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
Project Design
• Individualized technical assistance to
clients to develop business plan and find
funding strategies
• Identify and establish Business
Development Teams
Outcomes
Pilot Project Participants
• Three state projects hosted 4
training sessions with GriffinHammes Associates
 Indiana
 New York
 Tennessee
*Missouri attended TN sessions
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
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
What Did Staff Report Learning
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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
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
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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)
• Couldn’t get some important partners
involved in training; SBDC, BPAO
• Different agendas of different agencies
• Honesty of clients
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
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
What would you need to continue
with this
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Changes in VR rules or practices to make
more consistent and client friendly
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Time to learn, coordinate and advocate for
clients on SSA and VR as relates to SE
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Need more experience doing this
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Need guidelines or booklet with step by step
procedure describing SE rules with SSA etc
• 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
Why would we pursue these
options
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About 42% of AgrAbility clients receive
SSA benefits and 62% receive services
through VR
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10% more AgrAbility clients may be
eligible for SSA benefits
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83% of farmers and ranchers are self
employed
SSA Work Incentive programs may be able
to…..
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help build capital for business expenses (vans,
lifts, computer etc.)
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retain medical insurance until able to buy
independently
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increase personal income and quality of life
• SSA Work Incentive programs are
designed to help people transition back to
employment
Should we pursue this?