Vocational Rehabilitation And The New Ticket to Work Program Presenters Harold Thornton, TACE...

Vocational Rehabilitation And

The New Ticket to Work Program

PresentersHarold Thornton,TACE Consultant

Elizabeth Jennings, National Disability Institute

March 31, 2009

TACE Center: Region IV, a project of the Burton Blatt Institute.Funded by RSA Grant # H264A080021. © 2009 All Rights Reserved

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Learning Objectives

Participants will acquire a basic understanding of:

Impact of new Ticket to Work Regulations Administrative Requirements of the Program Data and systems requirements Key Functions, Staff roles and responsibilities Importance of Quality Assurance How to Maximize SSA Program Income


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The Ticket to Work Program

Purpose of the TTW Program

Goal of the TTW Program

Program Performance – 2002-2007


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Tickets Issued to SSA Beneficiaries as of April 2008

Nationally - 10,624,709

Regionally - 2,449,597 - 23.1% of Total


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Tickets Assigned as of April 2008

Nationally: State VR Agencies –

187,935 (93.34%) Employment Networks -

13,360 (6.66%)

Regionally: State VR Agencies –

39,573 (93.7%) Employment Networks –

2,674 (6.3%)


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SSA Program Income for VR

Nationally - $124,238,549.09

Regionally - $21,155,991.50 – 17% of Total Income


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Amendments to SSA Regulations

Affecting Beneficiaries:

ALL Beneficiaries age 18 – 64 receive a Ticket, including those previously ineligible due to Medical Improvement Expected status

SSA has restructured the TTW Program to provide for a more incremental process for achieving self-sufficiency employment

Part-time employment is now viewed to be progress toward self-sufficiency


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Affecting Beneficiaries (cont.):

More opportunities for beneficiaries to stabilize in employment and reduce their dependence on SSA cash benefits on a more permanent basis

Provides for critical ongoing supports

More flexible standards for making timely progress

Assignment of Ticket or Ticket in “In Use” Status continues to provide suspension of Continuing Medical Disability Review


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Affecting Employment Networks: Enhanced EN Payment System

From 40 to 60% of PCB More than 4 milestone payments 5% increase in Total Outcome

Payments Parity in Payments for SSI and SSDI



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Affecting Employment Networks (cont): Competition alleviated between ENs and

SVRA EN can serve Ticket-holders subsequent

to being served by SVRA One Stops/ Workforce Boards (WFBs) and

Native American Projects automatically qualified as ENs



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Affecting State VR Agencies: Enhanced EN Payment system provides greater

opportunity for SSA program income and a more efficient payment system

Provides real opportunities for partnerships Provides opportunity to create systemic long

term supports after case closure; increasing cost reimbursement, community collaboration and beneficiary success



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Planning for Success Identifying key functions Organizing key functions and placement

within organization Staffing key functions Identifying Data and Systems Requirements Development and implementation of Policies,

Procedures and Processes Evaluating Program and System

Performance


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Key Functions

Overall Program Administration Claims/Payment Processing Registration of Ticket Status Records/Data Management Quality Assurance


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Finding a Place for TTW in Your Organization

Consider Projected Workload Projected Revenues Centralized vs. Decentralized System Size of organization Work and Information Flow Interaction with field staff Interaction with Fiscal Systems and Staff Appropriated Budget vs. Estimated Expenses


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Centralized or Decentralized System Program Administrator Claims / Payment Processor Ticket Administration Coordinator Quality Assurance Coordinator

Staff Roles & Responsibilities


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Consumer Orientation and Education Development, Execution and Coordination of

Partnerships (MOA/MOU) Coordination of WIPA Referrals Preparation and Submission of SSA Form

1365 (Ticket Assignment request) Staff Training

Staff Roles & Responsibilities


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Data and System Requirements Identification of Consumers who are SSA

Beneficiaries Verification of SSA Benefits via local SSA Office State Verification and Exchange System (SVES)

Identification of consumers who are Ticket-eligible MAXIMUS CD of Ticket-holders

Registration of Ticket Activation/Case Closure


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Tracking Employment and Wage Data UI Data Earnings Inquiry Requests The Work Number Employer Requests

Maintenance of Claims and Payment Data

Data and System Requirements (cont.)


