Disability Employment Initiative Disability Employment Initiative (DEI)(DEI)

Hosted/Facilitated by:

Miranda Kennedy, NDI Technical Assistance Team

Presented by:

Kevin Nickerson, NDI Technical Assistance Team &

Michael Greenberg, Associate, Booz Allen Hamilton Inc.

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Ticket to Work Boot Camp:Ticket to Work Boot Camp:Advanced OperationsAdvanced Operations

EN Staffing & Services: Marketing & OutreachEN Staffing & Services: Marketing & Outreach

DEI Projects at the state level and/or local level participating LWIBs are required to become Employment Networks under Social Security Administration’s Ticket to Work Program.

Training and Technical Assistance to DEI Projects in attaining Employment Network status and implementing effective EN operations is provided under U.S. DOLETA contract with NDI Consulting, Inc. and the National Disability Institute (NDI).

Evaluation of the impact of the DEI Projects implementation and outcomes as Employment Network will be provided under U.S. DOL ODEP contract with Social Dynamics.

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Upon completion of this training, DEI grantees will have the following:A better understanding of EN staffing requirementsInformation to obtain Security clearance for EN staffTypical Services provided by ENsA better understanding of how to apply basic marketing & outreach concepts to your TtW promotional plans & practicesKnowledge of the role Beneficiary Access and Support Services BASS plays in support of the Ticket to Work programUnderstanding of ways ENs can access & use BASS resources to promote Ticket and your Workforce EN

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EN Staffing requirements & services Marketing and outreach concepts to promote Ticket Role of Beneficiary Access and Support Services

(BASS) Accessing BASS to promote Ticket & Workforce

ENs Next Steps Q&A

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Partnership Plus

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Employment Networks have specific staffing needs, which break down based on two main functions:

1. Staffing needs based on Services an Employment Network provides to Ticket holders

2. Staffing needs based on the Administration requirements of an Employment Network

In order to sort out the staffing needs of an Employment Network, you must examine the types of services you will provide Ticket holders

The EN Business Model Checklist & Planning Guide can help you examine staffing needs, amongst other considerations in developing EN operations

Administrative requirements of ENs are similar, regardless of whether it is a One-Stop/EN, private EN, or State VR agency, although there are new, and effective tools to help streamline the administrative burden for Workforce ENs, that have been developed over the last couple of years

Every EN, according to SSA, is expected to provide at a minimum:◦ Career Counseling Services◦ Job Placement / Matching Services◦ Follow-up Services

Beyond these services, ENs typically provide a variety of other services beyond the core services SSA expects of each EN

ENs must outline the services they will provide in the Request For Quotation (Formerly an RFP, Request for Proposal) submitted to become an EN

NOTE: RFQ (Solicitation Number: SSA-RFQ-11-0010J can be found at: https://www.fbo.gov/index?s=opportunity&mode=form&id=c1f31099bf457054387c61e84abdc456&tab=core&_cview=0

Providing EN ServicesProviding EN Services

Typical Services Offered by ENs might include:◦ Career Counseling◦ Job Placement / Matching◦ SSA Benefits Advisement (in-house, or by referral)◦ Resume development & Interviewing preparation◦ Job Search training / assistance◦ Referrals to supportive services / providers◦ Registration with One-Stop Career Center◦ Long-term follow-up supports◦ Job accommodation instruction & assistance◦ Assistance providing information / support with employers regarding

Tax Incentives for hiring qualified individuals with disabilities◦ Long-term Asset Development strategies (i.e. home ownership, etc.)

