Sallie Rhodes

1
The Ticket To Work Program and the New
Partnership Plus Option

• Sallie Rhodes
• CESSI Ticket to Work Specialist

2
What is the Ticket to Work Program?

• Voluntary employment program administered by SSA
• Offers beneficiaries receiving cash benefits
  under the Social Security Disability Insurance
  (SSDI) and/or the Supplemental Security Income
  (SSI) based on disability increased choices in
  obtaining services supports to enter and
  maintain employment
• gt Referred to as Ticket Holders
• Pays participating Employment Networks (ENs) for
  Milestones and Outcomes beneficiaries achieve in
  moving towards self-supporting employment
• Ultimate goal Reduce reliance on Social Security
  disability benefits, increase self-sufficiency,
  and improve the quality of life for beneficiaries

3
How Does the Ticket Work?
EN Beneficiary Connect
EN Beneficiary Negotiate Individualized Work
Plan (IWP)
EN Submits IWP to MAXIMUS, Assigning
Beneficiarys Ticket to EN
EN Submits Payment Request to Maximus Gets
Paid (30-45 days /-)
Beneficiary Goes to Work EN Collects Evidence
of Earnings
EN Provides Services Supports to Complete
Negotiated IWP
4
Choice An Underlying Principle of the TTW Program

• Beneficiaries can choose
• Whether to use their Tickets
• When to use their Tickets
• Where to seek assistance
• gt Employment Network
• gt State VR agency

5
What Are Employment Networks?

• Private (for profit non-profit) organizations,
  government agencies, service providers
  (traditional and non-traditional), and
  educational institutions that offer education,
  training and employment services
• Can be a single entity, a partnership, or a
  coalition of providers functioning as a single EN
• Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) agencies are
  automatic ENs
• Federal agencies cannot be ENs

6
Employers Can Be Approved as ENs

• Employers, big and small, can become ENs.
• No need to be a traditional service provider.
• Can hire one, a few, or many Ticket Holders.

7
Why Would an Employer Want to Be an EN?

• SSA does not dictate the types of supports and
  services ENs must provide.
• Many employers are already hiring Ticket Holders
  If not an approved EN, they are potentially
  losing Ticket payments.
• ENs are free to use Ticket payments any way they
  want
• gt Hire more staff
• gt Create a flexible job fund
• gt Create an accommodations fund
• gt Buy new equipment

8
Are There Other Reasons?

• The employer does not need to be an expert in SSA
  benefits.
• Free resources are available to beneficiaries.
  Visit www.ssa.gov/work
• gt Work Incentives Planning and Assistance
  Projects (WIPA)
• gt Area Work Incentives Coordinators
• gt Protection Advocacy

9
And Finally!

• In addition to EN payments, employers can also
  access the Work Opportunity Tax Credit (WOTC)
  that reduces an employers federal income tax
  liability by as much as 2,400 per qualified
  worker during the first year of employment.

10
ENs Have Choices

• EN chooses a payment system (2 options)
• gt Outcome Payment System EN receives payments
  when Ticket Holders earnings exceed the
  applicable SGA level and beneficiary is in zero
  cash benefit status
• gt Outcome-Milestone Payment System EN
  receives payments when Ticket Holder achieves
  designated Milestones and Outcomes in moving
  towards self-supporting employment
• ENs choose
• gt What services they provide
• gt Which Ticket Holders they serve

11
TTW -- A New Approach to Service Delivery

• Payments based on Milestones and Outcomes
• gt Associated with work and earnings
• gt Achieved by Ticket Holders after job
  placement
• Not reimbursement for the cost of services
  provided

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Key Features of Interest to Beneficiaries

• The Ticket Program is voluntary and free to
  beneficiaries No penalty for not participating
• Tickets are available to all adult beneficiaries
  with disabilities ages 18 through 64, who receive
  cash benefits
• Using a Ticket and making timely progress
  towards an employment goal will postpone medical
  Continuing Disability Reviews (CDRs)

