Good afternoon, folks.
This is Ed Lopez from Cornell University’s ILR School and 
the Employment and Disability Institute.
Let me welcome you today to today’s Work Incentives Seminar 
Event.
We have a very wonderful session for you today.
But before we get started, I’ve got to do two things.
The first is to thank certain people who are behind the 
scenes, without whom we could not do this session.
First, let me thank Michael Ward, who is Cornell’s IT guru, 
without whom we would not even be able to log on.
And secondly, I would like to thank Jamie Pendergrass who 
does a phenomenal job behind the scenes making sure that 
everything is done on time and beautifully.
So thank you to both.
Now, before we get totally started, I’ve got to tell you 
that we always have a certain couple of things that we want 
to cover with you.
The first one is that if you look on your computer, you 
will notice on the right hand side of your computer, a 
control panel.
In that control panel, you will be able to choose how you 
listen and participate in today’s webinar.
If you’re participating by computer, you will just be going 
to the audio icon, clicking it on, and using mic and 
speakers, and low and behold, you will be able to 
participate.
However, if you are having some kind of audio problems, you 
can always participate by telephone.
And to do that, you will go to that audio icon on the 
control panel.
You will click on “use telephone.” Up will pop-up a dial in 
number and access code and your very own audio pin.
And voila, you could then participate with us.
>The second thing I want to cover for you is the issue of 
questions.
We always love questions in these webinar because they 
bring them to life.
Also on your control panel, you will notice there is a 
questions box, an icon there for questions.
If you click on it, you can actually type in a question, 
and press send, and it will pop-up to us.
During our webinar, Jamie will be keeping track of 
questions that come in.
And then at the end of the session, Jamie and I will make 
sure that we get to the questions and answer as many as 
possible.
If we do not get to all the questions during today's 
presentation, we will gather them up and we will send out 
an e-mail with answers to those questions for you at a 
little later point.
>Webinar accessibility.
What we wanted to let you know about webinar accessibility 
is very simple.
We want you to report anytime that you have got some kind 
of problems and that you see a problem with accessibility.
And we also want you to do us a favor because we want all 
of our programs to be accessible.
If you have a solution to a problem, please report that to 
us also, and then we will be able to handle it that much 
easier.
Remember, there is all different people who will be 
listening in on the webinars.
So we want to make sure that they are accessible to each 
and every person.
So when you are doing a webinar on your own, please let us 
know of any problems that come up so that we can help you 
manage them.
And once you have got a suggestion to manage them, if you 
have got one, let us know so than that we can also pass the 
word on to others for you.
>Now if you look at this next slide, you will notice that 
we have got a jam packed agenda.
We’re going to begin with my introductions that I’m doing 
right now, obviously.
And then we will go on to Tina Williams who is a certified 
work incentive counselor at the ILRC of Northeast Florida 
and she will cover and give us information about the work 
incentive planning and assistance project.
She’s going to give us information about the Ticket to Work 
program.
And she will also give us some information on the Ticket to 
Work for Young Adults in Transition program.
>After that, we are going to hand it over to Lisa 
Parlapiano, I love that name, a Disability Program 
Navigator of the organization, Worksource, in Florida.
She will cover for us the employment network, a way for 
agencies to make money by providing vocational services to 
individuals.
And then it’s going to come back to me.
I will do a very quickie on the Vocational Rehabilitation 
Services out there and what they provide.
And then we will give it to Natalie Alden, who is an 
Advocate/Investigator, also in Florida, with the Disability 
Rights units there.
And she’s going to do about a couple of slides on the 
protection and advocacy for beneficiaries of Social 
Security.
This is a wonderful program and she will talk to you about 
it.
>Finally it will come back to me to cover a couple of 
resources and to do a couple of questions and answers for 
you.
>So we will cover those.
>So what can you expect from this presentation?
As I gave you the agenda already, let me give you a little 
bit more info.
First, you’re going to get some information on the Ticket 
to Work program and the Work Incentives for SSDI, the trial 
work period, the EPE, and you’ll hear a lot more about this 
from Tina.
In the SSI program: the very basic formula.
You’re also going to get answers to frequently asked 
questions of you, by consumers when they call up your 
office or come into your office.
