Workforce Employment Network Planning Guide
January 2014
Workforce Employment Network
Planning Guide
This guide was designed to assist DEI projects in the process of applying
to become Employment Networks, or who are new to providing
Employment Network services.
January 2014
For individuals who use a screen reader, alternate text has been inserted for
the displayed graphics, if further accommodations are needed please email
mlrevoir@ndi-inc.org or knickerson@ndi-inc.org
Prepared for the Disability Employment Initiative by the NDI Technical Assistance Team / Employment and
Training Administration, U.S. Department of Labor, January 2014.
This project has been funded, either wholly or in part, with Federal funds from the Department of Labor, Employment and
Training Administration under Contract Number DOLJ131A22067. The contents of this publication do not necessarily reflect
the views or policies of the Department of Labor, nor does mention of trade names, commercial products, or organizations
imply endorsement of same by the U.S. Government.
Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION.......................................................................................................................................2
ACRONYM GUIDE……………………………………………………………………………………………………… 3
EN MISSION & CONTRACT OBLIGATIONS: .................................................................................... 4
EMPLOYMENT NETWORK MODELS…………………………………………………………………………... 6
MARKETING & OUTREACH:.............................................................................................................. 11
SETTING GOALS FOR YOUR EN: ...................................................................................................... 13
EN STAFFING & SERVICES:................................................................................................................ 14
PARTNERSHIP PLUS ........................................................................................................................... 16
TICKET HOLDER ASSESSMENT: ...................................................................................................... 17
EN REPORTING REQUIREMENTS: .................................................................................................. 19
EN REVENUE: ......................................................................................................................................... 23
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Employment Network Business Planning Guide Introduction
Like any small business, an Employment Network (EN) requires forethought and
planning in order to be successful. This guide and checklist will help DEI projects
that are either in the process of applying to become Employment Networks, or
who are new to providing Employment Network services to identify key questions
to consider from a business operations standpoint as you develop your EN model,
market your services and begin accepting Ticket Holders. Additionally, this tool
will help you develop realistic goals for your EN, such as numbers of Ticket
holders you will be serving, internal processes and revenue potential. While this
guide is not all-inclusive, it will cover more than the basics you should be
considering to become a successful EN.
For more information about the Ticket to Work program, and serving Social
Security Disability beneficiaries, remember to visit the Ticket to Work Operations
Support Manager website, at: www.yourtickettowork.com.
Your National Technical Assistance Center, National Disability Institute, Inc. (NDI)
is dedicated to the success of your EN. As such, two staff members are focused
on providing technical assistance to support the growth of your EN, later referred
to in this guide as, “NDI Ticket Team”.
Contact information for the Ticket Team:
Mary Lynn ReVoir – mlrevoir@ndi-inc.org
Kevin Nickerson – knickerson@ndi-inc.org
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ACRONYM GUIDE
APOR
Annual
Performance
Outcome
Report
Beneficiary
Access and
Support
Services
Continuing
Disability
Review
Certification
of Services
PII
Personal
Identifiable
Information
RFQ
Request for
Quotation
SGA
EN
Employment
Network
SSDI
eProcess
Electronic
process for
workforce
ENs only
Individual
Employment
Plan
Individual
Work Plan
Operations
Support
Manager
SSI
Substantial
Gainful
Activity
Social
Security
Administration
Social
Security
Disability
Insurance
(Title 2)
Supplemental
Security
Income (Title
16)
Timely
Progress
Review
Trial Work
Period
Vocational
Rehabilitation
agency of the
state
BASS
CDR
COS
IEP
IWP
OSM
SSA
TPR
TWP
VR
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EN MISSION & CONTRACT OBLIGATIONS:
Does the Ticket to Work (TtW) Program complement your Job Centers mission?
NOTE: The mission of the Ticket to Work program is simple, to assist Social Security
Disability beneficiaries in becoming self-sufficient, and no longer relying on their disability
benefits, or to significantly reduce their reliance on SSA disability benefits. While the
mission is simple, the process of helping SSA disability beneficiaries understand Work
Incentives that can assist them, and in returning to gainful employment, can sometimes be
complex. To learn more, visit the SSA Work site to read the Ticket to Work regulations
here: http://www.socialsecurity.gov/work/newregs.html.
