time tuesday, october 27, 2020 presenters · 2020. 10. 27. · page 1 of 4. time tuesday, october...
TRANSCRIPT
Page 1 of 4
Time Tuesday, October 27, 2020
Presenters
9:30 – 9:45 Welcome! Crystal McMahon, OSECE
9:45 – 10:00
2020 OHA Updates
Brenda Dennis, Statewide IPS
Coordinator
10:00 – 10:15
Vocational Rehabilitation Updates
Keith Ozols, Vocational Rehabilitation Director
10:15 – 10:45
Update on Individual Placement and Support (IPS)
Deborah Becker, Senior Research Associate,
International IPS Learning Community
10:45 – 10:55 IPS Success Stories
IPS Programs
11:00 – 12:15 Keynote presentation: How Do You Roar? – A Reflection on
Human Dignity, Recovery and Why We Work in Mental Health
Dr. Pat Deegan, Pat Deegan & Associates
12:20 – 1:20 Lunch break
1:30 – 2:00 IPS Success Stories Supported Education Programs
2:00 – 3:30 Supported Education Panel:
College Transition for Students with MH Conditions
Cognition and Mental Health, Supporting
Learning in the Virtual World
Pros/Cons of Self-Paced Courses, Discovery Questions for Educational &
Employment Success
Annie Tulkin, Accessible
College
Lauri DiGalbo, Post-Secondary Training Institute,
University of Connecticut
Victoria Maxwell, Crazy for Life Co.
Page 2 of 4
Time Wednesday, October 28, 2020
Presenters
9:30 – 9:45
IPS Success Stories IPS Programs
10:00 – 12:00
From Hardship to Hope:
Strategies to Foster Financial Wellness in Times of Uncertainty
Oscar Jiménez-Solomon,
MPH(Public Health), Columbia University; Research Scientist,
Center for Excellence for Cultural Competence
12:00 – 1:00 Lunch break
1:00 – 2:00
Secret Sauce: How Peer Support Specialists Support Occupational
Wellness and Enhance IPS Fidelity
Margaret (Peggy) Swarbrick,
PhD, FAOTA Wellness Institute Director at
Collaborative Support Programs of New Jersey, Associate Professor, Director of Practice Innovation &
Wellness, Rutgers Health University Behavioral Health Care
Page 3 of 4
Time Thursday, October 29, 2020
Presenters
10:00 – 11:00
Shaking Hands Through the Phone & the Screen
Larry Robbin, Executive Director of Robbin and
Associates
11:00 – 11:15
IPS Success Stories
IPS Programs
11:15 – 12:00
Going to Work or School in the
Community during the Covid-19 Pandemic? Talk through the Risks and
Rewards Using this Discussion Framework
Benton County IPS Team
Sara Kaye, IPS Supervisor Caitlyn Pin, IPS Employment
Specialist
12:00 – 1:00 Lunch break
1:00 – 2:00 Managing for Placement Plus
Larry Robbin, Executive Director of Robbin and
Associates
2:30 – 3:30 Suicide Prevention
Frank King, MH Comedian, Suicide Prevention Trainer
Page 4 of 4
Time Friday, October 30, 2020
Diversity, Equity, Inclusion
Presenters
10:00 – 11:00
Pandemic & Protests: How to Market
Your Mental Health Condition as a Strength
Imadé, Founder of “Depressed
While Black”
11:00 – 12:00
Through the Lens of Inclusion
Susie Calhoun, Tribal Vocational Rehabilitation Program Manager;
Confederated Tribe of the Umatilla Indian Reservation
12:00 – 1:00 Lunch break
1:00 – 2:30 Hard Conversations with Clients? Ableism, Sexism, Racism in Counseling
Alai Reyes-Santos, Professor of
Indigenous, Race, and Ethnic Studies, University of Oregon
2:30 – 2:45 IPS Success Stories
IPS Programs
2020 OREGON IPS
SUPPORTED EMPLOYMENT & EDUCATION VIRTUAL CONFERENCE
IPS SUPPORTED EMPLOYMENT & EDUCATION CONFERENCE
Statewide Conference Biography and Presentation Summary October 27 – 30, 2020
DAY ONE: OCTOBER 27, 2020
BRENDA DENNIS: “2020 OHA Updates”
Understanding state trends and laws related to providing supported employment and education services. Discussion of the impacts of the pandemic and other current events of Oregon and their impact on service delivery.
IPS/ACT Statewide Coordinator (503) 901-2114
Brenda Dennis currently works for the Oregon Health Authority as the statewide coordinator for Supported Employment, Assertive Community Treatment, and Mobile Crisis. Brenda also administers several statewide grants to provide Crisis Counseling Programs as part of Oregon’s federal disaster relief. Previously, Brenda worked at Oregon State Hospital Legal Affairs, where she represented the hospital in hearings related to patients’ inability to provide informed consent. Before joining OSH, Brenda coordinated Oregon’s statewide certification program for forensic mental health evaluators at the Oregon Health Authority. Brenda also administered the federal Projects in Assistance for Transition from Homelessness (PATH) grant providing services statewide to individuals who have serious mental illness and are currently experiencing homelessness. Prior to joining the Oregon Health Authority, Brenda worked for 15 years in the Oregon Department of Corrections in a variety of capacities including Inmate Services manager, correctional counselor, Classification Manager, and mental health specialist. Brenda has also worked as an intensive psychiatric case manager at the Portland Veteran’s Affairs Medical Center, and as a case manager in community mental health. Brenda regularly writes and blogs on topics of leadership and organizational change. She is a graduate from Willamette University and studied geriatric mental health at the University of Washington; she is also the current chair of the Oregon Board of Licensed Social Workers.
KEITH OZOLS: “Vocational Rehabilitation 2020” Understanding how to form improved partnerships with VR and available VR resources that can enhance service delivery and improve outcomes.
Director
Oregon Vocational Rehabilitation (503) 602-4055 [email protected]
Keith Ozols is the Director of Oregon Vocational Rehabilitation. Over the past eight years at VR he has served in many different roles overseeing and expanding programs relating to workforce engagement, benefits planning, and multiple transition programs for students with disabilities. In this work, Keith has been driven by the belief that leading an independent and engaged life is a basic human right and that empowering people in work and life is a unique opportunity for VR. Before joining the VR program, Keith was the Executive Director of Incight, a Portland-based nonprofit that provides educational and employment services for people with disabilities. His prior experience counseling English language learners in workforce, college and career readiness has informed his person-first approach to service delivery throughout his career.
PATRICIA E. DEEGAN, PhD: “How do you roar? A reflection on human dignity,
recovery, and why we work in mental health”
In this keynote address, Patricia E. Deegan PhD will discuss the importance of discovering our personal answer to the question, “Why do I work in public mental health?”. (Hint: it’s not about the awesome paycheck!). She will then explore the Dignity of Risk and offer a pragmatic framework for safeguarding human dignity by supporting individual choice and self-direction in the recovery process.
Principle, Pat Deegan & Associates (978) 462-7258
Patricia E. Deegan is a principal with Pat Deegan & Associates. For over 30 years, Pat has been a thoughtful leader and disruptive innovator in the field of behavioral health recovery. The mission: To safeguard human dignity by bringing individual voice and choice to the center of the clinical care team. Toward this end she developed the CommonGround Program that includes the award winning CommonGround software, the online Recovery Library, the CommonGround Academy for peers and practitioners, and the Hearing Distressing Voices Simulation. Since 2009, Pat has worked as a consultant helping to develop and evolve the OnTrackNY model for coordinated specialty care teams for young folks experiencing early psychosis. Pat is an activist in the disability rights movement and has lived her own journey of recovery after being diagnosed with schizophrenia as a teenager. She has held a number of academic appointments, has numerous publications, and has carried a message of hope for recovery to audiences around the world. She received her doctorate in clinical psychology from Duquesne University.
DEBORAH BECKER: “Update on Individual Placement and Support”
Learn about recent IPS research, including new populations that are accessing IPS services. Learn about the current activities of the international IPS learning community. Learn about new information and tools on the IPSworks.org website.