We are also going to give you a lot of material, where you 
can go to find more information.
Always, where can you go?
And then we’re going to give you a couple of success 
stories from individuals who have used their Ticket to Work.
>Now, why, you may think, and people may ask you, should I 
work, or should you work?
And it is very simple.
If you look at the slide up there, you’ll notice, you see a 
lot of cash there.
It means that people, when they work, can earn more money 
and have more disposable income available to them.
And how could it get any better than that?
Secondly, by working and earning some money, individuals 
can gain a much needed independence.
And I cannot tell you how often I will speak to someone, an 
individual with a disability, who has gone to work, who 
will say to me, since I went to work, I feel so much better 
about myself.
And that is independence, my friends.
It’s the way it works.
>Additionally...
I am trying to move this right along here...
And to learn new skills.
Now let me tell you.
The beauty here is that as individuals learn new skills, 
the key is that by learning new skills, they earn more 
income and by earning more income, they gain independence.
So it's circular.
The more people work, the more skills they learn, the more 
income they make, and they can become independent.
So it's incredible.
And finally, people love to be around people.
And by going to work, people meet new people.
And they can do more networking.
So they can earn more money and become independent.
And learn to deal with more individuals.
>So that is the way it works.
Now by this point I am going to hand this over to Mike, who 
is going to present to you a video of Victor Quibas.
Victor Quibas is an individual with a disability who used 
the Ticket to Work program to help him develop his skills 
and return to work after becoming disabled.
And he will tell you, in this video, that he credits the 
Ticket to Work program for his ability to provide more for 
his family, resulting in a more hopeful future.
>Okay Mike, it's up to you.
[Victor Quibas]
To me personally, being on disability was making it through 
everyday just barely, not having anything extra for my wife 
and kids.
It was tough on me.
It was hard to handle.
What made me choose work was a golden opportunity that was 
provided to me through my wife.
My wife Carla met someone at our church who was affiliated 
with Goodwill.
And this person directed me to the Ticket to Work program.
That in itself was amazing.
That experience has brought me to where I am today.
My expectation for – I was pretty scared trying to enter 
the workforce again because I was afraid that I was going 
to lose my benefits.
And those things were very important to me because that's 
all I had to keep my family and myself afloat.
But through the Ticket to Work program, you learn that 
there's no need to be afraid.
That you're going to keep your benefits until you sustain 
work.
And it was like a safety net, so to speak, until I could 
completely go on my own and make it.
And through each process, they guide you.
It's extremely, extremely helpful to you.
Some of the things my employment network done to help me 
through the process was they made sure they went through 
the paperwork and explained the Ticket to Work program 
thoroughly to me, which helped me to feel much more at ease 
about the program, once I was able to understand it.
>They set me up for customer service skills classes, and 
then helped me to get back into the workforce.
>Career-wise, I am doing much better than I was before I 
was disabled.
In my old job, I was a Manufacturing Technician for Intel, 
which was an amazing job and I loved it dearly, but it was 
much more physical than I can do now.
Now that I am in communications, I've advanced from Basic 
Operator to a Supervisor.
And hopefully will soon be a Manager.
>Now today, having employment and having a better situation 
for myself and my family, it's great.
We live each day.
We take advantage of all of our lives.
We go out.
We do things together.
We spend time together.
It's amazingly hopeful for us and our future.
>We are actually able to interact with the community and 
get involved in things like Goodwill and Ticket to Work and 
Freedom to Work and Access and things of that nature, very 
helpful and fun.
>The Ticket to Work program is amazing because it takes 
away all the barriers and challenges there are to get to 
the workplace, and frees you to make choices and to learn 
again and to be happy with your life and to move forward.
It's just a great opportunity.
>The first thing I would recommend to a potential 
beneficiary would be to get to an employment network of 
your choice.
Get signed up.
Get your ticket in there.
And start the process.
There is no need to be afraid.
Everything is going to be alright.
[Ed Lopez]
>Okay, Mike, if you would do me a favor and get us back to 
the slides and also make sure that I am not echoing.
>Okay my friends, if you notice, it's very, very easy to 
get a ticket for the Ticket to Work.