Identify how well you believe EN services will:
Be a good fit within your Job Center
Might pose a challenge given your current structure
Is your System for Award Management (SAM) registration up to date?
It is mandatory for all federal contracts, which includes an EN contracted with SSA to be
registered with SAM (www.SAM.gov).
 SAM is the primary registrant database for all Federal Government contractors.
 The SAM registration must be active in order to receive an EN Agreement The
EN is required to update on an annual basis from the date of initial registration to
ensure the registration is current, accurate and complete
 All payments to an EN will be made via electronic transfer to the EN’s designated
financial institution as identified by the EN’s SAMs record
 For more information, also see the Operation Support Manager (OSM) website,
here: https://yourtickettowork.com/web/ttw/system-for-award-management
Which staff will be required to fulfill SSA’s EN Security and Suitability Requirements?
All Workforce ENs, operating under the Request for Quotation (RFQ) are required to
protect Personal Identifiable Information (PII). For workforce ENs, any staff member
involved in your EN operations that is receiving PII from the Operations Support Manager
(OSM), or who is providing PII to OSM, will need to have security clearance in place.
Security and Suitability is also required to receive the Beneficiary Referral CD, a listing of
all Ticket eligible beneficiaries in your service area, which can allow you to market directly
to your target audience. It is not a requirement that the Signatory Authority have Security
clearance, if he or she will not be handling PII. Security clearance is also required in order
to give your center access to the EN Portal, which is required to efficiently operate with
OSM. Staff in the Job Center who may see a Ticket holder’s PII, but who are not providing
information to or requesting information from OSM, DO NOT need to submit information to
receive security clearance.
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Consider which staff members will be handling PII, and identify who you think should
proceed in submitting the required documents to receive Security and Suitability clearance.
This is most likely the person who will have access to the EN Portal:
NOTE: A Checklist which will help you through this process can be found at
https://yourtickettowork.com/web/ttw/wm-completing-suitability or contact your OSM
Account Manager. Additionally, a checklist created by the National Workforce Partners has
developed a checklist, which can be obtained by the contacting the NDI Ticket Team.
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EMPLOYMENT NETWORK MODELS
There are many examples of EN business models that have developed, since the passing
of the Ticket to Work and Work Incentives Improvement Act (TWIAA) in December of 1999.
Examples of Workforce involvement in the Ticket to Work program point back to the early
years of this program, however, in recent years; SSA has focused more intensely on
engaging the Workforce Development system for assistance in serving SSA disability
beneficiaries. We will focus on, and define three specific examples of Workforce EN
business models in this guide, as follows:



Local Workforce Investment Area EN Model
Regional Workforce EN Model
State Administrative EN Model
Local Workforce Investment Area EN Model: In this business model, there is only one
LWIA that acts as the “EN of Record”, which would include the Job Centers that fall under
the LWIA’s service area. Regardless of whether there is one Job Center, or several, each
will serve as “sites of service” for Ticket holders. What distinguishes this model is that only
ONE LWIA is involved in providing services under their EN contract. There are occasions
where the LWIA EN will develop a Memorandum Of Understanding (MOU) with a local
Community Rehabilitation Provider (CRP), to assist with some of the support services
provided to Ticket holders, although many Workforce ENs are able to provide all services,
and do not have MOU’s under this business model. In this model the LWIA EN may also
develop a Partnership Plus agreement with the State Vocational Rehabilitation (VR)
agency.
Below is an example of what this model might look like:
Local Workforce Investment Area EN Model:
LWIA operates as independent EN
This example
shows a
collaborative
web allowing
for each Job
Center served
by the LWIA to
offer and
perform the
EN operations
to respective
customers
#
10
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Regional Workforce EN Model: In this business model, there would be one LWIA that
holds the EN contract, or, the “EN of Record”, on behalf of one or more other LWIA’s who
choose to partner through a written agreement, or Memorandum of Understanding (MOU),
that clearly defines the following:





Sites of service
Defining services delivery, including which parties provide services, and the types of
services
Revenue sharing defined, based on services sites provide, that yield EN payments
Referral to and from sites of service, and to State Vocational Rehabilitation
Revenue use (i.e. to what end will resources be used to support ongoing disability
services)
One advantage of this model is that it leverages additional regions of service,
encompassing greater numbers of beneficiaries. Additionally, the model could be
developed, to support a “Regional EN Coordinator”, thereby reducing the staffing, and
increasing the odds of sustainability after DEI grant funding ends.
