TASC and Partnership PlusJanuary 2011

Joel Middleton & Mike Yozzi

EN TASC

The EN TASC was established to address technical assistance needs identified by ENs to provide regional and functional services to deliver improved training, enhance internal procedures, increase Ticket assignments and payments, and help ensure more Ticket Holders access and retain employment. The EN TASC will assist ENs in attaining new competencies and in meeting performance objectives.

TASC Services• Technical Assistance Services

– Call Center: Inbound & Outbound – Recruitment Outreach and Support– Activation Services

• Orientation Teleconference• Basics Training• Payments Training• Weekly Calls, Email Updates• Technical Assistance Bulletins

– Business Support Services• Ticket Assignment Status Checks• In-Depth Payment Technical

Assistance• IWP Review Team

– Performance Monitoring• Oversight of Competencies Profiles• Annual Performance and Outcome

Report (APOR)

• Web-based Resources– www.yourtickettowork.com – Recruitment tools (Estimator, Toolkit)– EN Portal– Training tools

• Training Resources– Understanding Ticket to Work and

Work Incentives– How to Become an EN– EN Operational Basics – Payments – EN Core Competencies

• Best Practices (Based on 2010 Experiences)

– Supplemental Offerings• Service Systems: Workforce,

VR/Partnership Plus, Goodwill, Mental Health, Native American, Employers

• Disability Employment Sessions (guests)

TASC Competencies Model

• State Research and Profile Creation• EN Competency Continuum

– Recruitment: organizations that have done similar work– Activation: organizations seeking ground floor success– Payments: organizations seeking second tier success– Oversight: rewarding quality organizations – Optimization: attain benchmark performance levels

<--------------------------------------------------------Training -------------------------------------------------------

Recruitment Activation Payments Oversight Optimization

<----------------------------------- Performance Monitoring ---------------------------------------

Partnership Plus: - Factors Contributing to the Success of Partnership Plus- Benefits of Partnership Plus

What Is Partnership Plus?

Partnership Plus is a service delivery model under which SSA will compensate a State VR agency and an EN for successfully serving the same beneficiary under the same Ticket in certain circumstances

• Only applies to situations where VR chooses to serve a beneficiary under the CR program

• The service provision must be sequential, not concurrent

> VR provides the up-front services leading to job placement and EN secures Ticket assignment after VR case closure

> Ticket regulations only allow a Ticket to be with one service provider at a time

Successful Implementation of Partnership Plus

Three factors contribute significantly to the successful implementation of Partnership Plus

• Having a pool of qualified ENs serving the state

• Ensuring that beneficiaries understand their options under the Ticket program after VR case closure

• Having VR counselors who understand the opportunities offered by the Ticket program and Partnership Plus

There Is a Delay

A number of factors create an inherent delay in moving a beneficiary’s Ticket in and out of the “in-use SVR” status

• VR cases are closed throughout the month

• There are 80 State VR agencies - Some submit electronic files once a month, some quarterly, and some less often

• MAXIMUS uploads data into their system once a month - Takes a couple of weeks to complete this process

ENs Serving the State

ENs need to understand both the benefits of participating in the Ticket program and the benefits of taking Ticket assignments after VR case closure

• Some ENs are hesitant to take to take Ticket assignments from successful VR consumers because of the loss of Phase 1 milestone payments> ENs have opportunity to serve beneficiaries who are already employed and have been stabilized in employment for at least 90 days> In the case of a beneficiary who was successfully closed by VR and later lost his/her job, the EN has the opportunity to work with a beneficiary who has received services from VR and has some work history> Phase 1 milestones are still available if EN operates under outcome only payment system

Beneficiaries Need to Understand Their Options

As a beneficiary is completing VR services, she/he needs to know several things

• The Ticket still has value after VR case closure• The Ticket can be assigned to an EN to secure ongoing

support services, job retention services, and other services and supports to maintain and advance in employment

• How to locate ENs serving the area• Benefits planning services are available

> Work Incentives Information and Referral Center> WIPAs

Importance of VR Counselor Training

• VR agencies experience significant turnover in staff

• Tight state budgets have resulted in VR counselors being furloughed

• VR counselors have large caseloads and significant responsibilities associated with their law and regulations

• The Ticket and Partnership Plus have created additional work for VR staff> Need staff to manage electronic reporting of CR cases> VR counselors need to be trained to be able to give beneficiaries accurate information on their options

Benefits of Partnership Plus

Benefits of Partnership Plus

• Provides beneficiaries access to VR for upfront services & ENs for ongoing support services after job placement

• Provides a new option for assisting beneficiaries to maintain and advance in employment after VR closes the case> An alternative to State VR agency providing post-employment services

• Many beneficiaries will achieve 9 months of earnings above SGA with assistance from an EN > VR is not designed to provide long-term supports after

job placement> Most VR agencies close cases when consumers are

employed for 90 days

Benefits to VR Counselors(Continued)

• Provides an alternative for beneficiaries who are being wait-listed based on an Order of Selection

• Reduces the need for re-opening cases when beneficiaries need additional assistance after case closure

• Provides another option for beneficiaries whose

VR cases are closed unsuccessfully

Partnership Plus: Benefits to the Beneficiary

• Access to services that are individualized and sequential

• Access to a wider scope of services• Facilitates a coordinated system of services • Expands access to job retention services and

other types of ongoing supports and post-employment services that beneficiaries often need to retain, regain, and advance in employment

Benefits to ENs and VR Agencies

• Promotes increased communication between and among service providers (e.g., information on Ticket program, work incentives, VR services, etc.)

• Increases and improves collaboration among service providers by encouraging partnerships, instead of competition over Ticket assignments

• Provides a source of unrestricted funds that can be used to > Support and expand the infrastructure of service

providers serving the state> Provide bridge funding for service providers experiencing cuts in funding during hard economic times> Fill gaps in services

Benefits to Both VR and ENs

• Potential to strengthen all partners in the system> Increases CR payments to VR agency> Increases milestone and outcome payments to ENs

• Potential to minimize/share administrative tasks associated with tracking work and earnings, and submitting for payments from SSA> Usually done based on a written agreement

Partnership Plus: Benefits to ENs

In addition to all of the benefits an EN may get from participating in the Ticket program

• Opportunity to service beneficiaries who are already working or have some work history

• Does not interfere with EN providing services under a vendor agreement while the VR case is open and later functioning as an EN for the same Ticket Holder

Partnership Plus: Benefits to VR

• Reduction in paperwork – Submission of SSA 1365 no longer needed for CR cases

• Increases choices for consumers to access

services and supports necessary to maintain, regain, and advance in employment, i.e., an alternative to VR providing post-employment services

• Enhances VR’s ability to focus on long-term “competitive” employment

Benefits to VR Counselors(Continued)

• Reduces the need for re-opening cases when beneficiaries need additional assistance after case closure

• Provides another option for beneficiaries whose VR cases

are closed unsuccessful

• The Ticket program also provides an alternative for beneficiaries who are being wait-listed based on a State’s Order of Selection

Benefits to SSA and Taxpayers

More beneficiaries going to work and reducing/eliminating reliance on disability benefits results in increased savings to the Social Security Trust Fund and the General Revenue Fund

You Can Help!

• We are updating the Partnership Plus online Toolkit (http://PartnershipPlus.cessi.net)

• Your thoughts and ideas are welcome• Help us identify examples of useful tools, forms and

agreements