And the Ticket to Work program is extremely wonderful.
We're going to hear quite a bit about it at a later point 
from Tina.
So I am not going to jump the gun here.
I just do want to let you know, however, that there are 
certain concerns that individuals will be calling about and 
when individuals call about these issues, you will want to 
know what to say.
And during today's webinar, you are going to hear about 
what is going to happen.
>People always ask, “If I go to work, am I going to lose my 
benefits?”
And Tina will cover that for you.
“How do I get the skills and experience I need to go to 
work?”
We are going to have Tina and others talk to you about that, 
too.
“And if I am working, and I have to stop working, what is 
going to happen down the road?”
There are all issues that we are going to cover during the 
webinar because we know that they are common concerns that 
every individual on disability benefits that’s thinking 
about going back to work has in their minds.
So my friends, buckle up and get ready because right now, 
we're going to present Tina Williams.
And Tina Williams is the CWIC at the ILRC of Northeast 
Florida.
She comes to us with very high recommendations and Tina, 
let me welcome you.
Let’s get started.
Tina?

[Michael Ward]
It looks like Tina may be having some phone problems.
[Ed Lopez]
I hear Tina trying to get on here.
Let’s give her another minute.
...
that Tina was going to cover.
And once she gets back on, I will stop doing it.
Okay?
So here goes.

The Work Incentive Planning and Assistance Projects are 
SSA-approved organizations.
They have all been chosen by SSA through an RFA process.
And these projects assist beneficiaries in making informed 
choices about work, and more importantly, the services that 
the WIPAs, and that is the name that they’re called, the 
WIPA projects, Work Incentive Planning and Assistance 
projects, they are free.
Those services are free.
These WIPA projects staff are trained to provide 
individuals with disabilities information about the Ticket 
to Work and more importantly, about the work incentives out 
there for an individual who is on either the SSDI program, 
or the SSI program.
The WIPA staff can also answer questions about how work 
will affect an individual’s benefits when they decide to go 
back to work.
A WIPA will also help the individual find the resources or 
services to achieve their work goal.
And finally, they will also host some work incentive 
seminar events in the region that they are located.
As part of the contract, they are supposed to spend 
approximately 10% of their time on this issue.
And they will provide work incentive seminars to get more 
people to get involved in the system.
I am trying to move the slides here.
Hey Mike, would you move the slide over for us?
Ah, here we are.
So again, I am sorry about this.
You will know when you're ready to explore the idea of 
returning to work.
And what do we do?
First of all, you need to learn more about all the work 
incentives that apply to you because the idea is to get you 
to go from one spot to another spot, from being unemployed 
to being employed.
You will need, and you will be able to build your own 
employment team.
And you will be able to decide who is going to be on the 
employment team.
Do you want a vocational expert?
Do you want to have an employment network?
Does the vocational person, will they be the VR or will 
they be an employment network that is not a VR?
You will have a WIPA.
You will be working with job coaches if necessary, and a 
whole array of supports.

You will also be able to stay positive and look for 
opportunities because you know, a person with disabilities 
who is looking for work, that is what they always have to 
look at, is being positive so that they don't stop their 
quest midstream.
Social Security disability benefit programs.
There are two.
First, there is the SSDI program.
And that is a program for people who have got enough work 
history to qualify for that program.
The second program is the SSI program.
And my friends, that is a program that is a little 
different because that program is for individuals who are 
disabled but also happen to be poor.
So that is the SSDI program and the SSI program.
In some cases, a person will qualify for both, the SSDI 
program and the SSI program.
And that happens when a person actually qualifies for SSDI, 
but they are still eligible for some SSI because their SSI 
does not rise to the level of the SSI benefits in the state 
that they are in.

At this point, Tina, are you back on yet or not?
[Michael Ward]
No Ed, I think she is still trying to get back on.
[Ed Lopez]
Okay, then I will continue here.
So what are some common concerns that individuals have?
Well for starters, what risks am I taking by starting a new 
job training program or going back to school?
Because I am really concerned about my SSI checks being 
reduced.
Or, I am going to be jeopardizing my SSDI entitlement by 
getting a paying job.