An added benefit to this EN model is the need for the DRC to truly be a resource
coordinator, requiring Job Center staff to take a lead role in the recruitment and placement
of Ticket holders. For example, the DRC would need to develop a plan (IWP) for each
customer, with key Job Center staff, such as DOL Employment Counselors, and Workforce
Development Specialists, strategically, based on the larger region of coverage they would
be responsible for, rather than be tempted to work more directly with each customer. In
this model, it would be suggested that the Regional EN Coordinator to take on the
additional challenge of getting SSA disability benefits expertise, such as CWIC certification,
or similar training. It is also likely the Regional EN Coordinator would manage, or assist in
managing the administrative functions of the Ticket program, for that region.
Below is an example of what this model might look like:
Regional Workforce EN Model:
Two or more WIAs operate under single EN contract
Specific Advantage of
collaboration with
Community Rehabilitation
Provider: Job Center can
add expertise to regional
model of service, such as
SSA Work Incentives
advocacy.
One LWIA as EN of record –
Has submitted EN application, on
behalf of multiple LWIA’s
LWIA of
Record
Site 2
Site 3
Service Sites will include
LWIA’s, but may also include
Community Rehabilitation
Provider(s)
m
DRC provides coordination amongst all
sites, for Ticket holders, utilizing Integrated
Resource Team (IRT) approach
#
11
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State Administrative EN Model: State EN model or, Administrative Employment Network
(AEN) model generally are housed within the State’s Department of Labor or State
Workforce agency, and help to streamline the administrative burden for Job Center sites of
service. There are a variety of ways this model can be established, but generally, there is a
small percentage of revenue kept by the AEN, to support the administrative tasks
associated with coordinating this kind of EN model.
Below is an example of what this model might look like:
State Administrative EN Model
Payments distributed amongst
participating LWIA’s based on services
to Ticket holders that lead to EN
payments
State Department(s)
Note:
Could be one,
or a partnership of
State Departments
Example: 10%of payments
for administrative
functions kept by State
AEN, which is also the EN
of Record
Example: 90% of payments
go to providers per written
agreement with State AEN
MOU developed between
LWIA’s and State AEN
Local
Workforce
Investment
Area
Local
Workforce
Investment
Area
Local
Workforce
Investment
Area
#
Local
Workforce
Investment
Area
12
The state model provides centralization for some of the common EN administrative duties,
with other tasks spread out to representatives at the local level. The centralization of EN
administrative tasks, such as tracking data, and efforts related to EN contract compliance
may be viewed as more efficient than replicating such efforts at the local level. Using the
state model relies on local representatives who are dedicated to the work of the EN, such
as disability subject matter experts or a Disability Resource Coordinator, in rolling out the
EN to local customers. It is not uncommon for the local EN Rep to have another role within
the Job Center, such as a Skill Services Team member, employment counselor, or a WIA
case manager. Agreements between the state and local workforce investment boards are
common, stating the terms of invested efforts and shared revenues.
Elements to Consider When Determining EN Model:
Many of the areas covered by this guide are applicable regardless if you are a state,
regional, or local EN. The difference that often comes into play is identifying who is
performing the task. The advantages and disadvantages of the two models should be
discussed and reviewing the elements below will assist your decision of which model best
serves your situation.
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Commitment
1. Who is initiating the idea of becoming an EN? Local WIA? Local WIB? State
Workforce agency?
2. Is the respective leadership, i.e. management or WIB, endorse the idea of becoming an
EN?
3. What is the intent of becoming an EN? It is intended solely as a new source of revenue
or intended to enhance services to job seekers who have disabilities?
4. What will the EN funds planned to be used for?
5. How will this commitment to the EN operations continue if there is a change in
leadership/administration?
6. Have you researched the potential of EN activity? # of beneficiaries per service
location, # of current customers who are Beneficiaries (this can be done with OSM prior
to becoming an EN)?
7. Is there a realistic time frame or a contingency plan if the EN does not produce
predicted results? Note: it takes approximately three - five years to get an EN at a
mature level of operations.
Demonstrated Investment
1. Will leadership consider developing a policy or local procedures on serving job seekers
with disabilities and will this policy include language about EN operations? This will
provide for continuity of EN operations for all service sites.