Senior Research Advisor, IPS Employment Center
(603) 276-3215 [email protected]
Deborah R. Becker M.Ed., CRC is Research Senior Associate and Director, International IPS Learning Community, at the IPS Employment Center at the Rockville Institute, Westat. She has more than 34 years of experience developing, researching, training and consulting on Individual Placement and Support (IPS), the evidence-based practice of supported employment. She co-developed the SAMHSA Evidence-Based Practice Supported Employment Implementation Resource Kit. She co-founded and has overseen the International IPS Learning Community, which is organized to improve access to IPS, in twenty-four states and six international countries. She was Director of Supported Employment at the Dartmouth Psychiatric Research Center for over 25 years and Research Associate Professor of Community and Family Medicine and of Psychiatry, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth from 2010-2016. She has co-authored numerous research articles and educational materials. She provides consultation and training on vocational rehabilitation and program implementation.
SUPPORTED EDUCATION PANEL:
ANNIE TULKIN: “College Transition for Students with Mental Health Conditions”
This session will provide an overview of the accommodations process for students with mental health conditions who are entering college. We will also explore accommodations in light of COVID-19, specifically issues related to online access to courses and challenges that students with mental health conditions may face.
Director & Founder, Accessible College
(202) 549-6593 [email protected]
Annie Tulkin is the Founder and Director of Accessible College, where she provides college preparation and transition support for students with physical disabilities and health conditions nationally. Annie was the Associate Director of the Academic Resource Center at Georgetown University for nearly six years. In that position she supported undergraduate, graduate and medical students with physical disabilities and health conditions and oversaw academic support services for the entire student body. Annie has worked in the field of disability for over ten years. She holds a Bachelor's Degree in Secondary Education from DePaul University, a Masters in Special Education from The University of Wisconsin-Madison, and a Certificate in Health Coaching from Georgetown University. Annie was a Peace Corps Volunteer (Mongolia, ‘03-’05) and a Fulbright Fellow (Mongolia, ‘07-’08). She resides in Silver Spring, MD with her husband and toddler.
LAURA DIGALBO: “Cognition & Mental Health: Supporting Learning in the Virtual World”
The link between cognition and mental health necessary for learning will be explored and why that link becomes even more prominent in the virtual learning world. Offering practical tips for supported education professionals to collaborate, with those they serve, as they strive for educational success.
Consultant, Educator, Speaker
(860) 841-7212 [email protected]
Ms. DiGalbo received her B.A in psychology from Randolph-Macon Woman’s College in Lynchburg Virginia. She continued her education at the University of Hartford earning a Master’s Degree in Education /Counseling. During her career she has completed clinical fellowships in the fields of acquired brain injury, attention deficit disorders, autism spectrum disorders, learning disabilities, mental illness and substance abuse.
Laura has worked in the field of Rehabilitation & Education for over 40 years. During this time, she has been employed with the State Federal Rehabilitation Program and in Post-Secondary Education. She served as the Clinical & Program Consultant for the Bureau of Rehabilitation Services in Connecticut for 34 years. It was during this time that she developed an interest in the issues effecting retention of students who have difficulty coping with rigors of post-secondary education due disability related issues including those with psychiatric disabilities. Ms. DiGalbo co-authored a chapter in the 30th Institute on Rehabilitation Issues monograph entitled “Innovative Methods of Providing Services to Individuals with Psychiatric Disabilities” in 2005. She was featured in Connecticut Behavioral Health Career Vignettes in 2011. She has been featured in the University of Massachusetts Medical School, Research and Training Center You Comeback TV episode “Tools for Schools; Mental Health Accommodations in Postsecondary Settings”. In addition, Laura was a contributor to the text: From High School to College: Steps to Success for Students with Disabilities, published by Council for
Exceptional Children, 2017. She is currently adjunct faculty in the Counseling and Family Therapy Department at Central Connecticut State University and has served as adjunct faculty at Assumption College and Springfield College. Laura’s expertise in disabilities and post-secondary education has led her to present at national and international conferences as well as to provide in-service training at colleges and universities; public and private agencies throughout this country and Canada.
VICTORIA MAXWELL: “Discovering Our Triggers; Pros and Cons of Self-Paced Learning” Discussion of the pros and cons of self-paced learning in a virtual format and using discovery questions to create success.
BFA/BPP: Bachelor of Fine Arts / Bipolar Princess www.victoriamaxwell.com
(604) 885-7465
Victoria Maxwell (BFA/BPP*) is one of the top speakers on the lived experience of mental illness, recovery and wellness. She’s also a self-proclaimed Bipolar Princess! She lives with bipolar disorder, anxiety and psychosis. For more than 18 years, she’s been helping people and organizations internationally, better understand the ‘insider’s’ experience of mental illness and recovery and how to comfortably and effectively speak to someone who might be dealing with mental health issues. She teaches health professionals, vocational and educational specialists, strategies that help clients reach their potential. The Centre of Addiction and Mental Health named her a leader in mental health and the Mental Health Commission of Canada rated her theatrical keynote, ‘That’s Just Crazy Talk’ one of the top anti-stigma interventions in the country. Her media appearances include CNN, the New York Times and Wall Street Journal. She’s a founding member of CREST.BD, a global research team on bipolar disorder and has blogged for Psychology Today magazine for over 12 years. When she’s not presenting, you can find her running in the trails on the Sunshine Coast in British Columbia or meditating in the early morning.
DAY TWO: OCTOBER 28, 2020
OSCAR JIMENEZ-SOLOMON: “From Hardship to Hope: Strategies to Foster Financial Wellness in Times of Uncertainty”
The impact of COVID19 on employment, poverty, and financial hardship, overview of the financial empowerment process, overview of the Financial Wellness Engagement Tool, overview of the Financial Wellness Action Plan and Strategies to increase financial hope through personal stories of financial recovery. Discussion of available financial wellness supports to receive financial counseling, build credit, manage debts, and create an emergency fund. Connecting with a free, certified financial counselors.
Research Scientist
(347) 978-3010 [email protected]
Oscar Jiménez-Solomon is a mental health researcher who has dedicated his career to improving the financial wellness of people with psychiatric conditions through research, program development, training and technical assistance, and policy advocacy. Mr. Jiménez-Solomon’s commitment to helping others overcome unemployment and poverty stems from his personal experience of economic exclusion and recover. Mr. Jiménez-Solomon obtained a Master of Public Health at Columbia University and a License in Sociology at the Pontifical Catholic University of Peru. He is currently pursuing studies leading to a Ph.D. in Social Policy at the Columbia University School of Social Work. Since 2013 he has served as Research Scientist at the Center of Excellence for Cultural Competence, New York State Psychiatric Institute, University Irving Medical Center. Oscar is leading a research initiative to develop a peer-led economic empowerment intervention aimed at improving access to financial services and asset building supports, building financial hope, and reducing distress and suicide risk. As part of his doctoral training he is conducting research at the Columbia University Center on Poverty and Social Policy to examine the impact of economic hardship on hope, life satisfaction and psychiatric distress. Mr. Jiménez-Solomon is Vice-Chair for the Board of the National Disability Institute (NDI), a national organization dedicated to improving the financial wellbeing of people with disabilities. He is also Instructor at the Rutgers University Department of Psychiatric Rehabilitation. He has authored or co-authored peer-reviewed articles, training manuals, and online training modules on economic empowerment, cultural competence, and language access. He has also authored book chapters, reports, empowerment videos and training manuals in mental and public health in the United States and Latin America. Oscar has led presentations or keynoted at national and international conferences, delivered training workshops, and provided training and technical assistance to organizations, in the areas of employment and economic integration. Oscar is also an Instructor at the Rutgers Department of Psychiatric Rehabilitation, and Vice-Chair of the National Disability Institute Board of Directors. Oscar’s previous roles include Director of Community and Economic Development at the New York Association of Psychiatric Rehabilitation Services (NYAPRS), Director of Quality Management at the Arc of New York State (developmental disabilities), and Consultant at the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA).
MARGARET (PEGGY) SWARBRICK, PhD, FAOTA: “Secret Sauce: How Peer Support
Specialists Support Occupational Wellness and Enhance IPS Fidelity” Working provides purpose and structure to a person’s day and can have many positive impacts on overall wellness in the 8 dimensions. Under-employment and unemployment negatively affect both quality of life and lifespan. Peer support specialists are in a unique position to inspire and support fellow peers in pursuit of their occupational wellness goals. This webinar will examine the wellness benefits of employment to address employment disparity and describe how peer support specialists can play an important role as a member of IPS team, improving both IPS fidelity and occupational wellness.
