Marc Gold

1
SSA Youth Transition Initiative The MYTI
Project Mississippi Model Youth Transition
Innovation

• A project funded by the Social Security
  Administration through Mississippis Dept. of
  Rehabilitation Services for Gulfport, MS Schools
  and Harrison County, MS, Schools

2
Overarching goal of the initiative

• To reduce dependency on Supplemental Security
  Income payments and to accrue savings to the
  Social Security Trust fund through a strategy of
  benefits counseling, innovative employment
  services, student/family accounts and quality
  transition services for students with
  disabilities.

3
Basic approach

• This project will target students with
  disabilities throughout the transition years with
  a focus toward benefits counseling for parents,
  customized employment experiences and jobs,
  curricular connection with employment needs, and
  student focused discovery process.

4
SSA, Students and Economic Security

• Provide accurate and believable benefits
  information early in school career
• Focus on saving SSA/Govt. resources rather that
  getting student off benefits
• Encourage a culture of presumption of employment
  rather than presumption of total and permanent
  disability
• Train local SSA staff to send message of
  stability of benefits Building trust

5
SSA, Students and Economic Security

• Embrace customized employment outcomes rather
  than arbitrary outcomes
• Work with schools to bring employment focus to
  curricular offerings
• Assist schools in balancing often-contradictory
  challenges employment, inclusion, aptitude
  testing and performance measures
• Encourage self-determination and individual
  budget approaches

6
SSA, Students and Economic Security

• Offer waivers to allow flexibility in
  re-determination of eligibility and other
  barriers
• Work within the WIA One Stop system to bring
  generic services, schools, vocational
  rehabilitation and SSA together