2. Will leadership permit time for training workforce staff about being an EN? It will be
critical for all staff to be aware their agency is an EN.
3. Will the leadership engage the IT department to be involved in the discussions on how
the management information system can feed into the needs of EN operations? Will
the related IT needs for the EN operations receive equal priority as other projects or will
be pushed to lower priority?
4. Will the publications and communications department be willing to promote the EN in
future printed materials, on the website, etc.?
5. Has the fiscal department been included in discussions about the potential of a new
revenue source and willing to adjust recording of a revenue source that is not tied to a
program but incentive funds?
Local buy-in
1. Has a plan been developed to inform and explain the EN to all local managers?
2. Are local managers willing to post promotion of the EN and allow someone to engage in
local marketing?
3. Are all directors of the Job Center’s partner programs and services been informed and
included in this decision?
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Discussion / Coordination with state VR
1. Has the state VR agency been included in the discussion of the idea from the
beginning?
2. Has discussion with VR personnel addressed referrals and strategies identified on how
to best serve the customers who are Beneficiaries’ by placing the customer as the
primary focus to avoid a sense of competition?
3. Has a formal agreement been drafted with state VR agency, leading to a formal MOU?
4. Is there a plan for this MOU to be explained to local VR supervisors / counselors?
Infrastructure
1. Has a plan been developed to address who will perform the related EN duties at the
local level? Has a customer flow chart been drafted?
2. Has a plan been developed to determine who will conduct administrative duties related
to the EN?
3. Is there a plan to use management information system to assist in creating and
maintaining EN related information as required?
4. Is there a marketing plan developed for the EN?
5. Has a plan been developed to track payments and distribution of EN funds?
6. For the state AEN model, has the state determined an EN Coordinator or someone who
will be a lead person for the EN?
Procedures
1. Once the above areas are addressed, is there a plan on how the information will be
communicated initially?
2. Is there a plan to collect and share information on a routine bases; such as a quarterly
report or an annual report to the state and to each LWIA?
3. Is there a plan or guidance of how the EN funds will be used?
4. How or who will be responsible to assure the EN activities remain intact if there is a
change in personnel?
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MARKETING & OUTREACH
How will you effectively identify potential Ticket Holders? What are your Outreach
methods? For example:






Will registration for Job Center services include a voluntary question about
disability status?
Will registration forms include a question about SSA Disability benefits?
Will you use e-Data sharing? (Using Job Center Customer matching, with
assistance from OSM)
Will you use the Beneficiary Referral CD?
Will you have training events that examine SSA Work Incentives as a way
to draw beneficiaries to your Job Center?
What media will you use to market your new EN services?
You may also contact your NDI TA Liaison for more assistance in identifying effective
marketing strategies.
Consider your methods for Outreach:
How will you market your EN to community service providers, and other referral
sources?
List the agencies within your community that you think should be aware of the new service
you are offering to SSA beneficiaries in the Job Center. Consider also, how you will partner
with existing ENs, if there are any in your community:
Have you developed Marketing materials you will use for outreach to beneficiaries?
NOTE: View DEI Webinars, including Marketing and Outreach:
http://www.dei-ideas.org/chapter1/page1a_ttw_webinar_public.cfm
The following sources have Ticket to Work marketing materials available for you:

SSA has generic materials to help you market Ticket services to beneficiaries at the
following site:
http://www.chooseworkttw.net/document-library/materials-for-providers/index.html
 Contact the NDI Ticket Team for workforce EN examples of marketing materials
List other materials you will use, that you may already have developed, specific to your EN
services:
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Do you understand how eDataShare can be used to successfully help you market to
Ticket holders who are already registered in your Job Center?
Workforce eProcesses include several elements to help streamline the administrative
burden associated with operating an Employment Network for Workforce ENs. The
eProcesses include the following:



eTicket assignment – Allows for batch assignments, making large volume assignments
possible for Workforce ENs
ePay – Automates EN payment processing, eliminating the burden of manual billing for
Workforce ENs
eDataShare – Allows for Workforce ENs to match registered customers with SSA
records, to identify eligible Ticket holders
Additional information describing the eProcesses can be found here:
https://yourtickettowork.com/web/ttw/en-eprocess.
