Work Incentives for Youth - Resources

Transcription

1 Welcome to this Works for Me webcast, which is part of a series, entitled Promoting a Basic Understanding of Work Incentives for Professionals Who Support Youth and Young Adults in Transition. This is an important module on what kinds of resources are available to support and provide guidance to youth/young adults as they explore employment. There is also a Resource Handout that can be found and printed from the Handouts link, located where you launched this webcast. Thank you for joining us. My name is Sharon Lipscomb and I will be your presenter. The information provided in this webcast will help support professionals who assist youth and young adults in making knowledgeable decisions about working while receiving benefits. This webcast will also aid in understanding the value of work incentives in helping these young workers be successful, and to eventually move into greater self sufficiency. This training is part of the Works for me Program outreach to help individuals with disabilities to gain competitive employment in integrated settings. The purpose of this training is to help support professionals to share information with the individuals they serve regarding the benefits of working and how working will impact their benefits. Another goal is to provide information that will assist young people to have the knowledge and tools they need to succeed in life without Social Security benefits. This training will also provide support professionals with the resources to respond to questions and share information about work incentives and social security benefits, while assisting individuals and their families in becoming more knowledgeable and hopefully less fearful about working and receiving benefits. 1

2 Please adjust your computer volume so that it is at a comfortable listening level for you. While viewing this webcast, there are pause and rewind buttons that can be used throughout the presentation. These webcasts are narrated slide presentations that are designed to allow learners/participants to review information at their own pace. If technical difficulties occur, please exit the program completely and come back in to reset the webcast to the beginning. There are handouts available with these webcasts to provide additional information about some of the key concepts. To access these handouts, please go to the handouts link where you launched this webcast. 2

3 As of July 1, 2012 the Work Incentives Planning and Assistance Program (WIPA) was not reauthorized and officially ended on June 30, The Work Incentives Planning and Assistance (WIPA) Program was designed to help Social Security Beneficiaries to understand work rules and regulations and to access work incentives available under the Supplemental Security Insurance (SSI) and Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) programs. Now known as Employment & Benefits Planning, this program is designed to help individuals understand work rules and regulations and to access work incentives available under the SSI and SSDI programs. A Work Incentive Coordinator can meet with you individually to discuss how returning to work will impact your benefits as well as recommend work incentives that can maximize your income and healthcare options as you return to work and achieve greater financial self sufficiency. The staff can also help you to identify and access appropriate Employment Networks and other employment support services that can help you return to work. The former WIPA agencies AHEDD, Disability Rights Network of PA (DRN) and Goodwill Keystone Area will continue to provide these services throughout the Commonwealth. You will hear references to the WIPA Program throughout this training. Please note that this is now the Employment & Benefits Planning Program.

4 What resources are available to young adults who are exploring employment? Please refer to the handout called PA Work Incentives Resources for more information. This handout can be found under the Handouts link where you launched this webcast. 4

5 Now we are going to talk about the types of resources that are out there to help young adults understand and maintain their benefits if needed and help them find and get a job. Work incentives may seem complicated but there are resources to help young adults understand and maintain benefits as long as they are eligible. Next, we ll go over each of these resources in more detail. A resource which is not listed here, but may be helpful, is the PA Secondary Transition Directory. This directory is developed and maintained by the PA Department of Education and includes information regarding supports to students and family members throughout Pennsylvania. Included in this directory are lists of PaTTAN Transition Consultants, IU Transition Consultants, PA State Leadership Team Members and Transition Coordinators from school districts, charter schools and approved private schools. A link to this directory can be found under the Handouts link where you launched this webcast. 5

6 Works for Me is a free resource that will guide young people to agencies and programs that will help them get a job. These resources will help youth in transition: Find a job Obtain job training Keep health insurance Get assistive technology Find other support they may need and Discover how they may even be able to increase their income! Works for Me is designed for Pennsylvania residents who: Have a disability Receive Social Security and/or Medicaid benefits and Want to join the workforce Works for Me is designed for persons with disabilities in Pennsylvania looking for employment. It also is a resource for families, advocates, providers and educators who support them, as well as employers interested in hiring persons with disabilities. 6

7 To learn more about Works For Me, check out the website at pa.org. The website has a lot of very helpful information and links to resources. Under the Resources tab, using the Contact Search on the website will help anyone to find resources, web links and publications in specific topic areas. Typing in a PA zip code will bring up all relevant resources, and those can be printed for the user s convenience. On the website s home page, there are many tabs or sections for specific groups depending on their perspective. One tab is devoted solely to Youth in Transition, and contains a wealth of information relevant to that age group. There is a transition specific newsletter that can be viewed and received on a monthly basis, and focuses on issues related to young adults and the professionals who support them. Another tab is entitled Educator and Advocacy and contains FAQ s, links to information and articles of particular interest to professionals in the education and advocacy fields. It is a valuable resource to get connected to resources and other professionals focusing on transition issues. 7

