Forging New Partnerships and Employment Opportunities for Persons with Disabilities

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Forging New Partnerships and Employment
Opportunities for Persons with Disabilities

• SPI and BARC
• SSA Projects Office
• Virginia Commonwealth University
• Beth Bader Gilson Susan OMara

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Before there were WIGsBefore there were
MIGsBefore there were BPAOsBefore there were
PABSSsBefore there were ODEP Grants...Before
there were Tickets...

• THERE WAS SPI

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The purpose of SPI is to develop innovative
effective service delivery systems which increase
employment of individuals with disabilities...
and be able to demonstrate effectiveness through
both outcome and process evaluation that includes
extensive data collection.
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Federal Agency Funding Collaboration - October,
1998

• Social Security Administration
• Department of Education - Rehabilitation Services
  Administration
• Department of Labor - Employment and Training
  Administration
• Department of Health and Human Services -
  Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration

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State Partnership Systems Change Initiative States
OR
CA
OH
SSA States
RSA States
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But what has SPI really done in the past 4 years

• Developed and implemented innovative service
  approaches that are addressing employment
  barriers for over 6,200 individuals with a
  variety of disabilities.

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The SPI projects have ...
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...had a significant impact on the expansion of
health care coverage for individuals with
disabilities

• Many SPI projects were instrumental in the
  development of Medicaid buy-in programs in their
  state. These projects have served as models for
  many other states currently attempting to design
  buy-in programs.

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...have been heavily involved in improving the
ability of One-Stop Centers to meet the needs of
individuals with disabilities

• The projects have pioneered the provision of
  benefits planning services within the One-Stop
  structure, stimulated the development of improved
  service practices, and delivered training and
  technical assistance to local One-Stop centers.

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...have developed innovative approaches to
providing employment supports

• These approaches include such diverse
  strategies as targeted case management, SSI
  waivers, and employer partnerships, have expanded
  employment opportunities for individuals who have
  faced difficulties obtaining employment through
  traditional approaches.

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...have served as a model for interagency
collaboration

• The interagency governance structures
  developed by many SPI projects, generally
  comprised of state vocational rehabilitation,
  consumers, workforce development, Medicaid,
  employers, mental health, and other relevant
  agencies, have formed the basis for additional
  reform efforts through SSA, DOL, and CMS.

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...have led the nation in the development of
benefits planning and assistance services

• The initial results of the SPI projects efforts
  in this area formed the basis for the SSA
  Benefits Planning, Assistance and Outreach
  initiative.

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Benefits Planning, Assistance and Outreach and
Protection and Advocacy for Beneficiaries of
Social Security

• Essential employment supports outlined in the
  Ticket to Work and Work Incentives Improvement
  Act

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Benefits Planning, Assistance, Outreach Program

• The Ticket to Work and Work Incentives
  Improvement Act of 1999 authorizes SSA to
• Award one or more cooperative agreements in every
  state and US territory, and
• Provide all SSA Disability beneficiaries
  (including transition-to-work aged youth) with
  access to Benefits Planning and Assistance
  Services.
• OUTCOME FORGING NEW PARTNERSHIPS!

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Benefits Planning, Assistance, Outreach Program

• SSA has awarded BPAO cooperative agreements to
  117 organizations across the country.

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BPAO Roles / Responsibilities

• Deliver benefits and work incentives planning and
  assistance
• Conduct outreach to disabled beneficiaries
  regarding available programs and incentives
• Prepare and disseminate information explaining
  such programs
• Work collaboratively with other federal, State,
  and private agencies and nonprofit organizations
  that serve beneficiaries with disabilities

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Array of BPAO Services

• Information and referral
• Problem solving and advocacy
• Benefits planning
• analysis
• advisement
• Benefits assistance
• Support planning
• Management

Support informed decision making and
self-sufficiency stemming from work
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VCU BARC Serving 4 Regions and 65 BPAO Projects
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Objective of the National Reporting Effort
To document the degree to which the BPAO Program
is achieving the outcomes intended by Congress
when it established the Program as a key
component of the Ticket to Work Act. Note All
services and recommendations are documented, as
well as the beneficiarys employment and benefits
receipt status at the time of service.
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Services Delivered to Recipients Through BPAO
(N16,584)
SSI SSDI Concurrent
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Hours of Services Rendered Per Participant
(N16,584)
Service Time IR/Problem Solving Intensive Benefit Support
Less than 1 hour 51.9 11.8
1 hour 19.1 15.9
2 hours 16.3 23.7
3 hours 6.0 16.3
4 hours 2.7 9.1
5-9 hours 3.3 18.1
More than 10 hours 0.8 5.2
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Current Employment Status by SSA Benefit
(N16,584)
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Incentives Indicatedby SSA Benefit (N16,584)
SSI SSDI Concurrent
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Age Ranges by Services Received (N16,584)
IR/Problem Solving Intensive Benefit Support
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BPAO TA Trends

• Work incentives -- next level,
• new provisions,
  work
• incentive enhancements
• Concurrent beneficiaries
• Interface of multiple Federal State Benefit
  Programs
• Issues related to Medicare Medicaid provisions

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BPAO TA Trends

• State-Specific Benefit Programs
• Effective Collaboration with other Federal/State
  Grantees Initiatives

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BPAO Projects

• 32 BPAOs operated by Centers for
• Independent Living
• 18 BPAOs operated by Service Organizations
• such as Goodwill
  Industries, UCP,
• Easter Seals
• 7 BPAOs operated by State Agencies
• 8 BPAOs Legal Services, PAs, University
• based programs, Office of
  the
• Governor, CCD

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Strategies for WIGS

• Relationships
• Training TA on WIG initiatives
• Information on new State/local developments
• Collaboration on delivery of BPAO services