A Workforce EN will need to enroll in the eProcesses with the Operations Support Manager
(Maximus), to take advantage of these processes. The enrollment for can be found here:
https://yourtickettowork.com/documents/10404/476720/Workforce_eProcess_Enrollment_F
orm_2013.pdf
Once your agency becomes an EN and obtains security clearance, the NDI Ticket Team
has developed an “Orientation Activation Plan” that will guide you through the steps to get
eDataShare in full operation. It is advised to notify the NDI Ticket Team upon receiving
security clearance.
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SETTING GOALS FOR YOUR EN:
Do you have a projected number of Ticket holders you expect to serve?
Like any business, you should consider goals for your EN including the total number of
beneficiaries you expect to serve in any given year. While this may seem like a difficult
goal to set, there are methods to develop this goal. First and foremost, you should
examine what the total number of beneficiaries is, in your service area. You can find this
information here: https://yourtickettowork.com/web/ttw/en-beneficiary-distribution. (Note: to
get total number of beneficiaries, select ALL diagnosis codes) By examining the total
number of beneficiaries who are of working age, in your service area, you can better inform
your decision regarding a goal for numbers of Ticket holders you will serve. Generally
speaking, you might want to start with a goal of 10 Tickets assigned, within six months after
receiving approval of suitability and security clearance. After this, you may want to
consider setting a goal that aims to serve an identified percentage of the total working age
beneficiaries in your service area (i.e. ½%).
What is the total number of beneficiaries in your service area?
What is the total number of beneficiaries you would like to eventually be serving, on
average?
Do you have a revenue projection for your EN?
Based on the number of beneficiaries you hope to serve each year, now you can consider
the amount of revenue you hope to produce. Revenue projections are difficult, based on
the many variables associated with EN operations, the attributes of the Ticket holders you
are serving, and your local job market. There is no exact science associated with revenue
projections, and for a new EN, it is advised you tap into Technical Assistance to learn more
about this projection. Once an EN is in operation for a year, you will be able to use your
past performance as a benchmark for future projections. It is advised for an EN to have an
internal tracking tool for a variety of purposes including future performance. The NDI Ticket
Team has to available tools available at no cost: the Ticket Data Manager, or Ticket
Tracker, At a minimum, you should look at the EN Payments at a Glance, located at the
following OSM website link, in order to better understand the Ticket payment structure:
https://yourtickettowork.com/web/ttw/resource-documents
Whether you have enough local data to develop a statistical evaluation of current
performance, or if you are new to EN operations, there is another tool available through
NDI, to assist you in revenue projections. The EN Revenue Projection Calculator is a new
tool made available by NDI Ticket Team to assist you in evaluating revenue projections,
based on a variety of factors that have been included based on actual EN operations.
Additionally, NDI has another calculator to assist DEI projects in strengthening the
partnership with State VR programs, which can show the revenue generated through
Partnership Plus relationships. If you would like to get assistance with this new tool in
evaluating revenue goals for your site, please contact the NDI Ticket Team to schedule a
consultation.
Provide your best estimate of revenue you believe you will produce each year?
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EN STAFFING & SERVICES:
What kind of services will your EN offer?
Being able to identify and market the services your EN can provide is an important step in
the development of your EN. Typically the services provided by a workforce EN are
services currently existing at the job center, with the addition of Work Incentives guidance.
Initially you can identify the services offered locally and as your EN evolves this piece can
be reviewed and expanded upon.
Note: SSA requires that ENs provide at least the following core services to Ticket holders
under the RFQ: Career Counseling, Job Placement, and Long-Term follow up Supports.
List the services you can offer, and promote, to Ticket holders:
Will Ticket cases be “stand-alone” cases, or braided with other programs?
Many Job Center/ENs are finding that services provided to Ticket holders naturally lend
themselves to the use of Integrated Resource Teams and other services that utilize multiple
staff within, and outside of, the Job Center. As you review your DEI Strategic Service
Delivery options you chose, consider how the Ticket holders you serve can benefit from
these strategies, and how they can be incorporated into your EN Business Model.
How do you envision incorporating DEI Service Delivery options you chose, in the services
you provide to Ticket holders in your Job Center (i.e. Asset Development)?
Which staff will assist with your EN efforts?