Wellness Institute Director at Collaborative Support Programs of New Jersey and Associate Professor and Director of Practice Innovation and Wellness, Rutgers Health University Behavioral Health Care
(732) 768-6909 [email protected]
Peggy has published and lectured around the county and internationally on employment, wellness, peer support, and recovery. Her work has focused on a strength based 8-dimensional wellness model to promote recovery from mental health and substance use conditions. She is well known for collaborating with the peer community and family groups to identify and address social determinants that present barriers to recovery, such as homelessness, poverty and under/unemployment. Peggy has developed many peer support certification courses, a peer health navigator training and peer wellness coaching practice model. She has created health promotion initiatives and has created wellness self-care programs for caregiver’s families and youth. She has made significant contributions to the body of literature in occupational therapy, nursing and community behavioral health care practice.
DAY THREE: OCTOBER 29, 2020
LARRY ROBBIN: “Shaking Hands through the Phone and Screen! How to get Better Job Development Outcomes Working Remotely!”
We are used to meeting with employers to do job development. The depth of communication that comes from that in-person connection is lost in this new era. We need a new skill set and approaches so we can quickly get the interest of employers and make a strong connection that will lead to consumers being hired. This workshop will show you how to take the best phone and virtual sales strategies used in the private sector and transform them into ways of working that will win over employers and open up the doors of opportunity for consumers. Discover how to get the interest of an employer in the first 20 seconds of a phone call. Get new ideas for establishing a strong communication connection. Learn some of the hidden reasons employers may decide not to work with you so you can avoid these under the surface points of resistance. Use these strategies and you can seal the deal by shaking hands through the phone and the screen!
Executive Director of Robbin and Associates
OVER 45 YEARS OF NATIONAL TRAINING AND CONSULTING EXPERIENCE!
More Than 1000 Organizations Served! Over 100,000 People Trained! Offering You Over 300 Consulting and Training Topics to Choose From!
Workforce Accelerator Fund Coach ** CHECK OUT MY UPCOMING WEBINAR SERIES! https://reinventing.heysummit.com/
**CHECK OUT OVER 35 SKILL BUILDING WEBINARS YOU CAN BRING TO YOUR PROGRAM!
https://larryrobbin.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/WEBINAR_PARTIAL_LIST_OF_TOPICS.pdf (510) 834-8524
[email protected] www.LarryRobbin.com
Larry Robbin, Executive Director of Robbin and Associates, has over forty-five years of experience as a direct service provider, job developer, consultant and trainer in the mental health employment field. Larry has trained over 100,000 people across the country and presented more than 300 webinars. His services are used by government agencies, nonprofits, social services, businesses, schools and other entities. His clients include the Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health, Orange County Department of Behavioral Health, Catholic Charities Focus for Work, Goodwill Industries, Genesis Alcohol, Drug and Mental Health Clinic, California Department of Vocational Rehabilitation, Center for Independent Living and other organizations focused on improving employment outcomes of consumers. Larry spends part of his time a private sector consultant so he can help mental health employment programs become more effective in their work with employers. On a personal note, Larry’s mother had bipolar disorder and he has family members that are consumers. For more information, go to www.LarryRobbin.com.
SARA KAYE, CAITLYN PIN: “Going to Work or School during the Pandemic? Talk Through the Risks and Rewards using this Discussion Framework!”
Informed Consent: What does this mean and how is it used in this context; Vulnerable Populations: Dynamics of navigating the workplace or school for vulnerable populations during the COVID 19 pandemic; Discussion Framework for Going to Work or School in the Community: Overview of framework for guiding these discussions and case studies demonstrating how to use the framework; Integrating the framework into IPS model: How this method fits with IPS fidelity and examples of how to document. Feedback from Audience: How are you talking with job seekers and students about the effects of COVID19 pandemic on their going to work or school in the community?
Sara Kaye, LSCW, QMHP ∙ Caitlyn Pin, LMFT, QMHP Benton County Behavioral Health
(541) 223-4666, (541) 243-4072 [email protected] ∙ [email protected]
Sara Kaye is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and QMHP with Benton County. She has her BS in Psychology and Masters in Social Work. Sara currently works for Benton County Mental Health as the IPS Supervisor for the ACT and EASA teams. She is also serves as Team Lead and Screener/Case Manager/Therapist for the EASA team. Sara started both the IPS Supported Employment and Education program as well as the EASA program at Benton County Mental Health. Caitlyn Pin is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and QMHP with Benton County. She has her BS in Psychology and Masters in Marriage and Family Therapy. Caitlyn currently works for Benton County Mental Health as an IPS Supported Employment and Education Specialist on the ACT and EASA teams. She is also a Screener/Case Manager/Therapist on the EASA team. Caitlyn has experience working as an academic advisor at major universities in California and Virginia.
LARRY ROBBIN: “Managing for Placement Plus” If you are in management at any level in an organization focused on improving employment outcomes for consumers, don’t miss this session! This training will give you a wide range of strategies that you can implement to improve your organization’s work with employers. Get new ideas about how to hire and train job developers. Find out how employers evaluate customer satisfaction so you can take these standards and use them to tell you how well your organization is doing with private sector businesses. This will give you all kinds of insights about what you can do to help your organization become more effective with employers. Learn new ways to connect with employers that can make it possible for your job developers to get more consumers hired in less time. Get at a look of the future of work with employers that includes going from placement to business engagement and all the benefits (including money!) that can come from making businesses your partner.
Executive Director, Robbin and Associates (510) 834-8524
FRANK KING: “Suicide Prevention”
Workplace leaders are essential partners in the effort of suicide prevention. We need your innovative thinking and results-oriented action to build sustained and comprehensive strategies that make suicide prevention a health and safety priority. This investment is both an effective business strategy for your workforce and has been linked with improved work performance, retention, and employee morale, while also being the right thing to do for workers and the larger community. In this session, we review how you can pledge your support on behalf of your organization and join a community that is leading the way for new suicide prevention solutions involving businesses, organizations, and professional associations.
The Mental Health Comedian, LLC
(858) 405-5653 [email protected]
Frank King, Suicide Prevention speaker and Trainer, was a writer for The Tonight Show for 20 years. Depression and suicide run in his family. He’s thought about killing himself more times than he can count. He’s fought a lifetime battle with Major Depressive Disorder and Chronic Suicidality, turning that long dark journey of the soul into five TEDx Talks and sharing his lifesaving insights on Mental Health Awareness with associations, corporations, and colleges. A Motivational Public Speaker who uses his life lessons to start the conversation giving people permission to give voice to their feelings and experiences surrounding depression and suicide. And doing it by coming out, as it were, and standing in his truth, and doing it with humor. He believes that where there is humor there is hope, where there is laughter there is life, nobody dies laughing. The right person, at the right time, with the right information, can save a life.
DAY FOUR: OCTOBER 30, 2020
IMADÉ: “Pandemic & Protests: How to Market Your Mental Health Condition as a Strength”
In the midst of the pandemic and protests, there is a greater need to hire people who have experience in addressing mental health issues and implementing wellness practices. People with lived experience have first-hand knowledge of the mental health system, managing challenges, and how the issue of mental health intersects with social justice. This is a valuable asset to organizations. I will share how I used my mental health advocacy which includes speaking, writing, and social media engagement to get my past two communication jobs. I'll discuss how to connect mental health advocacy with job descriptions and how to explain gaps of employment due to mental health crises as times of growth and exploration.
Mental Health Advocate & Nonprofit Founder, DEPRESSED WHILE BLACK
(336) 920-9101 [email protected]
Imadé (ee-MAH-day) is a writer and mental health advocate who founded Depressed While Black. She is a suicide attempt survivor who lives with clinical depression and borderline personality disorder. Imadé first developed Depressed While Black as her 2015 Columbia University Non-Fiction Creative Writing MFA thesis. Depressed While Black has grown into an online community, an in-progress book, and a nonprofit that donates Black-affirming personal care items to mental hospital patients.
SUSIE CALHOUN: “Through the Lens of Inclusion”
This session will provide information of the importance of diversity through inclusion. Importance of partnerships with others and Tribal communities. What we do and have in place for our communities and those that work with our people. This starts with a conversation and inclusion to work and be part of the different teams across the state with a place at the table. The State of Oregon has 9 Tribes that are diverse and need to be included in many of the IEP and IPEs that a citizen of the state has access to if you bring all the partners to the table.
Tribal Vocational Rehabilitation Program Manager (541) 429-2339
Over 25 years working to assist underserved through self-sufficiency into employment and retention. Working with Tribal program, Unions, Education and Higher Education and all the community partners. Past Program Coordinator for Workforce Development and Program Manager for past 11 years for TVR. Member of State Rehabilitation Council, Region WIOA Board, EOU ROI team member, Employment First Team, and many more community and state committee partner meetings.