And if I do get a paying job, what happens if I get into an 
overpayment situation?
All issues that individuals with disabilities are always 
worried about.

Because as you know, the prospect of change for an 
individual with disabilities, who is already dealing with a 
disability, but now is thinking about changing things and 
actually going back to work can be very scary.
But the purpose of this WISE event today is to make that 
prospect less scary, because if you know some of the basic 
program rules, you’ll know that it’s not as scary as people 
might have led you to believe in the past.
So let's look at a couple of the myths that have been going 
around there all the time.
The first one is, “if I try to go work, I will 
automatically lose my Medicare or Medicaid.”
Not true, my friends.
If an individual goes to work, and they are on SSDI, they 
can keep their Medicare benefits even after using up a lot 
of the work incentives, like trial work period, or extended 
period eligibility.
We will cover a little bit more of that down the road.
Additionally, if they are on SSI and they go to work, if a 
person is on SSI and they go to work, it's amazing.
As long as they are getting one dollar in SSI, they will 
still be eligible for Medicaid.
And secondly and more importantly, if they were to lose 
eligibility to cash SSI because of earned income, they will 
be eligible for the 1619 B program which gives them 
continued Medicaid until they reach a certain earnings 
threshold, which in most states is over $20,000.
And in a couple of states, like New York, it is over forty 
four thousand dollars a year.
[Tina Williams]
Hi Ed, this is Tina, can you hear me now?
[Ed Lopez]
Tina, welcome, you can take over!
[Tina]
You are doing such an excellent job.
[Ed Lopez]
Thank you so much.
I know you are ready to do this so I am so glad you are on.
[Tina]
I think we are ready.
It’s quiet in the background noise.
Thank you so much.
Just to follow along with the next myth.
If I use my ticket to go to work, Social Security will 
perform a medical review on me and I will lose my benefits.
And actually, through signing your Ticket to Work, you go 
into a status where your next continuing disability review 
that comes up would be deferred while you are in the 
program and making timely progress.
So by using your ticket, it does not initiate a review.
It actually makes it so that you would not have a review 
while you are working towards your Ticket to Work goals 
that you set up with your employment service provider.
Let's go on to the next one.
The Myth Number Three.
If I go to work and then have to stop working, I will have 
to reapply for benefits all over again.
It took me forever to be approved for benefits and I cannot 
afford to have to wait that long again.
So I should not try to work.
I think that, in my experience, from what I have 
encountered with the Ticket to Work program, Social 
Security has done a really good job of understanding the 
needs of the beneficiary and the trial and error that is 
involved with the process of going back to work.
And, I think, even for someone that does not have a 
disability, sometimes you go into a job thinking it is 
going to work out and it just doesn't.
Social Security has a lot of thinking that is built into 
the work incentives so that it's not, the first month you 
go over a certain amount of earnings you are terminated and 
not able to get back on your benefits.
There are actually several different ways that that 
transition happens to the point where you would not be on 
benefits and you actually would be terminated.
But for the most part, that takes quite a long time and 
there is a lot of safety nets built in so that you may stop 
receiving a check because your earnings are high.
But if you are not able to maintain that, there are several 
different protections that allow you to get back on your 
benefits.
You are not terminated even though your payments may be 
suspended because of earnings.
Let's get on with the Ticket to Work program information.
What is the Ticket to Work?
It is a free voluntary program to assist beneficiaries who 
have a disability to work or increase their current work 
hours.
Most of the time, this is promoted to persons aged 18 
through 64, or full retirement age, that are receiving 
benefits.
And those are the requirements to participate in the 
program.
If you're ready to make money, it will help you improve 
your earning potential.
If you are in need of personal fulfillment, and working 
will really boost your self-esteem just like we talked 
about earlier.
The ticket to work program has some parts of it that would 
help you with building confidence, pull from your strong 
point, and mention those first to your employer.
It will put you on a fast-track back to work and helps you 
understand your benefits so that you feel more comfortable 
going back to work.
“Who can help get me started and stay with me through the 
entire process?”
We all try to connect beneficiaries who we work with and 
through as many resources as possible so that where one 
person or one agency may be strong in assisting one way, we 
don't want to discourage someone from taking advantage of 
more than one type of service.