Providing EN ServicesProviding EN Services

Additional Services a One-Stop / EN can provide:

◦ Individual Training Accounts are a unique draw to the One-Stop for Ticket beneficiaries, although certain eligibility requirements apply

◦ Youth services may be another unique niche the One-Stop can fill as an Employment Network, and may be one of your Strategic Service Delivery Components as a DEI Pilot Site

◦ The use of full wage subsidy in youth programs translates to earnings for Ticket holders, which may qualify your One-Stop for payments via Milestones and/or Outcomes achieved

◦ Training programs for older workers, like Experience Works, typically located in One-Stop Career Centers, can provide subsidized wage employment for training purposes

Providing EN Services in a One-Stop Providing EN Services in a One-Stop Career CenterCareer Center

Staff Outreach &

Marketing

Benefits Adviseme

nt

Intake & Assessme

nt

Job Development

/ Service Delivery

File Managem

ent

Billing &

Tracking

EN Coordinator – Likely the DRC

X X X

Various Job Developers / One-Stop Employment Counselor / DRC

X X

Administrative Support X X

Collaborative Agency / Or Internal Staff with expertise

X ? ? ?

Staffing

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Paragraph H: EN Security and Suitability Requirements Purpose of this clause is to provide SSA policies and procedures re:

background investigations Investigations are to determine the suitability of the EN to acquire,

handle, and have access to beneficiary personally identifiable information (PII)

EN suitability process does not begin until after the Blanket Purchase Agreement (BPA) is awarded; at this time, only EN staff names who acquire, handle, or have access to PII are required

Security and SuitabilitySecurity and Suitability

Slide provided by Emily Malsch, Maximus, Operations Support Manager

Step 1: after BPA award received, EN to submit cover letter to SSA that provides EN name, the EN contract number, the Signatory Authority name and contact information, and each applicant’s full name, Social Security number (SSN), date of birth, and place of birth

Step 2: Signatory Authority receives eQIP (http://www.opm.gov/e-qip/) invitation; time sensitive, must send to each applicant listed in cover letter; each applicant to complete eQIP

Step 3: Each applicant completes paper forms- OF306, Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) Authorization Form, and FD-258, Applicant Fingerprint Chart (sent by SSA, 2 charts per applicant, ink or electronic captured)

Step 4: Forms submission- eQIP signature page, OF306, FCRA, Fingerprint charts

EN security/suitability questions? Email ENSuitability@ssa.gov

Slide provided by Emily Malsch, Maximus, Operations Support Manager

Only Workforce EN staff that have contact with Personally Identifiable Information (PII) received directly from SSA through its Operations Support Manager (MAXIMUS) need to request suitability determination. This would include:

- Employee(s) responsible for direct management of the EN activity- Employee(s) responsible for maintaining, sending, and receiving any SSA

beneficiary data files furnished by SSA through its Operations Support Manager, MAXIMUS- Employee(s) who handles the Beneficiary Referral CD used for beneficiary outreach purposes- Employee(s) identified by the organization as a Ticket to Work Coordinator, Disability Specialist, Disability Program Navigator, or Disability Resource Coordinator who has Ticket to Work customers as their primary customer base.

Slide provided by Emily Malsch, Maximus, Operations Support Manager

At a minimum PII includes:

Person’s name Alien Registration No. Social Security No. Date of Birth Medical Information Home Address Driver’s license/ ID No. Government Passport No. Social Security Benefit Data

Only one single, individual PII element is permitted in email communications

Slide provided by Emily Malsch, Maximus, Operations Support Manager

Professional Development of EN program staff is ongoing

Consider areas that might enhance effectiveness of EN operations:

◦ Assessing readiness◦ SSA Work Incentives Counseling, now of greater importance to have

internal expertise◦ Job placement / matching and business connections ◦ Understanding of, and implementation of available Tax Incentives for

employers◦ Services to maintain employment, career advancement, self-sufficiency ◦ Tracking earnings, billing, documentation

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StaffingOngoing Assessment of Staff NeedsOngoing Assessment of Staff Needs

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StaffingHow Services might look in a One-How Services might look in a One-

Stop Career CenterStop Career CenterBenefits Advisement – Based on the TtW/Benefits Basics training, provided in March, 2012, various models to provide this service to Ticket holders were identified, including:

◦ Resource Model – One-Stop’s partner with the Work Incentive Planning Assistance (WIPA) project staff or Community Work Incentive Coordinators (CWICs) to provide benefits advisement to Ticket holders, this will likely be a task of the DRC◦ NOTE: With WIPA projects likely ending in June 2012, this model may not

be available until a new program replaces WIPA

◦ Expert Model - DRC has understanding of how the TtW Program operates AND has training in SSA disability benefits (SSI/SSDI) and work incentives. Ticket holder can be provided at least core benefits advisement internally, and may be referred to CWIC for more advanced issues.