ALAI REYES-SANTOS: “Hard Conversations with Clients? Ableism, Sexism, Racism in Counseling”
This session will go over some principles to engage in what can be hard conversations about ableism, gender, and racism with clients while providing counseling and professional development services. Troubleshooting case studies together we will explore ways to connect with your own strengths and style as you manage power dynamics and confidentiality, and create a better workspace for all.
Consultant, Professor of Ethnic Studies at U of Oregon
(503) 269-0498 [email protected]
Dr. Alaí Reyes-Santos is a professor of Ethnic Studies and Conflict Resolution at University of Oregon. She is also a consultant that facilitates individual and organizational transformations in the non-profit sector, government, higher ed, and social and environmental justice organizations. She offers an approach to social and environmental justice, and conflict resolution, grounded in ancestral healing practices that serve the individual and the collective. Her training as an Iya, water priestess, and founder of the AfroIndigenous ceremonial community Ilé Estrella de los Mares, informs how she leads conversations about social violence, power, and solidarity as community healing processes. Dr. Reyes Santos is also certified in the ThetaHealing Technique, a meditation practice that she deploys to support individuals engaged in processes of self- and community healing. She has experience accompanying people working in academia, health care, public service, social and environmental justice advocacy, and the arts. An award winning teacher, her Ted-talk “Building Intercultural Communities” is used in higher ed and popular education to initiate guidelines for dialogue across difference. In the United States and internationally, Dr. Reyes-Santos has collaborated with the Organization of American States, School Garden Project, Huerto de la Familia, Centro Bonó, Mobilize Green, the City of Eugene Climate Change Action Plan, Northeast Oregon Economic Development District, U of Oregon's Teaching Effectiveness Program, among others. She provides holistic support to individuals completing writing projects and undergoing career transformations in the academic sector.
How to Participate in the Conference via
ZOOmThese instructions address how to operate Zoom using a laptop or desktop computer. If you will be using a tablet or smartphone with the Zoom mobile app, some features may be different, or may be accessed differently. Instructions for Zoom on mobile devices may be found here. We recommend you review this entire sheet before the conference, to minimize technical problems.
JOINING THE ZOOM SESSION; CEUs:
• The Zoom meeting will open 10 minutes prior to the first scheduled activity each day. Please login using the link that was emailed to you. Each day has a separate link that must be used. Pleasedon’t share the link with others or use another person’s link. You will not be able to receiveCEUs if you are not logged in under your own name and using the link that was sent to you atregistration.
• Mute your audio and turn off your camera. Staff will be muting people and turning off camerasduring the conference to preserve bandwidth and make this as smooth as possible for allparticipants.
• When logging in, give the same name (and e-mail if asked) as when you registered for theconference. This enables us to confirm your presence (especially crucial if you want CEUs).
• You may leave your Zoom meeting running throughout breaks to ensure you have no issueslogging back in or you can use the same registration link in the afternoon that you did in themorning to log back in to the session. Please do not unmute yourself during breaks and lunch. Ifyou desire, the Chat function among participants will be operational.
TROUBLESHOOTING AUDIO AND VIDEO:
• Basic instructions for joining a meeting may be found here. Scroll down that page for instructionsspecific to different devices: Mac, Windows, or Linux computers; Android or iOS (iPhone/iPad);and using a Web browser instead of the Zoom app.
TECHNICAL SUPPORT: If you are unable to join the meeting or you cannot find your registration link for the day please contact Tammy Guest at (541) 295-5103 or at [email protected] For assistance with your equipment, such as audio/video or internet connection, please contact your agency IT.
• Breakout Sessions: Some presenters may ask people to participate in small group discussions in breakout rooms. After joining the breakout room, click the “unmute” button on your microphone so that other participants can hear you. If you still can’t hear anything, make sure your computer’s audio output isn’t turned all the way down
• If you are entirely unable to get audio to work on your device, you can join the audio of the Zoom call using your phone and the provided dial-in number(s). In that case, make sure the device you’re using to watch video isn’t connected to audio or that the audio and microphone on your device are both muted.
• Further video troubleshooting instructions for computers and mobile devices may be found here: Zoom’s video/camera help article
• Click the Chat icon at the bottom of the screen to open the Chat window. Clicking it again closes the Chat window. Please use the Chat function for questions. Note that a presenter is unlikely to be able to answer all questions. Questions that are chosen to be answered will be chosen based on the most broadly applicable questions.
• If you want to send a message via Chat, look at the bottom of the Chat window. Make sure To: is set to send your message where you want it to go (e.g., everyone in the meeting, or, as an example, just Crystal McMahon.) Click below the To: line, type your message there, and press ENTER/RETURN on your keyboard to send it.
• If you are having further difficulties with your audio or other technical problems beyond joining the meeting please contact your agency IT department.
VIEW OF THE PRESENTER AND PRESENTATION:
• In the upper-right corner of your Zoom screen, you can move between two different view options: Speaker and Gallery. (The button indicates what you get when you click it: When you are in Speaker view, it says Gallery or shows the Gallery View icon; when you are in Gallery view, it says Speaker or shows the Speaker View icon. See image at right.)
• Closed captioning is available throughout the conference. To access this, please click the carrot next to the “Closed Caption” button and select “Show Subtitles.”
Benton County IPS Supported Employment: COVID-19 Discussion November 2020
Discussion: Going to Work in the Community during the COVID-19 pandemic
Public Health Information
o Symptoms, Transmission and Harm-Reduction strategies o COVID-19 information from Benton County website:
About COVID-19 Coronavirus - Benton County Website
Risk to Workers o Risk of Exposure from working in the community during pandemic o Specific Level of Risk for individual’s occupation of choice / job tasks o Reference OSHA website:
Hazard Recognition COVID-19 - OSHA Website
Housing o Current housing situation: Are there risks to others in the home from individual’s
potential exposure at work? o Reference CDC website on Shared Housing Risks:
Shared Housing COVID-19 - CDC Website
Medical Risk Factors o Does individual have risks for medical complications or worsening of current
conditions if she/he were to contract COVID-19? Medical Risk Factors COVID-19 - CDC Website
o Consult with Primary Care Provider.
Harm Reduction and Steps for Safety in the Workplace o What steps is the Employer is taking for worker health and safety? o What extra supports can be provided to mitigate risks? o Consult with IPS Employment Specialist to learn more about employers!
COVID-19 Racial and Ethnic Disparities
o Check in with the individual to learn about any cultural risk factors that they may be dealing with as they consider the above topics.
o Reference CDC website on health equity issues related to COVID-19: Health Equity Considerations COVID-19 - CDC Website
Pros and Cons
o List pros & cons for Work in the Community during COVID-19 pandemic
Benton County IPS Supported Education: COVID-19 Discussion November 2020
Discussion: Going to School On-Campus during the COVID-19 pandemic
Public Health Information o Symptoms, Transmission and Harm-Reduction strategies o COVID-19 information from Benton County website:
About COVID-19 Coronavirus - Benton County Website Housing
o Current housing situation: Are there risks to others in the home from student’s potential exposure on campus?
o Reference CDC website on Shared Housing Risks: Shared Housing COVID-19 - CDC Website
Medical Risk Factors
o Does student have risks for medical complications or worsening of current conditions if she/he were to contract COVID-19? Medical Risk Factors COVID-19 - CDC Website
o Consult with Primary Care Provider.
Harm Reduction and Steps for Safety On Campus o What steps is the Educator is taking for student health and safety?
OSU – OSU COVID-19 Safety & Success LBCC – COVID-19 and LBCC Information
o Do we need to provide extra supports to mitigate risks?
COVID-19 Racial and Ethnic Disparities o Check in with the individual to learn about any cultural risk factors that they may be
dealing with as they consider the above topics. o Reference CDC website on health equity issues related to COVID-19:
Health Equity Considerations COVID-19 - CDC Website
Pros and Cons o List pros & cons for Education On Campus during COVID-19 pandemic
To Cite: Jimenez-Solomon, O., Eitzen, H., Mendez-Bustos, P., Nugent, M., Vite, L., Kelley, M. & Martinez, T. (2019). Financial Engagement Tool, Short version. In: Jimenez-Solomon, O. & Cronise, R. Supporting Financial Wellness: From Hardship to Hope. An Academy of Peer Services online module by Rutgers University & New York State Psychiatric Institute, Columbia University Irving Medical Center
FOR MORE INFORMATION: OSCAR JIMENEZ-SOLOMON AT [email protected]
Financial Wellness Engagement Tool – Short Version The purpose of these questions is to hear from you, about your dreams, your views about your own financial situation, what bothers you most about it, and what you feel can help you improve it. I really want to hear your own perspective on things, so we can later think together about a Financial Wellness Action Plan that will work for you.