13
Improvements to Outcome-Milestone Payment System

• Total potential EN payments for SSDI and SSI
  Ticket Holders almost the same
• Outcome payments increased by 27
• ENs earn milestones earlier, more often, and at a
  higher rate
• gt Phase 1 Milestone payments are associated with
  initial efforts at employment
• gt Some Milestone payments are based on part-time
  work
• gt Milestone payments based on gross earnings
  encourage use of work incentives

14
Phase 1Milestone Payments2009 Rates
15
Phase 2 Milestone Payments2009 Rates
16
Outcome Payments Under Outcome-Milestone Payment
System

• Outcome payments are generated when
• Ticket Holders earning gt SGA level and
• Ticket Holder enters 0 cash benefit status

17
Outcome Payments Under Outcome-Milestone Payment
System
2009 Rates
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New Opportunities for EN/VR Partnerships

• Authorizing Legislation VR agencies can choose
  on a case-by-case basis whether to serve a
  beneficiary under the traditional Cost
  Reimbursement program or as an EN under the TTW
  program.
• Old regulations SSA paid for Ticket Holder
  success under either the traditional CR Program
  (VR only) or under the TTW program, not both.
• New regulations (effective 7/21/08) Permit
  payments under both CR and TTW programs on
  behalf of the same beneficiary for the same
  Ticket.
• gt Can address need for post-employment supports
• gt Payments for sequential, not concurrent,
  provision of services
• New opportunities for EN/VR partnerships referred
  to as Partnership Plus

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Beneficiaries Served by VR Under Cost
Reimbursement

• When VR notifies MAXIMUS that a beneficiary will
  be served under the CR program, the beneficiarys
  Ticket
• Is not available for assignment to another EN
  while the VR case is open
• Is placed in the new in-use SVR status that
  extends protection against medical Continuing
  Disability Reviews (CDRs) while the beneficiary
  receives VR services
• Ticket Holder has option of assigning his/her
  Ticket to an EN to receive ongoing support
  services or job retention services.

20
How Could Partnership Plus Work with an Employer?
Beneficiary and VR Counselor negotiate an IPE and
Ticket is placed in in-use SVR status
VR provides services supports outlined in IPE,
places beneficiary with an employer that is an
EN, and closes case after 90 days of employment
Beneficiary goes to Voc Rehab and applies for
services
Beneficiary signs IWP, thereby assigning Ticket
to the EN
Employer provides on-the-job training and
supports to help the beneficiary maintain and
advance in employment
EN submits for Phase 2 Milestone and Outcome
payments based on beneficiarys earnings
Employer beneficiary negotiate an
Individualized Work Plan (IWP)
VR submits for Cost Reimbursement when
beneficiary achieves 9 months of SGA earnings
(200)
21
Availability of Phase 1 Milestone Payments

• Partnership Plus - When beneficiary assigns
  Ticket to an EN after VR case closure
• Phase 1 Milestones not available to EN if VR
  closed case with beneficiary employed
• gt VR provided services leading to initial
  efforts at self-supporting employment
• gt SSA pays EN for Milestones Outcomes
  achieved after Ticket assignment

22
Partnership Plus Coordinated Efforts Between VR
Employers

• Vocational Rehabilitation
• Up front services
• Individualized Plan for Employment IPE
• Choice between Cost Reimbursement and functioning
  as an EN
• If functioning as an EN, choice of EN payment
  system

• Employer EN
• On-the-job training, services, and supports as
  needed
• Individualized Work Plan IWP
• Choice between Outcome only or Milestone/Outcome
  payment systems

23
Case Example 1 Employer/EN Using Outcome Payment
System

• VR serves beneficiary, chooses Cost
  Reimbursement, provides services, and places
  beneficiary with an employer EN that has selected
  the Outcome payment system.
• VR closes the case after the beneficiary is
  stabilized in employment for 90 days and informs
  the beneficiary that his/her employer is an EN.
• Beneficiary decides to assign Ticket to the
  employer.
• The employer provides on-the-job training to help
  the beneficiary maintain employment and increase
  his/her earnings.
• Based on a written agreement, the employer
  notifies VR when the beneficiary has been
  employed 9 continuous months with earnings above
  the applicable SGA level after deductions for any
  subsidies or Impairment Related Work Expenses
  (IRWEs).
• When the beneficiarys earnings exceed the
  applicable SGA level and the beneficiary enters
  the zero cash benefit status, the employer
  begins submitting for monthly Outcome payments.

