Ticket to Work Program

Ticket Program Basics

Course Objectives

Content: • • Describe the Ticket to Work program Identify three purposes of the Ticket to Work and Work Incentives Improvement Act • Discuss the benefits to beneficiaries who participate in the program • Review the duties and responsibilities of the contractor partners in the Ticket to Work program • • Application: Identify resources to aid you in becoming a successful EN Implement benefits discussion during the intake process 2

Ticket to Work and Work Incentives Improvement Act

3

Ticket to Work and Work Incentives Improvement Act

• • President Clinton signed into law in 1999 Purposes o Encourage states to enable beneficiaries to purchase necessary Medicaid coverage o o Provide continuing Medicare coverage while employed Establish the Ticket to Work and Self-Sufficiency program 4

Beneficiary Participation Benefits

Employment Related Services Continuing Disability Reviews (CDR) Service Providers Increased Earnings Potential 5

Employment Network (EN)

Service Providers

State Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) Agency Service Providers 6

Partnership Plus

State VR Agencies Employment Network 7

Service Provider Roles

• • • Social Security expects approved ENs to: Increase the number of beneficiaries entering the workforce Assist beneficiaries in becoming economically self-supporting Provide the community with access to a pool of qualified applicants and workers with disabilities 8

Payments to Employment Networks

• • An outcome-based program Payments are: o o Based on beneficiary milestones and outcomes Associated with work and earnings the beneficiary achieves after the ticket is assigned to the EN

Outcome Outcome/Milestone

• Earnings >= Substantial Gainful Activity (SGA) • Zero Cash Benefit status • Payments for 36 or 60 months • Phase 1 Milestone – Earnings >= Trial Work Level (TWL) plus additional factors • Phase 2 Milestone – Earnings >= Substantial Gainful Activity (SGA) 9

Payments to ENs (continued)

• Learn more about payments under the Ticket program o Visit www.yourtickettowork.com

general information for o Visit https://yourtickettowork.com/w eb/ttw/training for training presentations o Visit https://yourtickettowork.com/w eb/ttw/resource-documents for related resource documents 10

Progress Check One

What are the main purposes of the Ticket to Work and Work Incentives Improvement Act?

A.

B.

C.

D.

E.

Encourage states to enable beneficiaries to purchase necessary Medicaid coverage Provide continuing Medicare coverage for beneficiaries while employed Increase Social Security payouts for beneficiaries who are disabled Establish the Ticket to Work and Self-Sufficiency program Provide retirement savings for beneficiaries with disabilities 11

Progress Check Two

What are Social Security ’s expectations of ENs regarding the goals of the Ticket to Work program?

A.

Increase the number of beneficiaries entering the workforce B.

Assist beneficiaries in becoming financially self supporting C.

Provide the community with access to a pool of qualified applicants and workers with disabilities D.

All of the above 12

Key Partners in the Ticket Program

13

Key Partners in Ticket Program

Social Security Administration (SSA) Operations Support Manager (OSM) Beneficiary Access Support Services (BASS) Work Incentives Planning and Assistance Projects (WIPA) 14

Social Security

• • • • • • Oversees the Ticket to Work program Publishes and updates governing regulations Final authority on all policy decisions Determines which beneficiaries are Ticket-eligible Approves requests to become Employment Networks www.socialsecurity.gov/work/ 15

Operations Support Manager (OSM)

• • • • Oversees the day-to-day operations of the Ticket program Maintains list of approved ENs Provides orientation, training and support for ENs Administers Ticket program processes o o o Individual Work Plan (IWP) Ticket assignment/unassignment process Payment processes 16

OSM (continued)

• • • • • • Ensures program integrity and monitors EN performance Facilitates partnerships Authorizes payments to ENs Maintains the Your Ticket to Work for Service Providers website and a number of Help Desks Connect with us on Social Media: Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn Call (866) 949-3687 or visit the Your Ticket to Work website at www.yourtickettowork.com

17

Beneficiary Access Support Services

• • • • • • Provides support to beneficiaries Markets the Ticket program and Social Security work incentives to beneficiaries Administers a call center Conducts online Work Incentive Seminar Events Maintains the Choose Work website: www.choosework.net

Offers outreach materials that ENs can use: http://www.chooseworkttw.net/document library/materials-for-providers/index.html

18

Work Incentives Planning and Assistance (WIPA) Projects

• • • • Supports working beneficiaries to make a successful transition to financial self-support WIPA services are free WIPA staff can answer questions about how work and earnings will affect a beneficiary ’s federal, state and local benefits Find the WIPA in your area at: www.choosework.net

19

Progress Check Three

Which organization provides training, technical assistance, and administrative support to ENs?

A.

B.

C.

D.