8 Now we are going to talk about one of the very important resources to help young adults use work incentives and understand how work will affect benefits, the Work Incentives Planning and Assistance Program, or WIPA. To find local WIPA Programs in PA, call

9 So, what are WIPAs? As part of the Ticket to Work and Work Incentives Improvement Act of 1999, the Social Security Administration (SSA) awarded cooperative agreements to community based organizations to provide all SSA disability beneficiaries (including transition to work aged youth) with access to benefits planning and assistance services. These are called WIPAs. The goal of the WIPA Program is to better enable SSA's beneficiaries with disabilities to make informed choices about work. Each WIPA Project has Benefits Specialists who will: 1) Provide work incentives planning and assistance; 2) Conduct outreach efforts to beneficiaries (and their families), who are potentially eligible to participate in Federal or State work incentives programs; and 3) Work in cooperation with Federal, State, and private agencies and nonprofit organizations that serve beneficiaries with disabilities. The WIPA is not an emergency room. It is best to use the WIPA as resource when the young adult is just beginning to job hunt or has been offered a job, not when a benefits crisis arises. 9

10 To get connected with a WIPA in PA, the first step is to locate the WIPA in the local region and call or them. PA has three different WIPA regions, so depending on where someone lives, that is the best toll free number to call. To find the most local WIPA Program, call Another way to contact your local WIPA project is to go to the Works for Me website at: pa.org go to the Resources tab, and type in your zip code. Local WIPA contact information will appear, and also be printable for your convenience. There are also publications and web links listed on the same Resource webpage for your easy reference; simply go to the ones entitled WIPA Info or WIPA Directory for more information. As a follow up to the first phone contact, the CWIC will mail the referral and consent forms for the beneficiary to complete. Depending on the region, it may take several or more weeks to schedule a planning session; it is important for the beneficiary to return the referral form as soon as possible. Prior to the meeting, the CWIC will send the beneficiary two consent forms (one for SSA and the other for IRS information). It is really important that the referral form and the consent forms be completed, as the CWIC cannot schedule the meeting without the referral form. The consent forms allow the CWIC to get all of the information about the person s benefits and work history so they can effectively help in planning. The CWIC travels to the beneficiary s community for the planning session. Since the CWIC may travel a long distance, it is important for the beneficiary and support people to confirm and show up for the meeting. On the beneficiary s behalf, the CWIC will request a copy of the beneficiary s Benefits Plan Query (BPQY) from SSA which includes information on benefits, work history and work incentives. The beneficiary or his/her rep payee may request the BPQY from his/her local SSA office; however, it usually is more efficient for the CWIC to request this document. Depending on the beneficiary s needs, the planning session usually lasts between 1 2 hours. Following the planning session, the CWIC will provide a report, including recommendations, to the beneficiary and his/her designee(s). The CWIC doesn t meet just one time with the beneficiary; but can meet when necessary, especially if the individual s situation changes. 10

11 The Ticket to Work program is a free, voluntary program available to most people who receive Social Security benefits. Through this program, a person can receive free training, job referrals and other services needed in order to work. The person simply assigns his/her Ticket to an approved provider of job services. The provider can be either the state vocational rehabilitation agency or an employment network. Not all employment networks serve all consumers, so the beneficiary will need to contact the agencies directly to find out which ones can best assist. The beneficiary and the assigned provider then work together to make a work plan which states exactly what services the provider will furnish. If a state vocational rehabilitation agency is involved, and the Ticket is not assigned to them, once they close someone s case, the beneficiary may then re assign the Ticket to an employment network if the person is still eligible to participate in the Ticket program. As of July 1, 2011, paper copies of the Ticket are no longer being sent out to beneficiaries as they had been in the past. The sample Ticket shown on this slide shows what the Tickets used to look like when they were mailed out. It s important to remember, however, that most beneficiaries still have a Ticket and are able to access the Ticket to Work program. In order to know the status of a person s assigned ticket, it is best for that individual to contact a WIPA or the Ticket to Work program either using the phone number provided. Beneficiaries can call the Ticket to Work Help Line at (voice) or (TDD) to speak with a benefits counselor and request a list of Employment Networks and which ones serve the local/regional areas. A beneficiary can also contact BASS the Beneficiary Access and Support Services (BASS); the BASS is responsible for everything related to beneficiaries. BASS has assumed responsibility for the beneficiary call center, with the same toll free number ( ). BASS is also responsible for all beneficiary outreach, including a beneficiary focused web site, supporting Work Incentives Seminar Events (WISE), and helping beneficiaries find ENs, with a special focus on beneficiaries whose Tickets have been unassigned or whose VR cases were closed successfully. 11