Me, specifically, what I do, is talk about the benefits, 
not so much the help with resume or what kinds of jobs are 
hiring in the area.
Those are going to be skills that the employment network 
are going to share with the beneficiaries.
So we do, we work together.
“If you are ready to explore work, then take the following 
steps.”
Like I said, my job as a benefits counselor through the 
WIPA program, Work Incentive Planning and Assistance, we 
definitely help answer those questions that are making 
people nervous about work, “what is the process?”
And one thing that we find is that sometimes people have 
some conflicting information that they may have heard from 
family or from friends.
And we really try to not just answer those questions 
verbally, but also provide that information in writing, 
cite the resources where we received it from and really 
help you make sure that it's not just a myth, that that 
rule exists, that you have something to back it up if you 
need to.
Ticket to Work program helps you find an employment network 
that suits your needs and then once you’re assigned your 
ticket, part of that process is creating a plan for the 
type of work you want to do.
The Ticket to Work program helps you stay connected with 
your employment network as you explore your options.
And they are available to answer questions any time that 
you call.
And they are also able to help pinpoint the resources in 
your area.
Just like the slide shows, the Work Incentives are a bridge 
to success.
Some people are going to go to work and within a really 
short period of time they are going to back working full-
time and may lose their benefits relatively soon.
Other people may start out working temporary work or part-
time, and then may later on get to that point where they 
are self-sufficient and off of their benefits.
The Work Incentives are designed to help you receive 
training for new skills and possibly even pay for some of 
that training or school, improve the skills that you 
already have, and really make sure that you promote those 
skills to the employer in a nice, professional way.
Help with pursuing education or training.
Different jobs - you may start and stop different jobs 
without losing your benefits which can really be an asset.
And then start a new career.
You may decide to transition like the person in the success 
story, to something completely different than what used to 
do.
And of course you want to be confident when you walk in for 
that new job.
Work incentives that are available to use for different 
beneficiaries, and it’s labeled here, SSDI or SSI only, and 
some of them apply to both, the trial work period allows 
you to test your ability to work, try out different 
positions.
Until you finish the trial work period, you are still going 
to receive the full benefits amount.
You have to report your earnings to Social Security and you 
have to medically still be eligible for benefits.
But until that trial work period ends, and it lasts at 
least nine months, you are covered.
You will still receive your benefits check no matter how 
high your earnings are.
So this is really a nice work incentive that gives people 
the opportunity to try out different kinds of work or to 
gradually increase their earnings.
For the next three years after the trial work ends, you’re 
in what’s called the extended period of eligibility and you 
would not need to redo your application in order to get 
your benefits to start back up.
So if, during the three years, your earnings were above 
what they call the substantial level, your check would stop 
coming to you.
You would not receive it any more.
But then if for whatever reason your earnings drop back 
down, to below that substantial amount, then at that point 
you could get your check to come back without a lengthy 
process.
[Ed Lopez]
Absolutely, and Tina if I might just jump in for a minute.
This part of the program here, with the extended period of 
eligibility, I always call that the easy on, easy off 
period because it’s a month by month calculation.

And in one month you might be over and not be entitled to a 
check.
And then another month you might be under, and all you have 
to do is notify Social Security by sending them your pay 
stubs, and then you'll be getting a check again but you do 
not have to go back in and reapply.
[Tina Williams]
Right, it's a really good safety net because if you stop 
having earnings, you still get some income.
And even though the nine month trial work period is there 
for you to test your ability to work, again Social Security 
really wants to make sure that people are going in a 
consistent pattern of earnings and really able to support 
themselves and their families.
The next Work Incentive is for people on SSI.

It means that less than half of your earnings are counted 
by Social Security as earned income.
And so while your check will reduce down when you have 
earnings, when you add together your earnings plus the 
amount you are still receiving in SSI, you will always come 
out ahead.
For both programs there’s a Work Incentive called Expedited 
Reinstatement and it means that for the next five years 
after your check stops, you would not have to complete a 
new application.
And Social Security goes ahead and starts you on six months 
of benefits while they make a decision about whether you 
are going to continue to get disability benefits.
