Ticket Holders Pilot

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SSA Hiring Initiative

Appointment of Individuals with Disabilities

– “Schedule A” – The Rehabilitation Act of 1972 requires Federal agencies to implement an affirmative action program that includes the hiring of qualified individuals with disabilities – People with disabilities considered for employment with the SSA by

competitive hiring process or Selective Placement Program

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Increased Opportunity

The Selective Placement Program    special employment program designed to assist qualified individuals with disabilities employment consistent with their level of skills and abilities

Increasing employment opportunities & outcomes for workers with disabilities

Schedule A is the excepted appointment authority used to hire these individuals when competitive appointments are not appropriate 3

Application Process

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Application packets will be emailed to each Disability Specialist

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Completed Application Packets will be reviewed by Lisa Parlapiano

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After final review, application packets will be mailed to the SSA Area Work Incentive Coordinator Marlene Ulisky

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Job Titles & Grades

Social Security Administration

 Social Insurance Representative (Claims Representative) Grade Levels 5, 7, 9, and 11  Contact Representative (Service Representative) Grade Levels 5, 6, 7 and 8 5

Job Titles & Grades

Within Social Security Administration in the office of: Disability Adjudication and Review (ODAR)

Locations: Jacksonville & Orlando, FL Ft. Lauderdale Tampa Tallahassee

Legal Assistant (OA), GS 4, 5, 6 Official Title: Legal Assistant (OA) Organizational Title: Case Technician  (same job) 6

Salary Table

at The salary table is located http://www.opm.gov/oca/09tables/indexGS.asp

Grade levels are listed with position titles. Managers may fill a job at any grade level. 7

Required Documentation

1. Resume; and/or  OF-612-Optional Application for Federal Employment;

What’s this?

Download and/or see the refillable form that can be completed online, then printed after completion at http://www.usajobs.gov/of612.asp

OF-612 is included in the info packet emailed to you.

2. Certification from a counselor of either the VA or State Vocational Rehabilitation Office, or Certification from a representative of the Employment Network. (Disability Specialists)  The certification must be based on the counselor’s knowledge of the jobsite and it must include a statement that, in the counselor’s judgment, the proposed appointee for the position has the ability to perform duties of the position and can do the work without being a hazard to himself/herself or to others.

3. Documentation of meet and deal ability, if applicable.

What’s this?

Behavior based panel interview.

4. Official Transcript, as appropriate

Veterans Only:

5. DD-214 verifying military service dates and an other than dishonorable discharge, if applicable 6. Applicants claiming 10-point preference must complete form SF-15, Application for 10-Point Veteran Preference, and submit letter from VA dated 1991 or later

What’s this?

10-point Veteran Preference :to be used by veterans and relatives of veterans . Download at

http://www.opm.gov/forms/pdfimage/sf0015.pdf

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Completed Application Packets (Southern Florida)

Route Applications for these offices to Frank Torano:

SSA, Office of Disability Adjudication and Review New River Center, Suite 1550 200 E. Las Olas Boulevard Fort Lauderdale, Florida 33301 SSA, Office of Disability Adjudication and Review One Riverview Square 333 S. Miami Avenue, 8th Floor Miami, FL 33130 SSA, Office of Disability Adjudication and Review Fountain Square II, Suite 200 4925 Independence Parkway Tampa, Florida 33634 9

Completed Application Packets (Northern Florida)

Route Applications for these offices to Marlene Ulisky:

SSA, Office of Disability Adjudication and Review DeSoto Building, Suite 400 8880 Freedom Crossing Trail Jacksonville, Florida 32256 SSA, Office of Disability Adjudication and Review Glenridge Building, Suite 300 3505 Lake Lynda Drive Orlando, Florida 32817-9801 10

Eligibility & Qualification

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U.S. Citizenship is required

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A physical or mental impairment which substantially

restricts one or more of the individual’s major life

activities

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Ability to ‘meet and deal’

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Under the ADAAA, 'major life activities' is expanded to include "major bodily

functions." The statute contains a non-exhaustive list of "major life activities" that adds additional activities to those currently listed in the ADA and Section 503 regulations, and a non-exhaustive list of "major bodily functions." Specifically, the ADAAA provides that: • Major life activities include, but are not limited to, caring for oneself, performing manual tasks, seeing, hearing, eating, sleeping, walking, standing, lifting, bending, speaking, breathing, learning, reading, concentrating, thinking, communicating, and working. • Major Bodily Functions include, but are not limited to, functions of the immune system, normal cell growth, digestive, bowel, bladder, neurological, brain, respiratory, circulatory, endocrine, and reproductive functions. *Americans with Disabilities Act Amendment Act

Source: US DOL Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP)

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Meet and Deal?