12 What is an Employment Network? An Employment Network, or EN, is an agency that has been approved by SSA to accept Tickets and provide employment services (vocational rehabilitation, job training, etc.) at no cost to you. An EN is a place where people who have assigned Tickets can get free employment services. An EN can be the public vocational rehabilitation agency, or it can be any other public or private person, agency, or business approved by SSA. How does someone receive services from an EN? An interested beneficiary should call several ENs to find one that offers the services that are desired. It is important for the person to explore the options and ask lots of questions to find the EN that is the best match. After meeting with a few ENs and deciding which one is right for him/her, the beneficiary and chosen EN will write a plan detailing the services that have been agreed upon. By signing that plan, the beneficiary then assigns the Ticket to the EN, and the EN begins providing services to the beneficiary who is then considered the customer. For additional tips on selecting an Employment Network, refer to the Things to Consider When Choosing an Employment Network document in the Handouts section of where you accessed this webcast. Visit to access a list of Employment Networks in the local region. Also visit pa.org to use the search function under Resources tab to find an EN in a young adult s respective county. 12

13 What kind of employment services will an EN offer? ENs can offer almost any type of service meant to help someone get a job. Some ENs may help people write resumes and practice interviews; some may train people how to do a specific job; some may provide job coaches; others may provide the physical therapy and rehabilitation needed for someone to work. Will all of the ENs be similar? Not necessarily. ENs may differ in who they serve and how they serve. Some ENs may only work with people who have a specific disability; some may only work with people who want to learn one particular skill; some may only work with people who live in a particular area. If someone chooses to participate in the Ticket to Work program, he/she should carefully decide which EN to work with. Can someone receive services from more than one EN? The Ticket can only be assigned to one EN at a time. If someone decides that another EN can better meet his/her needs, the person can simply re assign the Ticket. Does an EN have to accept a person s Ticket? No. Just as the person has the freedom to choose which EN to offer the Ticket to, an EN can choose which Tickets to accept. 13

14 The Office of Vocational Rehabilitation, or OVR, provides services to help persons with disabilities prepare for, obtain, or maintain employment. During face to face meetings, the OVR counselor assists customers in selecting their choice of vocational goals, services and service providers. An Individualized Plan for Employment (IPE) is developed by an individual and the OVR counselor, outlining a vocational objective, services, providers and responsibilities. Also, by law OVR customers receiving Social Security benefits for their disability (SSI, SSDI) are exempt from OVR s Financial Needs Test. OVR will do an eligibility determination. When an individual or youth uses the Ticket for VR services, that ticket is considered in use with VR when the individual and the counselor sign the employment plan. When the young adult begins to work using that Ticket with VR, both he/she and the counselor discuss and plan for the opportunity to have an EN provide employment supports when the VR services end. When VR closes a case, that young person can then use the Ticket with an EN for follow up employment supports and services. Also, when someone uses that Ticket for VR services, there is Presumptive Eligibility for that person as a Social Security beneficiary. This means that person s Continuing Disability Reviews (CDRs) are exempted as long as he/she is making timely progress towards employment goals. VR will also make a referral to a Community Work Incentive Coordinator (CWIC) on behalf of the individual. The best way to find your local OVR office is to go to the Works for Me website at: go to the Resources tab, and type in your zip code. Local OVR office contact information will appear, and also be printable for your convenience. There are also publications and web links listed on the same Resource webpage for your easy reference; simply go to the ones entitled OVR or Blind & Visual Services for more information. The Central OVR office toll free number is ; or , for Blindness & Visual Services. 14

15 Protection & Advocacy for Beneficiaries of Social Security, or PABSS, is another outcome of the 1999 Work Incentives and Ticket to Work Act. PABSS assists SSA beneficiaries to overcome discrimination and barriers to obtaining work, returning to work, and/or maintaining work. This includes barriers to access to vocational and rehabilitation services, barriers to employment and support services (including transportation) necessary to enter the workplace, and reasonable accommodation for someone s disability at the individual s place of employment. In PA, PABSS is part of Disability Rights Network of PA, a statewide non profit organization that has been advocating on behalf of individuals with disabilities since To get in touch with PABSS, call , ext

16 The Pennsylvania Youth Leadership Network, or PYLN, is a team of youth leaders with disabilities from across PA with a purpose to develop the self determination, empowerment and leadership of youth that promotes successful post school outcomes in the areas of education, employment, independent living and health and wellness among youth and young adults through Pennsylvania. This group has the mindset of for youth, by youth, and has developed resources for youth and young adults in transition including a Secondary Transition Toolkit, a Health Care Toolkit and webinars on self advocacy and empowerment. To access these resources or to find out more about the PYLN, go to their website at 16

17 This presentation was developed with support from a Medicaid Infrastructure Grant funded by the centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services through a grant to the Pennsylvania Department of Public Welfare. If you would like more information about work incentives for youth and young adults, please view the other webcasts in this series. They can be found by going back to the page where you accessed this presentation. You can also visit the Works for Me website at pa.org. This concludes the webcast presentation. Thank you. 17