Motivations to Engage in Financial Wellness
Personal and recovery motivations
Many people have dreams about what they would like to accomplish in their lives, what they would like to do, and how they would like their lives to be.
1. What life dreams do you have? Why are these important to you? PROBES: What things matter most to you in life? What would you like to accomplish most in life? If money were no object, what kinds of things would you like to be able do that you cannot do today?
Views about current financial situation
2. Tell me about your current financial situation. What bothers you most about it? PROBES: What would you like to change most about your current financial situation? What are things you cannot do because of your financial situation? When you think about your financial situation, how do you feel about yourself?
Perceptions about Current Financial Situation, Barriers and Assets
Causes 3. What do you feel is causing your current financial situation? Why is your financial situation
the way it is today?
a. What do others in your family, your friends, peers, or others in your community think about your financial situation?
Barriers and Assets
4. What do you feel is holding you back, keeping you from improving your financial situation? Anything about …..?
• yourself • your family • others in your life • the services or supports you receive • the community around you • the way you were raised, your race/ethnicity, gender, immigration status, etc.
PROBE: For example, lack of support, embarrassment or shame, lack of hope, fear, stigma or discrimination, lack of services, or lack of information?
5. What strengths (assets) do you feel you have that can help you improve your financial
situation? Things about ...? • yourself • your family • others in your life • the services or supports you receive • the community around you • the way you were raised, your race/ethnicity, gender, immigration status, etc.
PROBE: For example, your values, determination, support you already have, etc.
To Cite: Jimenez-Solomon, O., Eitzen, H., Mendez-Bustos, P., Nugent, M., Vite, L., Kelley, M. & Martinez, T. (2019). Financial Engagement Tool, Short version. In: Jimenez-Solomon, O. & Cronise, R. Supporting Financial Wellness: From Hardship to Hope. An Academy of Peer Services online module by Rutgers University & New York State Psychiatric Institute, Columbia University Irving Medical Center
FOR MORE INFORMATION: OSCAR JIMENEZ-SOLOMON AT [email protected]
Personal Strategies and Past Help
6. Often, people cope with their financial situation in different ways or look for different sources of support.
In the past, how have you coped with difficult financial times? What have you done to improve your financial situation?
a. What types of services or supports have been most helpful to you? b. What types of services or supports have NOT been helpful to you?
Preferences about How to Be Helped
Preferences Now let’s talk some more about the help you need.
7. What kinds of services or supports would be most USEFUL to you right now in improving your financial situation? a. What does your family, friends, peers or other people in your life think would be helpful to you in
improving your financial situation? What do they think you should do?
8. How can our program help you to improve your financial situation?
a. How can we be most helpful to you in improving your financial situation? b. What specific services or supports could our program provide to help you improve your financial
situation?
For more information, contact Oscar Jiménez-Solomon, Columbia University Medical Center, at [email protected]
Financial Wellness Action Plan
Life Dream or Goal: What is your life dream, life goal or aspiration? This is usually something that truly matters to us in one of the wellness dimensions: • social (meaningful relationships, sense of belonging), • physical (good nutrition, health, activity), • occupational (well-paying work, purposeful career), • intellectual (knowledge and creativity), • environmental (safe and decent housing, neighborhood, other environments), • emotional (experiencing joy, coping well with life’s challenges), and • spiritual (feeling purpose, meaning). What matters to us is deeply connected to who we are and what we value, our cultural beings and identities. After stating your life dream or aspiration, write down why this is important to you and who you are.
My life dream is to one day …. This is important to me because…
Financial Wellness Goal (s): Financial wellness goals are what help us achieve our life dream(s). Financial goals are most likely related to one of the five dimensions of financial wellness: • Financial Stability: ability to pay for our needs or wants, and repay our debts • Financial Security: having a rainy-day fund, savings, retirement, and other assets. • Financial Control: ability to make our own financial decisions and be our own representative payee. • Financial Autonomy: being independent from public benefits that limit our choices. • Economic Citizenship: our rights and responsibilities (e.g., being a contributor, taxpayer, provider).
A financial wellness goal is usually something objective (e.g., to afford living in my own apartment, to get off SSI/SSDI), but it often matters because of how hope we will feel (e.g., freedom from money worries, self-supporting, not ashamed). Your life dream may require that you achieve one or more financial goal. Write down your financial wellness goal(s). For each financial goal, write down why it is important to you.
For more information, contact Oscar Jiménez-Solomon, Columbia University Medical Center, at [email protected]
1. My financial wellness goal is to one day be able to:
This is important to me because I would like to (not) feel ….
2. My financial wellness goal is to one day be able to:
This is important to me because I would like to (not) feel ….
3. My financial wellness goal is to one day be able to:
This is important to me because I would like to (not) feel ….
For more information, contact Oscar Jiménez-Solomon, Columbia University Medical Center, at [email protected]
My Agency (My Recovery Capital): Before planning concrete actions steps to achieve your financial goals, take a moment to think about the assets you already have to support your agency, that is, your ability to be an “agent,” an active participant in your financial wellness. We all have some capital already. This is our recovery capital for financial wellness. Here are some examples of material, human, social and cultural capital you may have:
For each type of capital, write down below the assets you have to pursue your financial wellness goals.
Material capital Human capital Social capital Cultural capital
For more information, contact Oscar Jiménez-Solomon, Columbia University Medical Center, at [email protected]
Financial Wellness Barriers: Now, let us think about barriers that may get in your way of achieving your financial wellness goals. Here are some examples you may relate to:
For each type of capital, write down below the barriers you have for pursuing your financial wellness goals.
Material barriers Human barriers Social barriers Cultural barriers
For more information, contact Oscar Jiménez-Solomon, Columbia University Medical Center, at [email protected]
My Pathways: Next, let us take stock about the concrete pathways you may already have to help us achieve our financial wellness goals. In this section, you will see a list of supports that you may be eligible. For each, indicate if you feel it could help you, and how (with whom) you could find out more about it.
As a next step - with the help of your peers, friends, and providers - find out about what other supports may be available to you and help you achieve your financial goals.
Financial Support for..
Name of Financial Service or Support
Could this help you achieve your
financial goal(s)?
Where/how could you learn more
about it?
Budgeting, Debt and Credit problems
Free, certified financial counseling: Usually offered by cities or not-for-profit organizations, free and certified financial counseling helps individuals with budgeting, building or repairing credit, reducing debt, and planning financial future.
Filing taxes and benefit from tax
credits
Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) Sites: Free income tax preparation assistance for low and middle-income individuals and families.
Earned Income Tax Credit: A reimbursable tax credit for low-income individuals and families with at least $1 of earned income. Taxes must be filed. Tax credit amounts and eligibility may change yearly.
Working and keeping cash
benefits
Work incentives counseling: Advice on how to go back to work or increase income and still keep some cash benefits
Trial Work Period (TWP): An incentive that allows Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) beneficiaries to work, earn as much as they can, and still receive their full check, for 9 months.
Special SSI Payments for People who Work (1619A Program): An incentive that allows Supplemental Security Income (SSI) beneficiaries to work and get some SSI benefits even if their earnings are higher than Substantial Gainful Activity (SGA) level. SSI checks are reduced based on individual’s earnings at about $1 for $2 earned.
Impairment Related Work Expenses (IRWE): A work incentive that allows SSI or SSDI recipients to earn more before their benefits are affected by taking into account expenses necessary to be able to work.
For more information, contact Oscar Jiménez-Solomon, Columbia University Medical Center, at [email protected]
Working and keeping health
benefits
Work incentives counseling: Advice on how to go back to work or increase income and still keep some health benefits
Continued Medicaid Eligibility (Section 1619(B)): Allows SSI eligible individuals to remain eligible for Medicaid by setting higher income limits than for regular Medicaid. Income and asset limits vary by state.
Medicaid Buy-In for Working People with Disabilities: program that allows working individuals in New York State to still be eligible for Medicaid even if they earn $63,000 per year and have $20,000 in assets (2019).