◦ Purchase of Services – In areas where CWICs are not readily available to collaborate with, you may explore the purchase of these services through the use of Ticket funding

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Staffing

Marketing & Outreach – Ideally, all One-Stop staff should be able to market the Ticket program, and services you offer in your One-StopWhat should One-Stop Staff know?

◦ That Ticket to Work is an SSA program for individuals on either SSI, or SSDI benefits, for those ages 18 through 64

◦ If One-Stop customers indicate they have a disability, they might have SSA disability benefits, and if so, may have a Ticket available for assignment

◦ How to describe the services your One-Stop / EN offers (i.e. job search assistance, job matching, Career Counseling, referrals, etc.)

◦ That staff of the One-Stop should have a commitment to marketing this, along with other One-Stop services at public events, whenever possible

◦ Business Services Staff should understand, and promote, that this is another service of the One-Stop

How Services might look in a One-How Services might look in a One-Stop Career CenterStop Career Center

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Staffing

Intake & Assessment: This is a task most likely left to those most knowledgeable about the Ticket to Work program, and your EN Business Model (i.e. Services you offer), and might include:

◦ One-Stop staff referring a Ticket holder to the Coordinator of EN services (See example: Ticket to Work Staff Guide, next slide)

◦ Determining availability of a Ticket for assignment by EN Coordinator (Can determine by contacting Maximus representative, assuming security clearance is in place)

◦ Assessing whether Ticket holder is best served at the One-Stop / EN based on individual need, services / training that can be offered, and revenue potential (EN Desktop Ticket Holder Assessment Guide developed to assist in this process)

How Services might look in a One-How Services might look in a One-Stop Career CenterStop Career Center

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Staffing

Billing & Tracking: This is a task that may be delegated to the EN Coordinator, or may be handled at the State level for State EN models, or could be handled within the Workforce Investment Board office.

Tasks and knowledge would include:◦ A data-base dedicated to tracking Ticket holders, payments received, and

when to bill for next Milestone or Outcome◦ NOTE: There are tracking tools available to assist in data collection

◦ Understanding of the billing requirements, and necessary data to process billing requests

◦ Base level knowledge of SSA disability benefits, and how employment impacts benefits, in order to better predict and decipher whether a payment is due to the EN

◦ NOTE: Some level of interaction with Ticket holder may be required◦ NEW: For Workforce ENs, one of the e-Processes eliminates the need for

manual billing, called e-Pay, e-Processes will be explained in a future webinar, and trainings are available through Maximus)

How Services might look in a One-How Services might look in a One-Stop Career CenterStop Career Center

In today’s presentation we covered:

Introduction of typical EN Staffing requirements and Services provided by ENsBasic marketing and outreach concepts to promote Ticket to WorkThe role the Beneficiary Access and Support Services (BASS) plays in support of TtW programInformation on how to access BASS resources to promote Ticket and Workforce ENs

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Attend the next Ticket to Work Boot CampTicket Holder Assessment & Individual Work Plan (IWP) Assignment - This webinar will cover the following information: Assessment strategies Overview of Ticket Holder Assessment Guide Case Studies Ticket Assignment Registration logistics for next trainingDate and time: Tuesday, May 22, 2012 from 3:00 pm – 4:30 pm Eastern Daylight Time Registration Link: https://ndi.webex.com/ndi/onstage/g.php?t=a&d=960073516

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If you have a comment or question you can :

A: Submit it to the host in writing via the Chat or Q&A Box to the right, or…

B: Click on the “raise hand” icon to have your line un-muted and ask your question/make your comment.

Michael GreenbergAssociateBooz Allen Hamilton Inc.Phone: (301) 325-1128Email: greenberg_michael@bah.com

Kevin NickersonNDI Technical Assistance TeamPhone: (607) 272-7570 Ext. 136Email: knickerson@ndi-inc.org

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