Operations Support Manager
Social Security’s Ticket to Work program
June 10, 2014
• Facilitator: James Wackerbarth, Account Specialist,
Operations Support Manager (OSM)
• Gina Haupt MS LPC - Ticket to Work/Social Security
Specialist, Divison of Vocational Rehabilitation
• Tammy Liddicoat, Executive Director, Employment
Resources Inc. (ERI)
• Kate Kingree, Ticket to Work Program Manager, ERI
• Ryan Schomber, Work Services Coordinator, Southwest
Wisconsin Workforce Development Board
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• Explain the benefits of Partnership Plus to State
Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) agencies and to
Employment Networks (EN)
• Explain the benefits of direct hand-off referrals
• Describe the characteristics of strong Partnership Plus
EN models
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• Eligible Ticket Holders
• In use with State VR Agency
• Assigned to ENs
• ENs in Wisconsin
• ENs that are VR vendors
• ENs that are Workforce
• Number of Handoffs
363,530
8,913
435
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12 (75%)
6 (38%)
94
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State Based ENs that serve this County
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EN Locations
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Gina Haupt MS LPC-Ticket to Work/Social Security Specialist
Wisconsin Division of Vocational Rehabilitation
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• Traditional Cost Reimbursement only
• Partnership Plus EN Agreement o 8 EN Agreements
• Outreach o Division of Vocational Rehabilitation (DVR) vendors o DVR looks for what the vendors can offer to the consumer o High quality to the consumers
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• Processes in place: o Ticket to Work letter included when case is closed o Appointments offered to recent Successful Case Closures to meet with Partnership Plus ENs to ensure ongoing supports.
Ticket coordinator gives informed choice on ENs that are a good fit based on geographical service area and disabilities the EN serves.
o Participating ENs must have signed the Partnership Plus agreement, and ensure beneficiaries have access to Community
Work Incentives Counselors (CWIC).
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• Wisconsin DVR makes it a requirement that all consumers getting SSI or SSDI be offered a benefit analysis
• A pop up was placed into the case management system at the time initial plan for employment to remind counselors if consumers are getting SSI or SSDI
• We do not use Work Incentives Planning and Assistance as a comparable benefit o Reason (flooding the system, wait time for consumers, inappropriate referrals to DVR, results were decreasing and was not comparable due to flooding of system)
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• Consultation on disability related workplace issues o Business Service Consultants (BSC) are main contact
• Financial incentives o On-the-job Training o Trial work o Internships
• Information and referral resources on the Americans with
Disabilities Act and Rehabilitation Act o BSC main contact
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• BSC are being prepared to help businesses understand and learn how to tap into a large talent pool of jobseekers
• DVR can help businesses access qualified job seekers through the National Employment Team (NET) and the new Talent Acquisition Portal (TAP). o Both can help with tracking outreach and hire o Brian Solomon of DVR is overseeing these efforts and is WI main contact
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• Strategies for accessibility solutions
• Assistive technology strategies, work site assessments, and job restructuring recommendations
• Diversity planning o Employers can come to DVR and express the desire to meet
503 goal o BSC can match the company’s job openings and locations with consumer information in DVR’s case management system o Along with O*Net codes, BSCs pull a list of potential consumers that are in training, work ready status, supportive employment status, or any other desired status, along with contact info so the
BSC can make contact about potential employment.
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Tammy Liddicoat, Executive Director
Kate Kingree, Ticket to Work Program Manager
Promoting…
Continuity, Confidence and Connections
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• About ERI the organization… o Mission: Employment, Healthcare, Financial Security o Key service: Employment & Benefits Planning and Advisement o Our focus: Continuum of services, long term customer engagement
• About ERI PLUS the EN… o Wisconsin-based national EN since 2008 o Key service: Employment retention and advancement o Customers: Individuals who are working substantially o Key strategy: Collaborating with State VR since 2009 to advance
Partnership Plus. Currently the EN has 27 tickets assigned with prior history with DVR.