The staff member most likely to be involved coordinating services for Ticket holders is the
Disability Resource Coordinator. However, there are many facets involved in EN
operations. Consider staff who you think should be involved, either internal or external, in
assisting in the following EN tasks:
1. Ticket holder Assessment & Assignment of Tickets (who will screen Ticket holders,
determine which Ticket holders you should serve, and develop the Individual Work Plan):
2. Work Incentive Advisement and Planning:
3. Job Placement/Recruitment services:
4. Long-term follow up supports for Ticket holders:
5. Billing and Tracking of Ticket holders:
6. Who will be designated as Signatory Authority?
7. Designated EN/Beneficiary Point of Contact (POC), the EN staff member the Ticket
holder will contact for more information on your EN services:
8. Who would be included in the Marketing and Outreach efforts?
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Will you serve Ticket holders pursuing self-employment?
Self-Employment is a complex venture to pursue, but sometimes it is the right choice for
Ticket holders given restrictions they might have due to their disabling condition. There are
additional rules associated with Self-Employment that the Social Security Administration
(SSA) takes into account. For example, SSA does not look at gross earnings in cases of
self-employment; rather, they look at something called Net Earnings from Self Employment
(NESE). This is also what the OSM, will look at in evaluating whether to pay your EN for
achieving Milestone or Outcomes in the Ticket to Work program. Sometimes it can take a
longer period of time for a beneficiary to achieve the necessary NESE for you to achieve
payments. Therefore, you will need to understand up-front, that these cases may require a
longer investment of your time as an EN.
Will self-employment be an option for Ticket holders you serve?
Yes
No
If yes, consider the additional supports you have in your community that you can connect
with to assist your Ticket holders in pursuing Self-Employment:
Will you serve Ticket holders looking for full-time work, part-time work, or both?
In order to develop an assessment process for your EN, you will need to consider this
carefully. If you choose to serve Ticket holders, for example, who only wish to work parttime, you will not typically be in a position to fulfill the goals of the Ticket program.
However, it is possible to serve individuals who possess a high level of skill, who will return
to part-time work, which will eventually, or immediately, lead to SGA level employment.
SGA, or, Substantial Gainful Activity, equates to $1,040/month in gross wages for non-blind
beneficiaries or, $1,740/month in gross wages for blind beneficiaries in 2013. In 2014, the
rates will be $1,070, and $1,800
Remember that many Ticket holders will start out working part-time, even if their
goal is to achieve SGA level earnings, and beyond.
Most ENs that are receiving payments for supports provided to Ticket holders need to
consider Ticket holders who’s goal is SGA level employment. However, if all payments are
available on a Ticket, it is also possible to serve someone who needs initial placement
supports, as long as they achieve at least Trial Work Level (TWL) earnings, which is $750
for 2013, and $770 for 2014. Remember, your goal as an EN, as is the goal of the Ticket
to Work program, is to assist beneficiaries in becoming self-sufficient, which is why the bulk
of the Ticket payments are provided to ENs who commit to serving Ticket holders longterm. This can be a very long process to help someone accomplish, and it requires
thinking about more than just the initial employment objective being met.
Provide your thoughts about what Ticket holders you will serve, which will also assist you in
developing your initial assessment process:
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Per the RFQ, Workforce ENs have the following options to consider for providing Ticket
holder supports. This in an important part of your EN Business Model as it indicates the
length of time you will invest in providing services to Ticket holders:
A. EN will provide all agreed services for initial and ongoing follow-up supports
(quarterly follow-up required)
B. EN will provide agreed upon services for initial supports to assist in securing
employment (Phase 1), after which, Ticket holder will need to find another EN to
assist with long term follow-up supports.
C. EN will partner with an agency for agreed upon services for both the initial
AND long term follow-up supports
Additional Thoughts / Comments:
NOTE: As was mentioned above, if at all possible, building the long-term support system
into your EN model of service, will offer you the opportunity to earn the bulk of the available
Ticket payments, leading a more substantial EN. To see current Payments at a Glance
chart, see OSM site here: https://yourtickettowork.com/web/ttw/resource-documents
PARTNERSHIP PLUS:
Partnership Plus allows a Ticket holder who is served (and successfully placed) by your
State VR agency to assign their Ticket to you after their VR case is closed. Under this
model, when you serve a Ticket holder who has been closed successfully by your State VR
agency, Phase 1 Milestones will not be available. Therefore, your goal with a Ticket holder
you accept after your State VR program has successfully closed them would have to be
SGA level employment. A different payment system is available only to State VR agencies
under the Ticket program; it is referred to as Cost Reimbursement.