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TTW Policies and Procedures

Based on: SSA Regulations - Section 411 Chapter 12 – SSA Provider Operations

Manual Transmittal 29 RSA Policies State VR Agency Policies

State Fiscal Policies


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Quality Assurance “The Money Net”

Should focus on: Compliance with Laws, Regulations and

Policies Observing Consumer Rights and Benefits Conformance to Consumer Expectations Achieving Organizational Goals, Objectives

and Performance Expectations


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Program and System Performance Expectations

Successful Outcomes for Consumers leading to Self-Sufficiency

Being the State leader in the administration of the Program

Maximizing SSA Program Income


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Establishing System Controls Controls for Data Integrity Controls to ensure productivity Controls to ensure quality Controls for efficiency Controls for fiscal accountability


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Effectively Using the Payment Systems

Traditional Cost Reimbursements Vocational Goal is to engage in Competitive

Employment that will extend to 9 months within a 12 month period and earn over SGA level of earnings ($980/month after Impairment Related Work Expenses (IRWEs)).


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EN Payments

Vocational Goal is employment that will result in earnings at or above the Trial Work Level (currently $700/month) for at least one or more milestone periods 2 weeks 3 months 6 months 9 months

Effectively Using the Payment Systems (cont.)


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Other factors to consider: Part Time vs. Full Time Employment Goal Educational Goal High Wages vs. Low Wages Number of Previous Cases Severity of Disability Projected Cost of Case Age



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Other Program Requirements Must make the decision at time IPE is being

initiated Traditional Cost Reimbursement Cases will

be placed ‘In Use’ EN Payment Cases will be ‘Assigned’



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MAXIMUS Website - www.yourtickettowork.com

Social Security Administration – www.ssa.gov

Additional resources

http://www.yourtickettowork.com/

http://www.ssa.gov/


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Questions…

Harold Thornton, Florida Division of Vocational Rehabilitation

Email: [email protected]

Elizabeth Jennings, National Disability Institute

Email: [email protected]

mailto:[email protected]



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THANK YOU!


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TACE Center: Region IV Toll-free: (866) 518-7750 [voice/tty]

Fax: (404) 541-9002 Web: TACEsoutheast.org

My TACE Portal: TACEsoutheast.org/myportalEmail: [email protected]

http://lhpd2.law.uiowa.edu/~mallen/tacesoutheast/ta/tacesoutheast.org

http://tacesoutheast.org/myportal



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Education CreditsParticipants may be eligible for CEU and CRCC credits. CEU Credit – Pending Approval (.15)

Site Coordinators must distribute the CEU form to participants seeking CEU credit on the day of the webinar.

Site coordinators must submit CEU form to the TACE Center: Region IV by fax (404) 541-9002 by Friday, April 3, 2009.

CRCC Credit (1.5 per session) By Friday, April 3, 2009, participants must score 80% or

better on a online Post Test and submit an online CRCC Request Form via the MyTACE Portal.

My TACE Portal: TACEsoutheast.org/myportal

http://tacesoutheast.org/myportal


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Disclaimer

This presentation was developed by the TACE Center: Region IV ©2009 with funds from the U.S. Department of Education, Rehabilitation Services Administration (RSA) under the priority of Technical Assistance and Continuing Education Projects (TACE) – Grant #H264A080021. However, the contents of this presentation do not necessarily represent the policy of the RSA and you should not assume endorsement by the Federal Government [34 CFR 75.620 (b)].


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Copyright Information

This work is the property of the TACE Center: Region IV.

Permission is granted for this material to be shared for non-commercial, educational purposes, provided that this copyright statement appears on the reproduced materials and notice is given that the copying is by permission of the authors. To disseminate otherwise or to republish requires written permission from the authors.

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