The Ticket to Work and SelfSufficiency Program

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The Ticket to Work and Self-Sufficiency Program

• MAXIMUS Staff Training

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Module 5

• Overview of the
• Ticket to Work and
• Self-Sufficiency Program

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Learning Objectives

• At the end of this module you will be able to
• Describe the purpose of the Ticket to Work and
  Self-Sufficiency Program,
• Describe the objectives of the Ticket to Work and
  Self-Sufficiency Program,
• Describe the mission of MAXIMUS as the Program
  Manager, and
• Describe the basic components of the Ticket to
  Work and Self-Sufficiency Program.

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Purpose of the Ticket to Work and
Self-Sufficiency Program
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Purpose of the Ticket Program

• To expand the universe of service providers
  available to beneficiaries covered under Social
  Security Disability Insurance and Supplemental
  Security Income

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Mission and Objectives of the Ticket to Work
and Self-Sufficiency Program
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Mission and Objectives

• Address barriers that beneficiaries encounter
  when returning to work,
• Expand availability of health care services and
  medical coverage,
• Eliminate work disincentives, and
• Provide enhanced benefits planning and assistance
  from service providers

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Major Components of the Ticket to Work Program

• Social Security Administration
• MAXIMUS
• Tickets
• Beneficiaries
• Employment Networks
• Individual Work Plans
• EN Payment Systems

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Social Security Administration (SSA)

• Designated by Congress to oversee the
  implementation of the Ticket to Work Program
• Responsible for writing the Regulations for the
  TTWP
• Will monitor the success/short-comings of the
  TTWP
• Will determine which beneficiaries will receive
  tickets
• Will have the final say on all decisions

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MAXIMUS

• Selected by SSA to serve as Program Manager for
  the TTWP
• Responsible for overseeing the administration/day-
  to-day functions of the TTWP

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The MAXIMUS Mission

• Assist SSA in accomplishing the Ticket to Work
  Programs objectives,
• Provide beneficiaries with network of Employment
  Networks (ENs),
• Provide an effective process by which
  beneficiaries can secure program information and
  make EN selections, and
• Provide follow up and quality monitoring of the
  services beneficiaries receive.

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Specific Responsibilities of MAXIMUS

• Recruit ENs,
• Monitor ENs to ensure adequate choices are
  available to beneficiaries,
• Monitor EN payments,
• Precluded from imposing limits on the number of
  ENs to be recruited,
• Ensure beneficiaries ability to change ENs,
• Reassign Tickets,
• (continued on next slide)

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Specific Responsibilities of MAXIMUS (continued)

• Maintain list of available ENs,
• Ensure all information is in accessible format to
  beneficiaries,
• Resolve payment issues, and
• Ensure EN services are available to beneficiaries
  in all geographical areas.

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Tickets

• Document providing evidence that the Commissioner
  of the Social Security Administration has agreed
  to pay an EN or State Vocational Rehabilitation
  (VR) Agency for providing support services to the
  beneficiary
• Available for SSDI/SSI beneficiaries who meet the
  established eligibility criteria

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Ticket
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Ticket Distribution

• Will be distributed in graduated phases
• Rolled out in 13 states initially (Phase 1),
  beginning in February 2002
• Next 20 states D.C. will be rolled out within
  the 12 months following the rollout of Phase 1
• Final roll out (remaining 17 states and U.S.
  Territories) will occur within the 12 months
  following the rollout of Phase 2

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Ticket to Work Rollout States
WA
NH
ME
VT
MT
ND
OR
MN
MA
ID
WI
SD
WI
NY
NY
WY
MI
RI
IA
NE
IA
CT
PA
IL
NV
IL
NJ
OH
UT
IN
DE
CO
WV
CA
MO
VA
MD
KS
KY
DC
NC
TN
AZ
OK
OK
AR
NM
SC
SC
MS
Puerto Rico
GA
AL
TX
LA
AK
No. M.I. American Samoa Virgin Islands Guam
FL
HI
FL
Phase I-- Early 2001 Ticket States
Phase II--2002 Ticket Rollout States
Phase III--2003 Ticket Rollout States
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Beneficiaries

• Eligible beneficiaries will
• Be 18-64 years old
• In an active pay status and
• Must not be medically expected to improve, or if
  they are medically expected to improve, they must
  have had a Continuing Disability Review within
  the last 12 months

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Beneficiary Participation

• Ticket Program is VOLUNTARY
• Beneficiaries will not be penalized for choosing
  not to use their ticket
• In choosing to participate, beneficiaries may
  assign their ticket to the EN of their choice

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Employment Networks

• Organizations or groups of organizations that
  have come together to provide necessary services
  to a beneficiary in support of an employment goal
• Recruited by MAXIMUS approved by SSA
• Two payment options available

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State Vocational Rehabilitation Agencies (VR)

• Located in each state, 82 nationwide
• Title I of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973
• Must participate in the TTWP, but does not have
  to function as EN
• Three payment options available

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Alternate Participants (AP)

• Operate under Project RSVP (Referral System for
  Vocational Rehabilitation Providers)
• Pre-Ticket to Work Program
• Provide vocational rehabilitation services to
  disabled beneficiaries if a beneficiary is denied
  services through their State VR
• Being phased-out as TTWP phased-in

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Individual Work Plan (IWP) Definition

• An agreement between the beneficiary and the EN
• States the beneficiarys vocational goal and
  outlines services necessary to achieve the goal
• Represents mutual agreement between the 2 parties
  to work together toward the goal of gainful
  employment

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IWP Components

• Examples of IWP Components include
• Vocational goal,
• Services and supports to achieve the goal,
• Terms and conditions regarding the services,
• Statement that EN may not receive compensation
  from the beneficiary

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Individualized Plan for Employment

• Document used by State VR Agencies
• Parallel to an IWP

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Employment Network Payment Systems

• ENs are compensated for services provided to
  beneficiaries with Tickets when those
  beneficiaries achieve certain milestones or
  outcomes
• ENs can select from 2 payment systems Outcome
  Payment Method or the Outcome/Milestone Payment
  Method

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Outcome Payment Method

• ENs can receive up to 60 payments
• Payments are received for months when the
  beneficiary has earnings from employment
  sufficient to preclude payment of cash benefits
  or to reduce cash benefits to zero

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Outcome-Milestone Payment Method

• ENs can receive 4 payments for milestones that
  the beneficiary reaches, in addition to the 60
  outcome payments
• Milestones are achieved after the beneficiary
  starts working and are based on earnings
• The beneficiary may still receive his/her cash
  benefit in the month that the milestone is paid
  to the EN

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Cost Reimbursement Payment Method

• ONLY available to State VR Agencies
• Payment method available to State VRs under Title
  I of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended
• State VRs may choose to receive payment through
  this method or one of the EN payment methods

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Practice Exercise Discuss Components of the TTWP

• Divide into teams with each team having four or
  five participants.
• Discuss the components of the Ticket to Work
  Program within each team.
• Develop a list of important factors in the
  successful attainment of the Programs goals,
• Debrief the exercise by presenting your teams
  list with the larger group.