And then for both programs as well, there is protection 
from medical reviews.
So you will not have to go through a medical review process 
while you are participating in the Ticket to Work program.
That is really something that helps put people at ease 
because they don't want it to be assumed that, because they 
worked for a few weeks, they must be medically healed and 
so not do their benefits anymore.
[Ed Lopez]
I’ve got to say once again, Tina, you cannot stress that 
enough, you are absolutely right.
It is a wonderful work incentive.
If an individual has a Ticket to Work and they're actually 
making timely progress, Social Security will not begin a 
disability review.
When you say that to an individual, an individual’s eyes 
light up and lo and behold they feel so much more 
comfortable and like you said at ease about going back to 
work.
So it is a wonderful program.
[Tina Williams]
And you know, people are on a schedule for those reviews, 
so whether you're going to work or not, you would be up for 
a medical review at some point after you begin receiving 
your benefits.
And if you are in the Ticket to Work program, it’s 
literally listed on the form that we get, “deferred.”
They are waiting until your time with Ticket to Work is 
finished.
Let's go ahead and talk about young adults.
There are some specific Work Incentives that can be used by 
people who are younger.
The first one, the Student Earned Income Exclusion, is 
specifically for folks who are under age 22 who are in 
school.
The PASS plan, Plan for Achieving Self Support: for someone 
on SSI, there are some things that would make the PASS plan 
really useful.
We will go through that in just a second.
And then Section 301 Continuing Benefits.
That is another Work Incentive that is there to make sure 
that if you begin a training program, that you are able to 
complete it and receive your benefit throughout the time 
that you are in that program.
So let’s talk first about the Student Earned Income 
Exclusion.
Again, you have to be under age 22 and regularly attending 
school.
It can be high school, it can be college, it can be 
technical or career training.
And then, when you're in that program, if you have some 
months where your earnings are higher because maybe you are 
off school, then your monthly threshold you can earn is up 
to $1640.
So that is excluded from reducing down your SSI payment.
That is a really good amount of income to be able to make 
without seeing a reduction in the SSI.
But it cannot happen for all 12 months out of the year 
because the maximum annual amount is $6600.
So it gives those students who are in school an opportunity 
while they are in a place to have extra earnings, to have 
them and to bank those for their costs that they’re surely 
incurring while they’re in school.
It is applied before the other exclusions so it is a really 
specific Work Incentive for students and it is very helpful.
We want to make sure as a CWIC that, if you are using this 
Work Incentive you are meeting the requirement that is 
considered regularly, and this lays it out for you on the 
slide.
[Ed Lopez]
And the bottom line with the slide, just so everybody knows, 
is that basically, if an individual is going to be 
considered regularly attending school, if they basically 
are doing at least half a load per semester.
So it does not have to be full-time, typically half a load.

For example, look at the first one: In a college or 
university for at least eight hours a week.
That would basically give people six to eight credits, not 
twelve to fourteen, sixteen credits a year.

And that is how it works.
I just want people to know that it does not mean that 
people are doing full, full, full time in school.
[Tina Williams]
And it even includes provisions, or it lays out the policy.
If you are at home and receiving your schooling through 
that home school program, for grades seven through twelve, 
it would be at least 12 hours a week, and the instruction 
is in accordance with the law in your state for home school 
programs.
If you are home taught.
Because of your disability, your courses best be provided 
by a school, college, university or government agency and 
the home visitor or tutor must direct the study.
Again, as the CWIC, what we would want to make sure is that 
these guidelines apply to the situation that you have 
before you went and counted on using that exclusion.
So we would be here with you to make sure that everything 
matches up.
The PASS plan, or Plan to Achieve Self-Support, is a great 
Work Incentive and can allow beneficiaries to put a lot of 
money aside.

You have to have some income other than the SSI that would 
normally down the SSI to be put into the PASS plan.
So say that somebody has part-time work or some other type 
of income coming in.
We will get to what a concurrent beneficiary is, but 
sometimes people receive both benefits.
Those are good PASS plan candidates.
If you're setting income aside under the PASS plan for a 
specific goal that’s outlined in the written plan, then 
Social Security does not count that income and does not 
reduce down the SSI check amount because of it.