This partnership is important for the long-term success of your EN, and also important to
your State’s VR system, as it helps with the following:




Provides long-term supports to VR customers
Reduces recidivism
Increases payments State VR agencies are likely to receive through traditional
Cost Reimbursement, due to EN support to Ticket holder in promoting
employment stability
Assists in producing EN revenue
NDI is committed to assisting you better understand the value of this relationship, and has
developed tools to help you market your services to State VR agencies. A solid
Partnership Plus relationship benefits customers, as it provides long-term supports not
available to certain VR customers. To find out more about the products available to assist
your EN in exploring a solid relationship with your State VR agency, contact the NDI Ticket
Team.
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TICKET HOLDER ASSESSMENT:
After considering the services your Employment Network will offer, it is time to consider
an initial assessment process. Knowing the target audience you wish to serve will help you
develop an initial evaluation of the characteristics you consider to be a “good fit” for your
model of EN services. For example, most Job Centers/ENs are likely to adopt a
“Competitive Placement” model of Job Placement for Ticket holders they will serve,
because this expertise already exists in all Job Centers. As this is the likely model of
services your EN will provide, there are logical questions you will want to ask of any
potential Ticket holder, which will help you streamline your intake process.
Provide thoughts on the characteristics a Ticket holder might have, that you feel would be a
“good fit” for your EN model of services:
NOTE: Some state level EN models have chosen to assign all Ticket holders that
come through the Job Center, rather than assess and “screen” for Ticket holders
most likely to succeed based on an EN Business Model of service. You should
decide if what method will work best for your State, and/or AJC, and develop your
EN Business Model of service accordingly.
Once you have identified the kind of Ticket holder you think would most benefit from the
EN services you will offer, the next step is to develop, or adjust, an existing intake process.
This process will vary from EN to EN; however, an Intake tool will involve the gathering of
key information for evaluation. Each EN will customize this process, based on their service
delivery model. For Workforce ENs, this could be the registration form, or, a supplemental
form with additional key information. Remember, this is a process used by ENs that
choose to assess individual cases, in order to determine who might be a “good fit” for
services, based on their EN business model.
Have you developed a stand-alone intake form, or do you plan to develop a supplement to
your Job Center registration form?
NOTE: An example of a stand-alone intake form created by the NYS DEI project is
available by contacting the NDI Ticket Team. This can be a helpful tool, and process, for
newer Employment Networks
If you will be utilizing a stand-alone or adjusted intake process, you will need to use the
information collected to evaluate which Ticket holders are the “best fit” for your services.
This evaluation will require knowledge of how the Ticket program payment structure works,
Ticket holder skills assessment, and SSA Disability benefits planning knowledge, although
a variety of other factors should be considered in accordance with your Job Centers
standard evaluation for services.
Have you identified which staff member(s) will conduct the intake, and/or, who will be
involved in the evaluation of which Ticket holders you will decide to serve?
List staff member(s) you’ve identified to handle this task:
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Once you have determined which Ticket holders to serve, an Individual Work Plan
(IWP), or IEP will be developed with each Ticket holder. The IWP contains required
elements identified by Ticket to Work regulations. You should consider who will develop,
and submit SSN’s to OSM for assignment. The identified staff member will be required to
have security clearance in place.
You can use the SSA IWP template, which can be found here:
https://yourtickettowork.com/web/ttw/forms-page, or, there is an alternate IWP that the
National Workforce Partners, a collaboration of partners from SSA, OSM, and other
contractors working closely with SSA, developed for Workforce ENs. This IWP template is
available to you on the DEI Technical Assistance center website, found here:
http://www.dei-ideas.org/chapter6/page03m_eno_public.cfm
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EN REPORTING REQUIREMENTS:
How will you track Ticket holders for purposes of billing, payments and case
management?
Organizing your Ticket holder data is an important administrative task every EN has to
develop. While every Job Center has a Management Information System (MIS) that they
use for customer data, sometimes it can be more efficient to keep a separate database for
the Ticket holders you are serving.
Are you aware of the tracking tools available from NDI?