Building savings and keeping
benefits
PASS (Plan to Achieve Self-Sufficiency): An incentive that allows social security beneficiaries to save for things related to their work goals (e.g., computer, a car). Savings are not counted toward the resource limit, so they do not affect SSA benefits.
Achieving a Better Life Experience (ABLE) Accounts: A program that allows eligible individuals (deemed disabled before age 26) to save, tax-free, up to $15,000 per year (up to $100,000 in a lifetime) for disability-related expenses, while not affecting SSI or Medicaid eligibility.
Individual Development Account (IDA): A special savings account that, for each dollar a person saves, gives a “match” of 1, 2, 3, or 4 dollars to help him/her buy a home, go to school, or start a business.
HUD Earned Income Disregard: A program that allows people in some Housing and Urban Development (HUD) programs to work and not have all or some of their income counted when calculating rent payments for the first two years after starting work.
For more information, contact Oscar Jiménez-Solomon, Columbia University Medical Center, at [email protected]
Financial Support for..
What other financial supports could help you achieve your financial wellness goals?
Where/how could you learn more about it?
Other supports that may help you achieve your financial wellness goals may include housing supports (e.g., emergency utility assistance, moving assistance, eviction protections), first-time home buyer programs, student loan relief programs, other tax credits (e.g., Child Tax Credit), small business development centers, among others.
For more information, contact Oscar Jiménez-Solomon, Columbia University Medical Center, at [email protected]
Financial Wellness Action Steps: Now, let us think about actions you can take to achieve your financial wellness goals. As you think about concrete action steps, think about how you can keep building on your Agency, and finding new Pathways to achieve your financial wellness goals.
Financial Wellness goal # 1 (write it down again):
What I will do: specific action I will take With whom (person or organization): who will be involved (provide information, service, support, etc.)
By when: specific date by when I will take action
Completed?
For more information, contact Oscar Jiménez-Solomon, Columbia University Medical Center, at [email protected]
Financial Wellness goal # 2 (write it down again):
What I will do: specific action I will take With whom (person or organization): who will be involved (provide information, service, support, etc.)
By when: specific date by when I will take action
Completed?
For more information, contact Oscar Jiménez-Solomon, Columbia University Medical Center, at [email protected]
Financial Wellness goal # 3 (write it down again):
What I will do: specific action I will take With whom (person or organization): who will be involved (provide information, service, support, etc.)
By when: specific date by when I will take action
Completed?
NOTES:
To cite: Jimenez-Solomon, O. Financial Wellness Action Plan. In: Jimenez-Solomon, O & Cronise, R. (2019). Supporting Financial Wellness: From Hardship to Hope. New York State Academy of Peer Services, Rutgers University: Piscataway, New Jersey & New York State Psychiatric Institute, Columbia University Medical Center.
Sources: • Jimenez-Solomon, O.& Cronise, R. (2019). Supporting Financial Wellness: From Hardship to Hope (online
course). Academy of Peer Services, New York. https://www.academyofpeerservices.org/. • Jimenez-Solomon, O., Mendez-Bustos, P., Swarbrick, Diaz, S., DeSilva, S., Kelley, M., Duke, S., & Lewis-
Fernandez, R. (2016). Peer-Supported Economic Empowerment: A Financial Wellness Intervention Framework for People with Psychiatric Disabilities. Psychiatric Rehabilitation Journal 39 (3), 222–233.
Financial Wellness Resources Directory:
Quick Reference Guide
Financial Counseling (e.g., debts, credit, budgeting)
Service or Support
Brief Summary How to Obtain More Information
Free Financial Counseling
The National Disability Institute (NDI) Financial Resilience Center provides resources for people with disabilities and health conditions to access free financial counseling through AFCPE, information and other resources.
https://www.nationaldisabilityinstitute.org/financial-resilience-center/
The United Way is a network of independently operated non-profit organizations that offer a range of financial services and supports (e.g., financial counseling and education, tax preparation). There are about 1,800 locations across the United States.
To locate your local United Way, visit: https://www.unitedway.org/find-your-united-way/
Free Financial Counseling and
Financial Literacy Education
Operation HOPE is a for-purpose organization working to disrupt poverty and empower inclusion for low and moderate-income youth and adults. The focus is financial dignity and inclusion. They equip young people and adults with the financial tools and education to secure a better future—coaching them through their personal aspirations and life’s challenges and facilitating their journey to financial independence.
With locations in CA, CO, NV, NE, TX, LA, MO, IL, MI, OH, KY, TN, MS, AL, GA, SC, NC, DC, MD, NJ, MI, & NY.
To learn more about Operation Hope, visit: http://operationhope.org/
Free Financial Counseling in NYC
New York City Financial Empowerment Centers provide free one-on-one professional, financial counseling and coaching to support your in reaching your goals. Counselors assist to: • Reduce debt • Understand student loans • Strengthen credit score • Build savings • Balance a budget • Open a bank account
To learn more about NYC Financial Empowerment Centers, visit: https://www1.nyc.gov/site/dca/consumers/get-free-financial-counseling.page
As in NYC, many other municipalities across the country offer free, professional financial counseling: https://fecpublic.org/
Free Financial Counseling in NYC for people with disabilities
Empowered NYC is an initiative to assist people with disabilities to better manage their finances and become more financially stable. In addition to core services provided by Financial Empowerment Centers, Empowered NYC assists with utilizing work incentives, SAA overpayments, opening ABLE accounts, and other SSA benefit.
To learn more about Empowered NYC, visit: https://www1.nyc.gov/site/dca/partners/EmpoweredNYC.page Through EmpoweredCities, a project of National Disability Institute and Citi Foundation, other cities will offer Empowered services starting 2020.
Tax Credits and Filing Taxes
Service or Support
Brief Summary How to Obtain More Information
Earned Income Tax Credit
A reimbursable tax credit for low-income individuals and families with at least $1 of earned income. Taxes must be filed. Tax credit amounts and eligibility may change yearly. In 2019, the credit was between $529 and $6,557 depending on income, marital status and number of children.
To learn more, visit the IRS website: https://www.irs.gov/Credits-&-Deductions/Individuals/Earned-Income-Tax-Credit
Sources: • Jimenez-Solomon, O.& Cronise, R. (2019). Supporting Financial Wellness: From Hardship to Hope (online
course). Academy of Peer Services, New York. https://www.academyofpeerservices.org/. • Jimenez-Solomon, O., Mendez-Bustos, P., Swarbrick, Diaz, S., DeSilva, S., Kelley, M., Duke, S., & Lewis-
Fernandez, R. (2016). Peer-Supported Economic Empowerment: A Financial Wellness Intervention Framework for People with Psychiatric Disabilities. Psychiatric Rehabilitation Journal 39 (3), 222–233.
Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) Sites
Free income tax preparation assistance for low and middle-income individuals and families. Tax preparation is provided by trained volunteers. VITA sites are available in most communities, and many are open all year.
To locate the VITA site nearest to you, call: 1-800-906-9887. Or visit: https://www.irs.gov/individuals/find-a-location-for-free-tax-prep
Related resources at National Disability Institute (NDI) website: http://www.realeconomicimpact.org/
Supports to Obtain Employment
Service or Support
Brief Summary How to Obtain More Information
Ticket to Work Ticket to Work (TTW) can help Social Security beneficiaries go to work and progress towards financial independence. Individuals ages 18-64 who receive Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) or Supplemental Security Income (SSI) may qualify. TTW helps pay for employment supports and offers protections and incentives for returning to work.
To learn more about Ticket to Work, visit: https://choosework.ssa.gov/about/ index.html
Employment Services The New York Employment Services System (NYESS) provides all New Yorkers – regardless of their (dis)Ability – with a single point to access all employment-related services and supports. For an Employment Tool to understand Social Security Work Incentives, visit: https://nyess.ny.gov/customer-information.html. Click the We Can Work link at the bottom of the Consumer Information for a 25-minute video of personal stories of economic recovery.