An employment network, VR agency, social worker, or 
benefits specialist, CWIC like me, can help you set up a 
PASS and it has to be in writing.
Just like I said, it has a written plan with it.
It has to have a specific work goal.
And that goal has to be an attainable one.
And that is something that we would work together to make 
sure that we are laying out there.
Include a timeframe for reaching your work goal.
So you have to set a start and end date and what are the 
steps to reaching the goal.
Show what income you do receive other than the SSI that 
would go into the PASS plan and be approved and reviewed 
periodically.
So once the PASS money is being set aside, there will be 
someone who is ensuring that that money is being spent 
towards the work goal.
And so you would want to be mindful of keeping receipts and 
documentation about how that money was spent.
[Ed Lopez]
Absolutely, and Tina, I just want to say that we at Cornell 
have actually put together a website on the PASS called 
passonline.org.
And it’s a place where you can actually go, learn about the 
PASs, complete the PASS online a little bit at a time, 
actually give someone permission to help you complete the 
PASS, and when you are done completing the PASS, you can   
print it out as a PDF that then you can send to the Social 
Security worker.
And I just want to let people know that that exists.
[Tina Williams]
That’s great.
It is a long form, but it helps lay out the plan itself so 
that it makes sure that the goal is going to be met.
To go over this, Work Incentive Section 301, the next one.
If Social Security determines that you have medically 
healed, and that you are no longer due your benefits, if 
you have your Ticket assigned, then you would continue to 
receive your benefits while you are participating in that 
program.
And you also would need to be making progress toward your 
goal.
So section 301 is definitely a valuable Work Incentive.
And it helps to be aware of that.
[Ed Lopez]
Absolutely, and Tina let me thank you for your 
participation.
And let me also say that, don't hang up, because we have a 
lot of questions for you as we move forward today.
And I'm just going to cover this very quickly here.
So when an individual is ready to use their Ticket to Work, 
the bottom line is that you have got to ask yourself, whom 
do I need on my team, on my employment team, so that I can 
get the skills and the experience that I need.
Do I need to have an Employment Network helping me out?
Is that employment network going to be the Vocational 
Rehabilitation Agency?
Would it be helpful to me to have a Work Incentive Planning 
and Assistance individual like Tina by my side?
Might I want, if there are barriers to my going to work, a 
State Protection and Advocacy for a Beneficiary of Social 
Security to work with me?
Additionally, if I am going to be having problems, or if I 
need more information, should I know about the Area Work 
Incentive Coordinator in my region or the specific Work 
Incentive Liaison in my local Social Security Office that 
will answer questions about reporting of income, etc.?
And having said that, I want to now take us to our next 
speaker.
Our next speaker is Lisa Parlapiano, the name that I love.
I’ve talked about Employment Networks being one of the 
people on our employment team.
And Lisa, who’s working as a Disability Program Navigator 
at Worksource Florida, is going to talk to you about 
employment networks.
Lisa, take it away.
[Lisa Parlapiano]
Thank you so much.
I just want to let everyone know, I am very happy to be 
here to talk about the Ticket to Work.
My name is Lisa and I am employed at an Employment Network 
here in Northeast Florida.
And the particular Employment Network where I work has been 
an Employment Network since 2002.
So we have a little history behind it and I’ve met the most 
wonderful people who have signed their Ticket and who have 
actually gone off to work.
And others are right in their process.
They’re either starting the process, the middle or getting 
ready to connect to work.
I wanted to go over a couple of things with you today.
At this point, now we have learned about the Work Incentive 
portion and that Ticket to Work is a Work Incentive.
When Ed was talking about building your own employment team, 
that is kind of starting a new chapter.

So connecting with employment networks and learning all 
about them is the next step.
And it’s natural that many people who are receiving Social 
Security benefits just don't know where to start when they 
think about connecting to work, starting work again if you 
have worked in the past or you have a gap in employment, or 
starting work for the first time.
Sometimes, it’s starting work in a whole new area that you 
have not even considered before.
So it's a very exciting time and a great starting point 
when you're ready to use your Ticket is to find Employment 
Networks in your area.

Again, they are all over the nation.
I am here in Florida.