 Meet and deal is something which occurs in Federal Government hiring; when an individual is interviewed, if the Federal Agency is strongly considering the applicant, a "meet and deal" interview is scheduled.  For this hiring initiative, the interview will be conducted by 3 managers who pose various questions and scenarios to the individual to gage how they respond and how they react.  Some folks may have had government service in the past and may have this document available. Most do not.

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Behavior Based Interview

We can’t know what questions will be asked of qualified candidates who are invited for a panel interview; the ‘meet and deal’ aspect is similar to a Behavior Based Interview. A Behavior Based Interview is a standardized method of interviewing designed to measure how one will perform on the job. The principle behind the technique is the belief that the best indicator of future behavior is past behavior. 14

Example Questions

 Describe a difficult problem that you tried to solve. How did you identify the problem? How did you go about trying to solve it? (Demonstrates problem solving)  Describe a time when you tried to persuade another person to do something that they were not very willing to do. (Demonstrates leadership)  Describe a time when you decided on your own that something needed to be done, and you took on the task to get it done. (Demonstrates initiative) 15

SSA Eligibility

Eligibility is based primarily on:

1. severity of the impairment and 2. effect it has upon how a person functions in a particular job A severe physical impairment: 1. one that is relatively permanent 2. seldom fully corrected by medical treatment, therapy or surgical means (i.e. blindness, deafness, learning disabilities or mental disorder) 16

Certification of Disability

To be considered for an appointment under the Schedule A hiring authority, an applicant must provide a certification of disability, documented by:

• a counselor at either the State Vocational Rehabilitation Agency or the Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment Service of the Department of Veterans Affairs; or • by statements, records or letters from a Federal Government agency that issues or provides disability benefits; or • by the Employment Network (same criteria used for TTW eligibility) 17

What needs to be certified?

Certification must verify:  the applicant has a severe disability (all SSI/SSDI folks do by definition) and is therefore eligible under a Schedule A appointment authority, and  he or she is able to perform the essential duties of the position  Applicants are not required to have an Assigned Ticket prior to application – however, the aim of this initiative is to increase Ticket to Work Assignments in conjunction with applicant referrals which offers safety nets and incentives to earn. 18

Qualification Requirements

Applicants must meet the basic qualification requirements, including any positive education requirement as described in SSA Office of Program Management’s Handbook on Qualification Standards for General Schedule Positions. For more detailed information, go to: http://www.opm.gov/qualifications/index.asp

US Office of Personnel Management Qualifications Standards

Please also include college transcript (copy accepted) and resume , as applicable.

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Self Identification

Standard Form 256 What’s in a name?

Self Identification of Handicap SF256

Self Identification of Handicap must be included in the application packet.

This is a form put out by the Federal Government that was last revised on 8/87. The title of the form and the language therein is not up to date.

Self Identification of Handicap on the web: http://www.opm.gov/forms/pdfimage/sf256.pdf

Concerns were shared with the AWIC, and her positive response: “I apologize for the language in the name of this OPM form (i.e., Self Identification of Handicap). I have copied the Regional Recruitment Coordinator (HR) so that CHR may consider addressing this issue with OPM. 20

Job Accommodation

The certification must also describe any needed reasonable accommodation. You can review additional information at: https://www.opm.gov/disability/appempl.asp US Office of Personnel Management – Federal Employment of People with Disabilities http://www.jan.wvu.edu/ Job Accommodation Network 21

Where are the jobs?

 All of the local offices have had or will have openings; local openings are available at the discretion of the local area directors (to place the slots in specific offices).

 SSA Atlanta Region includes many states in the SE Region  SSA has the ability to share applications of qualified candidates with other Federal Agencies as well. 22

Relocating?

With the difficult economic times across the nation, there may be fewer local career opportunities for qualified workers.

This has forced employees everywhere to consider accepting positions with longer commutes, working out of town during the week and returning home on weekends or moving to a new location. The more flexible and focused a job seeker can be during the job search process, the sooner success may be achieved in securing a new position. 23

Looking forward to success

2009 marks the second year for this hiring pilot

In 2008 workers with disabilities connected to jobs in the SSA Atlanta Region comprised of 8 states: NC, SC, FL, AL, GA, MS, TN, & KY.

“Connecting Workers to Jobs”

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