To learn more about NYESS, visit: https://www.nyess.ny.gov/customer-information.html
Social Security Benefits
Service or Support
Brief Summary How to Obtain More Information
Supplemental Security Income (SSI) Benefits To appeal a denied SSI application
The Supplemental Security Income (SSI) program pays benefits to disabled adults and children who have limited income and resources. If you have applied for SSI and been denied, you can file an SSI appeal. To learn more, read how to appeal a decision. Or visit: https://www.ssa.gov/benefits/disability/appeal.html
To learn more about Supplemental Security Income (SSI), visit: https://www.ssa.gov/benefits/ssi/
Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) To appeal a denied SSDI application
Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) pays benefits to people who can’t work because they have a medical condition that’s expected to last at least one year or result in death. If you have applied for SSDI and been denied, you can file an SSDI appeal. To learn more, read how submit an appeal by visiting: https://secure.ssa.gov/iApplsRe/start
To learn more about Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI), visit: https://www.ssa.gov/applyfordisability/
Sources: • Jimenez-Solomon, O.& Cronise, R. (2019). Supporting Financial Wellness: From Hardship to Hope (online
course). Academy of Peer Services, New York. https://www.academyofpeerservices.org/. • Jimenez-Solomon, O., Mendez-Bustos, P., Swarbrick, Diaz, S., DeSilva, S., Kelley, M., Duke, S., & Lewis-
Fernandez, R. (2016). Peer-Supported Economic Empowerment: A Financial Wellness Intervention Framework for People with Psychiatric Disabilities. Psychiatric Rehabilitation Journal 39 (3), 222–233.
Keeping Cash Benefits While Working
Service or Support
Brief Summary How to Obtain More Information
Trial Work Period (TWP)
An incentive that allows Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) beneficiaries to work, earn as much as they can, and still receive their full check, for 9 months.
To learn more about work these incentives, visit: https://www.ssa.gov/redbook/eng/ssdi-and-ssi-employments-supports.htm
Or read Social Security Administration (SSA) Red Book: http://www.ssa.gov/redbook/
For counseling from a trained advisor, ask for a benefits advisor at your nearest Independent Living Center: http://www.virtualcil.net/cils/ Find a local Social Security advisor from the SSA Work Incentives Planning and Assistance (WIPA) program: http://www.ssa.gov/work/WIPA.html
Special SSI Payments for People who Work (1619A Program)
An incentive that allows Supplemental Security Income (SSI) beneficiaries to work and get some SSI benefits even if their earnings are higher than Substantial Gainful Activity (SGA) level. SSI checks are reduced based on individual’s earnings at about $1 for $2 earned.
Impairment Related Work Expenses (IRWE)
A work incentive that allows SSI or SSDI recipients to earn more before their benefits are affected by deducting expenses necessary to be able to work.
Keeping Health & Housing Benefits While Working
Name of Service or Support
Brief Summary (*) How to Obtain More Information
Continued Medicaid Eligibility Section 1619(B)
Allows SSI eligible individuals to remain eligible for Medicaid by setting higher income limits than for regular Medicaid. Income and asset limits vary by state.
To learn more about 1619b, visit: https://www.ssa.gov/disabilityresearch/wi/1619b.htm
Medicaid Buy-In for Working People with Disabilities
The Medicaid Buy-In (MBI) program offers health care coverage to people with disabilities who are working, and whose earnings and resources might otherwise make them ineligible for Medicaid. Most states have an MBI program. Some states charge a premium. Some have NO premium. For instance, in New York State an individual with disabilities may earn up to $61,332, and no premium is charged.
Contact your local Medicaid office to find out about MBI in your state and how to apply. Be prepared to advocate. Often local Medicaid offices do not know about the MBI and may deny they exist. To find out income and asset eligibility in your state; https://www.kff.org/other/state-indicator/medicaid-eligibility-through-buy-in-programs-for-working-people-with-disabilities/?currentTimeframe=0&sortModel=%7B%22colId%22:%22Location%22,%22sort%22:%22asc%22%7D
HUD Earned Income Disregard
Incentive that allows individuals who live in Housing and Urban Development (HUD)-funded programs to work and not have any of their income counted when calculating rent payments for the first year after starting work. In the second year, only half of their income is counted.
For more information about HUD rental assistance or to locate local housing counseling agency, call (800) 569-4287 or visit the HUD site: http://portal.hud.gov/hudportal/HUD?src=/topics/rental_assistance
Sources: • Jimenez-Solomon, O.& Cronise, R. (2019). Supporting Financial Wellness: From Hardship to Hope (online
course). Academy of Peer Services, New York. https://www.academyofpeerservices.org/. • Jimenez-Solomon, O., Mendez-Bustos, P., Swarbrick, Diaz, S., DeSilva, S., Kelley, M., Duke, S., & Lewis-
Fernandez, R. (2016). Peer-Supported Economic Empowerment: A Financial Wellness Intervention Framework for People with Psychiatric Disabilities. Psychiatric Rehabilitation Journal 39 (3), 222–233.
Building Savings and Assets
Name of Service or Support
Brief Summary (*) How to Obtain More Information
Achieving a Better Life Experience (ABLE) Savings Accounts
A program that allows eligible individuals (deemed disabled before age 26) to save, tax-free, up to $15,000 per year (and up to $100,000 in a lifetime) for disability-related expenses, without affecting SSI or Medicaid eligibility.
For Sara Perez’ personal ABLE story, visit: https://www.ablenrc.org/able-ambassador/sarah-perez/
ABLE National Resource Center provides state plans, eligibility, links to state programs, and other educational resources: http://www.ablenrc.org/
New York State ABLE program: https://www.mynyable.org/
PASS (Plan to Achieve Self-Sufficiency)
An incentive that allows social security beneficiaries to save for things related to their work goals (e.g., computer, a car). Savings are not counted toward the resource limit, so they do not affect SSA benefits.
For a PASS Specialist in your area, call 1-800-772-1213 or visit the SSA website at: www.socialsecurity.gov/disabilityresearch/wi/passcadre.htm
Individual Development Account (IDA) for Matched Saving
A special savings account that, for each dollar a person saves, gives a “match” of $1, $2, $3, or $4 to help him/her buy a home, go to school, or start a small business.
To find about IDAs, visit Prosperity Now (formerly, the Corporation for Enterprise Development) website: https://prosperitynow.org/issues/individual-development-accounts
* These summaries are for general information only. Individuals receiving Social Security Administration (SSA) benefits should consult with qualified financial or work incentives counselors before making decisions affecting work, income and assets. You may be able to find a trainer benefits advisor at:
• Your nearest Independent Living Center: http://www.virtualcil.net/cils/
• Your SSA Work Incentives Planning and Assistance (WIPA) program: http://www.ssa.gov/work/WIPA.html
Secret Sauce: How Peer Support Specialists Support Occupational Wellness and Enhance
IPS Fidelity
Peggy Swarbrick, PhD, FAOTA
Happy Halloween
After this webinar, participants will be able to
•Define the numerous wellness benefits of work• Identify critical reasons to address occupational wellness and the employment disparities facing people served •Explain the role of peer support specialists in enhancing occupational wellness •Describe how peer support specialists can increase IPS fidelity
Work/Employment
• Employment provides many wellness benefits
• Far too many people with mental health and substance use challenges are unemployed or underemployed—even though they want to work
•We all have a role as supporters to help people pursue competitive employment
Work is Good Medicine
It is through doing that one becomes-Gail S. Fidler
What wellness benefit(s) do you get from working?
Work Provides Purpose
From Brainy Quote
©2020 CSPNJ & Emma O’Connell
WORKZONE
OccupationalWellness
Wellness
Work: My Wellness Tool
Work
became a good habit to help my wellness
Work
provided me with structure and purpose, even when I was hopeless and wanted to give up
Work
was an expectation and I found out showing up was half the battle
Work
provided me (and still provides me) with financial security so I know I can take care of myself and do not have to be depend on others
Work Enhances Wellness
Think about your first/best job
What were (or are) the wellness benefits of that job?
Consider the benefits in each of the
wellness dimensions
Work Impacts all Dimensions
by the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco
Why focus on OccupationalWellness?
Social Security Benefits
From safety net
to
• Social outcast
•Dependency
•Barrier to recovery
Effects of long-term unemployment
• loss of self-esteem
•emotional instability
• increased substance use
•more physical problems
• loss of social contacts
•alienation and apathy
Unemployment is Bad for Health
• Vicious cycle of inactivity
• Vicious cycle of poor health (mental and physical)
• Poverty
• Works against community integration
• Downward spiral of lack of opportunity
Peers can help Peers create an Exit Plan
We Know Work is Important & IPS WORKSBUT WHAT ELSE HELPS……
SOAR Infographic; PRA, Inc.
Peer Support Specialists in IPS Programs
Secret Sauce
Having a peer specialist has made our IPS team stronger by making sure that we are
identifying each person’s strengths and providing strengths-based services. We are
more aware of the importance of the impact of everything we say and do with the
participant and to our team. Our team is stronger when we are all positive.
