnership Plus (continued) • Everybody Wins: Increases likelihood • Ticket Holder will continue working • VR will receive CR payment from SSA • EN will receive Ticket payments • Allows a service provider to function as a VR vendor while the VR case is open and as an EN after VR closes the case

39. How Does Partnership Plus Impact Payments to ENs? • When a Ticket Holder’s VR case is closed successfully (beneficiary is employed), Phase 1 Milestones are not available to the EN • Ticket Holder already working at Ticket assignment • Number of hours working/earnings does not matter • All Phase 2 milestone and outcome payments still potentially payable to EN based on beneficiary’s continued work and earning! > Up to $16,000 to $17,000 of value left in the Ticket after VR case closure depending on type of disability benefits received (SSI/SSDI)

41. Partnership Plus Toolkit Check out the online Partnership Plus Toolkit at: http://PartnershipPlus.cessi.net

42. Becoming an Employment Network

43. Where Can I Get the EN RFP? Download the EN Request for Proposal (RFP): http://www.ssa.gov/work/enrfp.html

44. What Do You Need to Complete the EN RFP? • Employer Identification Number (EIN), also known as the Taxpayer ID # (TIN) > Obtain by contacting the Internal Revenue Service at 1- 800-829-4933, or via the web at www.irs.gov 2. General Business or Professional Liability Insurance > Minimum coverage of $500,000 per occurrence must be in effect • Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) Number > Contact Dun & Bradstreet at 1-866-705-5711 or apply online at www.dnb.com 4. Central Contractor Registration (CCR): DUNS number must be registered through the CCR process

45. Completing the EN RFP (Continued) 5. Proof of EN Qualifications • Be prepared to provide evidence of your qualifications to become an EN, for example: • Vendor agreement or contract with the state VR agency • A state license or certification to provide employment support services to people with disabilities • Accreditation from a national rehabilitation and employment services accrediting body (i.e. CARF)

46. Completing the EN RFP (continued) 6. Financial Institution Information- EN payments are directly deposited into your bank account 7. Security Clearance & Suitability Determination: - All employees working with beneficiaries and the signer of the EN proposal (signatory authority) need to complete/sign Form 306 - Declaration of Federal Employment http://www.opm.gov/forms/pdf_fill/of0306.pdf

47. Tips on Completing the EN RFP • Download & complete the RFP on your computer • Do not mail your RFP! Send via: • Email: ENcontracts@ssa.gov; or • Fax: 1-410-597-0429 • The cover letter of the RFP provides information on how to contact SSA

48. General Guidance- contact CESSI, MAXIMUS’ (Ticket Operations Support Manager) Partner: Phone: (703) 448-6155 to speak with a Ticket to Work Account Manager Email: application@cessi.net Additional help is available through SSA’s EN Contracts Team (ENCT) Email: ENContracts@ssa.gov Phone: (866) 584-5180 Need Help Completing the EN RFP?

49. Learn More! • Ticket Quick Start Resources • http://www.yourtickettowork.com/training_2 • Ticket Training Tuesdays • Interactive training modules • Every Tuesday at 1:00 pm EST; toll-free conference call • Archived Ticket webinars • http://www.ilr.cornell.edu/edi/m-cessi-webinars.cfm • Sample webinars include: • Ticket to Work and Partnership Plus: Assisting Beneficiaries with Disabilities to Achieve Long-Term Employment • How to Obtain Foundation and Corporate Grants for Your EN • One Stops in Action: Live Demonstration of Effective Practices

50. And More! For more information on the Ticket to Work program, check out these websites: • SSA’s Work Site: www.socialsecurity.gov/work • MAXIMUS’ Ticket to Work website: www.yourtickettowork.com Or call the EN Technical Assistance and Support Center at: 1-866-949-3687