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Self Employment Pilot Project

Self Employment Pilot Project. Project Design. Three training sessions How to utilize Social Security Administration Work Incentive programs with Self Employment How to Develop Business Plans and Market Develop PASS (Plan for Achieving Self Support) plans for chosen participants.

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Self Employment Pilot Project

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  1. Self Employment Pilot Project

  2. Project Design • Three training sessions • How to utilize Social Security Administration Work Incentive programs with Self Employment • How to Develop Business Plans and Market • Develop PASS (Plan for Achieving Self Support) plans for chosen participants

  3. Project Design • Individualized technical assistance to clients to develop business plan and find funding strategies • Identify and establish Business Development Teams

  4. Outcomes

  5. Pilot Project Participants • Three state projects hosted 4 training sessions with Griffin-Hammes Associates • Indiana • New York • Tennessee *Missouri attended TN sessions

  6. AgrAbility Client Participation • Approximately 25 clients considered self employment plans • Many more discussed options but didn’t pursue any further • 6 wrote business plans • 3 business plans were directly in production agriculture

  7. Professionals attending training • Vocational rehabilitation counselors and supervisors • Extension specialists • Benefits Planning Assistance and Outreach (BPAO) specialists • High school transition specialists • Nonprofit rehabilitation agencies • Small Business Development Center staff • Credit unions • People with disabilities

  8. What Did Staff Report Learning • Interactions between SSA work incentives, VR and self employment incredibly complex • Clients motivations and fears significant factors • Need to be well organized • Better understanding of SSA/Medicare • How to get started and what’s out there • AgrAbility would be a good place to apply the work incentives for our clients

  9. Obstacles • Disincentive in losing guaranteed SSA income, when farming success uncertain • Pilot training not geared specifically to agriculture and individual state regulations • Skills of client in understanding and trusting work incentive programs • Getting clients to work with all the different assistance programs

  10. VR not used to dealing with farm plans • Variability in how VR treats farm plans • Interpretation of VR rules varied by states • VR not cooperating with small business planning • Acceptance of self employment with VR • VR making client chose either /or in program plan rather than a ‘fused’ or creative plan (school and farm)

  11. Couldn’t get some important partners involved in training; SBDC, BPAO • Different agendas of different agencies • Honesty of clients

  12. Successes • Working with new partners; like Center for Profitable Agriculture, New Ventures, Small Business Development Centers, BPAO • Business Development Team because brought partners together who are in the know on SE, SSA, VR, Extension etc

  13. Elements Needed to Move Forward • Staff person genuinely interested in learning and offering this to clients as an option • Business Development Team • Ability and time to advocate within various agency systems; i.e., SSA, VR

  14. What would you need to continue with this • Changes in VR rules or practices to make more consistent and client friendly • Time to learn, coordinate and advocate for clients on SSA and VR as relates to SE • Need more experience doing this • Need guidelines or booklet with step by step procedure describing SE rules with SSA etc

  15. Real examples on how this works in agriculture • More training on how a client can market their products • Practice writing a PASS plan • AgrAbility Resource person

  16. Why would we pursue these options • About 42% of AgrAbility clients receive SSA benefits and 62% receive services through VR • 10% more AgrAbility clients may be eligible for SSA benefits • 83% of farmers and ranchers are self employed

  17. SSA Work Incentive programs may be able to….. • help build capital for business expenses (vans, lifts, computer etc.) • retain medical insurance until able to buy independently • increase personal income and quality of life

  18. SSA Work Incentive programs are designed to help people transition back to employment

  19. Should we pursue this?

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