An IPS Team Supervisor
Peer support appears to be associated with improved job attainment and better
ability to deal with work issues
Peer support seems to help people feel less alone in their struggle to find
employment and in keeping up theirmotivation for pursuing work
--Bonnie Kirsh (2016)
Peers and IPS fidelity
• Inspire people to consider work
• Facilitate engagement
•Help integrate employment and clinical services
•Really understand “zero exclusion”
•Helpful with disclosure, accommodation discussions
• Expand supports
Peer Support Specialists Roles in IPS programs
Employment specialists
Peer-led employment services
Employment-focused peer support
Peer support specialists as IPS fidelity reviewers
Peer support specialist as trainers for employment providers
Employment specialists
Peer providers can be effective employment specialists
Must be qualified and matched to the job
Must be trained
Need supervision
Should be paid a fair wage
Peer-led employment services
IPS programs can live within peer-led organizations
Fidelity can be achieved
May be more likely to integrate employment services with related programs, such as
wellness and financial education
Employment-focused peer support
•Peer specialists integrated as team members
•Benefit from IPS training
•Other team members may need training in working with peers
•Supervisors can benefit from specialized training
Peers as IPS fidelity reviewers
•Require training like any fidelity reviewer
•May be more observant about some issuesoService integrationoRecovery-orientationoProgram culture
Peers as IPS trainers
Role models for success
Able to provide examples of successes, challenges
Link between employment and recovery
Offer SupportAsk Arrange Assist
Peer Supporters: Support Occupational Wellness
How do you see Peer Support Specialists as an important ingredient enhancing employment outcomes?
Summary
• There are numerous wellness benefits of work
• It is urgent that Peer Support Specialist assume an important role supporting occupational wellness to address the employment disparities facing people served
• There are many ways peer support specialists can in support occupational wellness
•Peer support specialists are a secret ingredient that can positively impact IPS fidelity
https://www.center4healthandsdc.org/peers-in-se.html
Contact Information and Resources
• Contact Information [email protected]
• Words of Wellness• https://cspnj.org/news/
• Self Directed & Integrated Wellness Resources• https://www.center4healthandsdc.org/solutions-suite.html
• https://www.center4healthandsdc.org/integrated-health--mental-health.html
• https://www.center4healthandsdc.org/self-directed-recovery.html
©2020 Collaborative Support Programs of New Jersey, Inc. | 11 Spring Street, Freehold, NJ | www.cspnj.org
Financial wellness involves having enough
financial resources to meet basic needs as well as a
sense of control over and knowledge of personal
finances and affects wellness in all dimensions.
The conditions where you grow up, live, work, and
age affect your mental and physical health and
well-being. One such social determinant is poverty,
which contributes to food insecurity, housing
instability, financial stress, and poor health.
A Wellness Approach
A wellness approach focuses on strengths and
positive habits and routines, including creative and
effective strategies people with extremely limited
incomes use to make the most of the they have.
This approach views how each wellness dimension
affects the others. Financial wellness has far-
reaching effects on emotional, social, physical,
environmental wellness, and more, so supports
should address and enhance multiple indicators of
financial wellness.
Objective indicators are things you can measure,
like income, debt, credit rating, and savings, as well
as aspects of financial capability, such as
knowledge about credit, financial products and
services, financial planning, and budgeting.
Subjective indicators are more internal, so they’re
hard or impossible to measure: financial self-
efficacy, a sense of control, satisfaction with one’s
current financial situation, and hope for the future,
including a belief in the ability to reach personal
financial wellness goals.
Financial Literacy
Financial wellness is enhanced by financial
literacy—the knowledge and skills needed to find,
evaluate, understand, and use information to
manage personal funds and financial products. Having these competencies improves financial wellness
and its effects on other dimensions of wellness and well-
being. Money management is one component of
financial literacy, but there’s much more.
Check (✓) the items that you do often or always.
___ I have a good handle on my financial status.
___ I have money on hand to meet my current
expenses.
___ I understand the issues of balancing my wants
and needs, and balancing saving and spending.
___ I balance my checkbook and audit my credit
card statements.
___ I pay my bills on time.
___ I check my credit reports at least once a year.
___ My savings are on track with my life goals.
___ I have people I can turn to for good help with
financial matters.
Tips
Track what you spend! Remember: you can’t make
changes if you don’t know where your money goes.
Consider the difference between needs and wants.
Start with categories, such as “I need to pay my
rent” and “I want to get a new bicycle.” Then look
within categories: “I need to eat, especially foods
for a healthy balanced diet, but I want to eat out, so
I don’t have to cook at home or pack my lunch.”
Reduce debt and improve your credit rating.
Financial Wellness
Volume 12 Number 13
November 2020
Peggy Swarbrick and Pat Nemec, Co-Editors
Words of Wellness, November 2020, page 2
©2020 Collaborative Support Programs of New Jersey, Inc. | 11 Spring Street, Freehold, NJ | www.cspnj.org
References and Resources
Thanks to our colleagues and co-authors for their contributions, as represented in the reference citations below. Illustrations are listed
online as free for reuse without attribution from pixabay.com
Some of the practical tips for financial wellness are part of a 6-session curriculum that is available for free: Nemec, P. B., Swarbrick,
M., Cook, J. A., Jonikas, J. A., & Jiménez-Solomon, O. (2019). Building Financial Wellness (Facilitator’s Guide and Participant
Workbook). Freehold, NJ, Collaborative Support Programs of New Jersey, Inc. & University of Illinois at Chicago Center on Mental
Health Services Research and Policy. Download from https://www.center4healthandsdc.org/building-financial-wellness.html
Other references for the articles in this issue:
• Brandow, C. L., Swarbrick, M., & Nemec, P. B. (2020). Rethinking the causes and consequences of financial wellness for people
with serious mental illnesses. Psychiatric Services, 71(1), 89-91. doi: 10.1176/appi.ps.201900323
• Brice, G., Jr. (2018). Wellness benefits of a Social Security exit plan. Psychiatric Services, 63(3), 257-258.
• Caplan, M. A. (2014). Financial coping strategies of mental health consumers: Managing social benefits. Community Mental Health
Journal, 50, 409-414.
• Cole, M. B., & Nguyen, K. H. (2020). Unmet social needs among low-income adults in the United States: Associations with health
care access and quality. Health Services Research, 00, 1-10. doi: 10.1111/1475-6773.13555
• Marrone, J., & Swarbrick, M. (2020). Long-term unemployment: A social determinant underaddressed within
community behavioral health programs. Psychiatric Services, 71, 745-748. doi: 10.1176/appi.ps.201900522
• https://soarworks.prainc.com/sites/soarworks.prainc.com/files/SOAR_and_Employment_Integration_Infographic.pdf
• https://www.prainc.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/FinancialWellness-508.pdf
• https://www.center4healthandsdc.org/seeking-supported-employment.html
• The “if you were going to get a job” question comes from Jennifer Thorson.
Occupational Wellness
The definition of occupational wellness is having
the opportunity to participate in activities that are
meaningful and rewarding, providing meaning and
purpose. This includes work, volunteer activity,
leisure activities, hobbies and other activities that
reflect personal values, interests, and beliefs while
giving us pleasure and satisfaction.
For many adults, work is a large contributor to
both wellness and identity and can be a critical
step in the recovery process for people with
mental health and/or substance use challenges.
Although most people diagnosed with a serious
mental illness want to work, only 15% do. Paid
work increases income and can improve financial
wellness and wellness in many other dimensions.
Practical Tips
If you are eligible, consider using a Supported
Employment program for help finding a job. The
workbook Seeking Supported Employment can
help you decide.
If you provide behavioral health services, ask at
every visit about the person’s interest in working
or what the person has been doing to make efforts
to get a job, keep a current job, or find a more
fulfilling job. Point out the negative effects of
remaining in life-long poverty, just as you would
for other risks to health.
Rather than asking “Do you want to work?” try
asking, “If you were going to get a job, what
would you like to do for work?”
Get or offer training on beneficial and effective
strategies to encourage and support people to seek
and succeed in an appealing job.
Advocate for policy and service changes to
increase supports for employment, to eliminate
barriers and disincentives, and to communicate a
clear expectation that all service providers are
responsible for reducing under / unemployment.
Remember that work is good medicine—it
provides structure, purpose, something productive
you do to earn an income enhancing financial
wellness.