Social Security The Operations Support Manager (OSM) Beneficiary Access and Support Services (BASS) Work Incentive and Planning Assistance (WIPA) Projects 20

Working with Ticket to Work

21

Ticket to Work Program Summary

• • Ticket - Signifies eligibility to participate o o Age 18 through 64 Currently receiving SSI and/or SSDI Participation o Access to services/supports to enter employment and work towards financial independence o o Voluntary and free Benefits of beneficiary participation • • Protection from medical CDRs Expedited Reinstatement of Benefits (EXR) 22

Getting Started

• • • • • • Do the services your EN offers match the beneficiary ‘ s service needs?

Does the beneficiary have a previous work history or a history of prior earnings?

Is the beneficiary likely to achieve Trial Work (TWL) or SGA level earnings?

Is the beneficiary interested in becoming self supporting?

How much education has the beneficiary completed?

What skills or areas of expertise does the beneficiary have?

23

Other Considerations

• • • • • • • • • • Limitations Past Employment Issues Strengths and Competencies Fears Housing Childcare Medication Transportation Not a good fit – Refer the beneficiary to BASS to learn about other ENs serving the areas Call 1.866.968.7842 or visit www.choosework.net

24

Ticket Assignability

• Check Assignability via the: • Interactive Voice Response (IVR) System o Call toll free: 1.866.949.3687, Select Option 1 to check Ticket assignability using the IVR system • The Secure Provider Portal (Portal) www.yourtickettowork.com

25

Progress Check Four

What are the advantages of beneficiary participation in the Ticket to Work program? (select three that apply) A.

B.

C.

D.

E.

Increased disability payments Protection from medical CDRs More medical insurance Expedited Reinstatement of Benefits (EXR) Opportunity to work and eliminate the need for disability benefits 26

Individual Work Plan (IWP)

• A living document developed in partnership with the beneficiary • Identifies beneficiary ’s employment goal(s) • Spells out the services and ongoing employment support the EN will provide to assist the beneficiary in achieving that goal • Learn more be visiting: https://yourtickettowork.com/web/ttw/individual-work-plan 27

Timely Progress Review

• Social Security expects beneficiaries using their tickets to make steady progress towards financial independence • OSM conducts Timely Progress Reviews (TPR) on each beneficiary who is using his or her ticket o o Conducted at the end of every 12-month period of Ticket Timely Progress Guidelines, which are progressive, are spelled out in Ticket regulations o Based on educational attainment and/or work and earnings • Impact of failing a TPR is lose of protection from medical CDRs • Learn more at: https://yourtickettowork.com/web/ttw/timely progress-review 28

Ticket Unassignment

• • • Either beneficiary or EN may unassign the ticket at any time Must notify OSM Reason for unassignment request not required 29

Progress Check Five

What is an IWP? (select two that apply) A.

A template for each EN/beneficiary B.

A living document that represents an agreement between the EN and beneficiary C.

A contract between EN and the Social Security Administration D.

A document that identifies beneficiary ’s employment goal(s) and the services the EN will provide 30

Progress Check Six

How do TPR requirements align with Ticket to Work Program goals?

A.

B.

C.

D.

Makes sure beneficiaries are making expected progress toward self-supporting employment Provides beneficiaries with more benefits Ensures that ENs are paid in a timely manner Ensures that BASS is meeting their requirements 31

Progress Check Seven

Who can assign or unassign a ticket under the Ticket to Work program?

A.

B.

C.

The beneficiary The Employment Network Either the beneficiary or the EN 32

Improving the Ticket Program and Resources for Success

33

Improving the Administration of the Ticket Program

• Movement in recent years to automated processes that increase the efficiency of the administrative processes necessary to operate as an EN • Movement to new automated process will continue, including having some processes moved from the OSM to Social Security • Stay tuned for important announcements about these changes 34

OSM Phone Resources

Technical Assistance Toll Free: 1.866.949.3687

Option 1: Ticket Assignability IVR system Other Options: Payment and Systems Help Desks FAX: 703.893.4020

TDD: 1.866.833.2967

35

OSM Conference Calls

• Monthly calls with Social Security and the Operations Support Manager • • • All EN Call All VR Call – First Thursday – Second Tuesday All EN Payments Call – Last Tuesday • • Ticket Training Tuesdays 503 Community of Practice 36

OSM Website Resources

• • • The Portal Information Center • • Upcoming Events Training Ticket to Work Home: https://yourtickettowork.c

om/web/ttw/home 37

Questions

• • • • • • Ticket to Work: www.yourtickettowork.com

Email: [email protected]

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/yourtickettowork Twitter: https://twitter.com/tickettowork LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/groups?gid=2414641 YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/user/TTWPServiceProvider 38