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o Continuity between services
• VR Closure is BIG, but journey continues….
o Confidence to move forward and upward
• Peace of mind – Our EN has certified Community Work Incentive
Coordinators to provide benefits planning and assistance to: o Leave cash benefits o Manage overpayments o Understand safety nets, healthcare and other options including rights under Section 503
• Growth and opportunity (career exploration and action plans) o Connections really can change lives
• Being part of the “team”
• Help navigating workplace, community, resources and systems
• ERI relationships with VR, the Social Security Administration and other trusted partners 15
Results? YES!
Win-Win-Win o Partnership: ERI PLUS/DVR
• 75% of ERI/VR Partnership Plus cases result in CR
• VR/EN/Consumer (TRUST) o Program: Long-term Employment, Engagement and
Advancement
• 6 (2014) graduates: 3+ year off of cash benefits
• Average wage: $16.00
• Referrals back to DVR at or above SGA: certification or advanced degrees o Consumer: Stories of Success
• Robbie
• Samantha
• Navid 16
Contact:
• Tammy Liddicoat, Executive Director
608.246-3444 x222 | toll-free 800-710-9326 liddicoat@eri-wi.org
• Kate Kingree , Ticket to Work Program Manager
608.246-3444 x225 | toll-free 800-710-9326 kingree@eri-wi.org
• Employment Resources, Inc.
4126 Lien Road, Ste. 104 | Madison WI 53704 www.eri-wi.org
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Ryan Schomber,
Work Services Coordinator
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Southwest Wisconsin Workforce
Development Board Workforce Employment Network
• Southwest Wisconsin Workforce Development Board
(SWWDB) has been a Workforce EN for over five years and is one of eleven Workforce Development Boards in
Wisconsin covering six counties:
• Rock, Green, Iowa, Lafayette, Grant and Richland.
• Ticket to Work is one of the core services under the
Department of Labor Disability Employment Initiative
(DEI) grant. Upon completion of the DEI grant,
SWWDB plans to continue to operate as a Ticket to
Work Employment Network.
SWWDB provides these services to Ticket Holders:
1. Work Incentive benefit counseling by certified
Community Work Incentives Coordinators/ Timely
Progress tracking
2. Community resource coordination
3. Career counseling and job search assistance support
4. Various job retention supports (when applicable)
5. Partnership Plus agreement with WI Vocational
Rehabilitation
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• The purpose of the Partnership Plus agreement is to promote coordination of services between VR and the workforce EN. This increased coordination allows a ticket holder to access various employment services before and/or after their ticket is placed “In Use” with VR. Any participation within the Partnership Plus model is completely voluntary. Partnership Plus provides many advantages:
• Builds and strengthens employment services for VR consumers
• Ensures best practices and that client’s rights are respected
• Allows for coordinated and seamless services transition for ticket holder
• Maximizes reimbursement received under current TTW payment system
• Currently SWWDB has six tickets assigned that have prior history with DVR
• One half of SWWDB Partnership Plus participants are working full time / the half working part-time work over 20 hours per week
• 100% of Partnership Plus participants have reached 6 months and 2 participants have reached one year
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o Wisconsin Partnership Plus model empowers beneficiary through education and choice o Beneficiaries are directed to ENs that have certified
CWICs and provide quality services, increasing chances for long term employment of the individual – a win-win-win for the beneficiary, DVR and the EN o Division of Vocational Rehabilitation proactively matches beneficiaries with Employment Networks, and seeks to partner with employers to meet Section
503 goals
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Contact:
James Wackerbarth jameswackerbarth@maximus.com
703.336.8053
Gina Haupt
Gina.Haupt@dwd.wisconsin.gov
608.261.0059
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Tammy Liddicoat liddicoat@eri-wi.org
608.246.3444 x 222
Kate Kingree kingree@eri-wi.org
608.246.3444 x 225
Ryan Schomber r.schomber@swwdb.org
608.314.3300 x 303
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