24
Case Example 2 Employer/EN Using
Outcome/Milestone Payment System

• VR serves beneficiary, chooses Cost
  Reimbursement, provides services, and places
  beneficiary with an employer EN that has selected
  the Outcome/Milestone payment system.
• VR closes the case after the beneficiary is
  stabilized in employment for 90 days and informs
  the beneficiary that his/her employer is an EN.
• Beneficiary decides to assign Ticket to the
  employer.
• If the beneficiarys gross earnings are above the
  applicable SGA level, the employer can begin
  submitting for Phase 2 Milestone payments one
  calendar month after VR closes the beneficiarys
  case.
• If the beneficiary continues working and goes
  into zero cash benefit status, the employer can
  begin receiving Outcome payments.
• Based on a written agreement, the employer
  notifies VR when the beneficiary has been
  employed 9 continuous months with earnings above
  the applicable SGA level after deductions for any
  Impairment Related Work Expenses (IRWEs).

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Partnership Plus Working with Employers

• A chance to approach the employers VR works with
  about becoming ENs one more incentive to work
  with VR.
• Access to a pool of potential employees.
• An opportunity for employers to meet their hiring
  goals and diversity requirements.

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Benefits to VR and ENs

• Assist beneficiaries to maintain and advance in
  employment
• Potential to increase funding system-wide
• gt Increases Cost Reimbursement program income
  for VR
• gt Increases Milestone and Outcome payments to
  ENs
• Opportunity to minimize/share administrative
  tasks associated with tracking work and earnings,
  and submitting for payments from SSA

27
VR Agencies Can Still Choose to Function as an EN

• On a case-by-case basis, a VR agency can still
  choose to serve a beneficiary as an EN under the
  Ticket to Work Program
• Ticket is assigned to the VR agency
• The VR agency must operate under same rules as
  any other EN
• Creates a competitive relationship since
  increased funding available under Partnership
  Plus (i.e., CR plus Phase 2 Milestone and Outcome
  payments) is not an option
• If Ticket is reassigned at case closure, VR and
  EN may need to share EN payments based on the
  services each provided and how they contributed
  to Milestones Outcomes earned

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Need Help Completing the RFP?

• Contact CESSI, the Program Manager for
  Recruitment and Outreach, at 1-877-743-8237
• Participate in an application process
  walk-through conference call (E-Mail
  application_at_cessi.net).
• Receive one-on-one assistance from a CESSI
  Account Manager
• gt Emily Malsch, Account Manager for Employer ENs
• 703-448-6155 ext. 203 emalsch_at_cessi.net
• SSA Can Help Too!
• Assistance in responding to EN RFP is also
  available by contacting SSAs Employment Contract
  Team (ENCT).
• gt E-Mail ENContracts_at_ssa.gov
• gt Call 1-866-584-5180

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Help Continues!

• Help continues after being approved as an EN.
  Contact MAXIMUS
• Phone (866) 949-ENVR (3687)
• Website www.yourtickettowork.com
• Ticket Training available
• gt Ticket Training Tuesdays - FREE CD
• gt Online, self-paced Training
• Enhanced online directory listing
• Online Newsletter Inside Ticket

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For More Information

• For more information on the Ticket to Work
  Program
• gt Visit SSAs Work Site at www.socialsecurity.g
  ov/work
• gt Visit CESSIs web site at www.cessi.net/ttw/
• gt Visit the Maximus web site at
  www.yourtickettowork.com
• Any questions on the Ticket to Work Program
  should be e-mailed to TicketProgram_at_ssa.gov