Yes
No
If no, contact the NDI Ticket Team and inquire about either the Ticket Tracker or Ticket
Data Manager. Both tools were created by Workforce ENs willing to share these products
to assist other Workforce ENs.
Who will maintain Ticket holder data?
Will you use your MIS for case notes, or another method? Comments:
Who will maintain Ticket holder files, and what information will they contain?
While SSA has no set parameters regarding how you organize your Ticket holder files, you
should consider what information you think is important as well as what is minimally
required for you to have in each file. At a minimum, SSA will require you to have the
Individual Work Plan (IWP) or Individual Employment Plan (IEP) on file. However,
there are other documents that will end up being useful to you. Below are examples of
documents that a Ticket file might contain, to assist in service delivery and administration of
the program.
It is important to note, that regardless of what is in your Ticket holders file, you must protect
your customers Personally Identifiable Information (PII). Secure electronic files may be
kept, or you may keep paper files for your Ticket holders. Paper files should be kept in a
locked filing cabinet.




18-Month Prior Earnings Worksheet, found here:
https://yourtickettowork.com/web/ttw/forms-page (not required, but can be helpful
information if you are manually billing for cases)
Pay check stubs, other proof of earnings, or Evidence of Self-Employment earnings,
such as a tax return (not required if using ePay)
Benefits information: Benefits Summary Analysis, and Benefits Planning Query
(BPQY)
Consent forms, such as SSA-3288, or consent for local service providers
What documents will you require each folder to contain?
How will you store your Ticket holder files (Secure electronic or paper files)?
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Each year, every EN must complete an Annual Performance Outcome Report (APOR),
which deals with various statistics related to your performance in placing and retaining
Ticket holders, and allows for certain changes to be made regarding your EN. The APOR
can be completed and signed by either the Signatory Authority, or, the Point of Contact,
indicated in your EN contract.
NOTE: For more information about the APOR, contact your OSM Account Manager. Also
see page 21-22 which shows the 2012 APOR, and data requested. The APOR covers one
calendar year, in this example, 2012, although the title states 2013. Note that information
requested by OSM varies from year to year.
Who will complete the APOR?
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TICKET REVENUE:
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EN REVENUE:
How will Ticket revenue be used by your Job Center?
As you begin receiving payments for your efforts with Ticket holders, you should consider a
strategy for the use of this revenue. Remember that these are flexible funds, not program
funds, and you may use them to promote disability services in your Job Center by
supplementing staff salaries, training or supports for Ticket holders. If there is concern
about how these funds can be used, and accounted for, please refer to Training and
Employment Notice (TEN) No. 20-07, dated December 12, 2007. Below is an excerpt from
this TEN that clearly indicates that these are not to be considered program funds:
“The comprehensive nature of the One-Stop Career Center System makes it a natural
service provider as an EN. One-Stop Career Centers and LWIBs should consider
becoming ENs because this program provides a potential funding source for any entity
that provides return-to-work services to Social Security beneficiaries with disabilities. It
is likely that you are already providing such services to your customers with disabilities.
This makes good business sense, and will enable you to leverage funding to maximize
services for your customers with disabilities and better respond to the needs of your
business customers.
Participation as an EN also provides an additional revenue source to the Job Center’s
delivery system since outcome or outcome-milestone payments are not considered
program income and will not replace existing funding sources.”
List the ways you believe Ticket revenue should be used, beginning with what you have
prioritized for these funds:
1.
2.
3.
NOTE: You should be aware of whom it is, in your organization that has the authority to
approve the use of Ticket revenue. One of the advantages of Ticket revenue is the
flexibility, and the speed in which these funds can be accessed. Many Job Center / ENs
have used these flexible funds to blend with other funding sources to assist Ticket
holders with training, for example, in combination with training funds they were eligible
for through the Job Center. Additionally, Job Center/ENs have used these funds to pay
for an expense that is minimal, for example, the renewal of a license, bus passes, gas
cards, or other needed items or services that quickly remove barriers to employment.
For a workforce EN that represents one or more partners, the use of the Ticket revenue
should be determined by representation of all partners in a joint decision.
List the individual or group who will authorize the use of Ticket revenue:
How will you track Ticket revenue, and disperse these funds to local areas? (Some
tracking tools are available at no cost from the NDI Ticket team)
Comments:
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