And you can check the nationwide directory a couple of 
different ways.
I would like to share two easy ways for you to locate 
Employment Networks in your area.
And it has been touched on earlier in this presentation, 
but I want to say again, that an Employment Network is a 
group that may help you find a job and provide other 
employment services for no cost.
No cost to you.
So that is a wonderful thing to provide great service for 
no cost.
I really enjoy that part of my job.
So number one, the first way, would be through the 
telephone.
And you can call the Ticket to Work Help Line.
I'm going to give that number now.
The voice number is 866-968-7842.
I will say that one once again, 866-968-7842.
And for anyone who might be using a TTY to call in, only if 
you are using a TTY, the number is, 866-833-2967.
And what will happen is, you will be connected with a 
benefits counselor.
And you can request a list of Employment Networks that 
serve your area.
And you can also ask this counselor other certain questions, 
because as you explore your work options, you may be 
thinking some of the questions that we brought up.
“What will happen to my health coverage if I choose work?”
“What will happen if I try to work and then have to stop 
working?”
And you can also ask those types of questions as a general 
information resource.
So you can receive expert advice on the Ticket to Work 
program by calling that as well as a list of Employment 
Networks in your area.
Now, on the computer, we have got a website to share with 
you.
And of course it's the www.yourtickettowork.com
www.yourtickettowork.com
And again, you can access a list of Employment Networks 
near you right on that website.
So as we move to the next slide, I want to talk about 
contacting the Employment Network.
And if there are several in your area, hey, why not contact 
them all, and then you can have a baseline to make your 
decision about which one works with your plan.
So when you first talk to an Employment Network, there are 
certain questions that may be really helpful to you.
“How many people have you helped through the ticket to work 
program?” would be a good place to start.
And it is okay to ask an Employment Network about their 
success.
Asking questions like this will help you make your decision 
about which EN, or Employment Network that you choose.
How about, “what kinds of companies do you work with for 
job placement?”
Right, it makes sense because if you are interested in a 
particular career field, you may find an Employment Network 
in your area that has resources in place to make that 
happen.
And “what kinds of jobs would be available to me?”
Again, it is important to know the information.
And the information that you learn from an Employment 
Network will help you decide which network you would like 
to work with and which one matches your needs and can 
assist you in meeting your goals.
And with any new relationship, it's always good when both 
parties understand what is expected and how things will 
continue after that initial meeting.
So asking direct questions about service delivery can help 
you plan and be ready for the steps ahead as you begin 
working together with the EN.
So one way to ask that will be, “how often will we 
communicate and meet?”
Different ENs will have different answers for you.
So again, it's your shopping trip, so you get to ask as 
many questions as you would like and interview the 
Employment Network so that you understand what they do, and 
decide if it really is the best Employment Network for you.
When you call or visit an Employment Network office, 
remember these tips.
The Employment Network should explain to you how the Ticket 
program works and the services that it provides.
They should also be able to discuss with you your work 
goals and your intentions about work.
Part-time, full-time, you know, what kind of work you want 
to do, what kind of resources you may need to get there.
And the EN should also talk to you about any fears that you 
may have.
The reason I bring this up is that, for a lot of people, 
and I would say most, approaching the world of work, 
especially if it is the first time, especially if you have 
been out of work for a short or even extended period of 
time, there is a lot of fears about that.
And in a workplace, this would be workplace related, so how 
to ace that interview, that’s the one thing that I am 
really afraid of: I can do this job, but I just can't do an 
interview, or some things like that.
And also, you will develop an Individual Work Plan.
Now, every EN will have you do that, whichever EN that you 
choose.
And the Individual Work Plan includes your employment goals 
and the services that the EN will provide to help you get 
there.
So the choice in the program, it has really high value 
because you really get to make the decisions on which 
Employment Network is going to work the best for you.
They are all a little bit different, so it's a very 
important process.
I have some more tips for you.
When you visit the Employment Network office, how your 
Ticket is assigned – “how does this Ticket get assigned?” 
is a question I get asked a lot.
The program has been designed to be very paperwork-light, 
meaning it does not take a lot of paperwork or time to 
assign your Ticket.
When you work with the EN to create your Individual Work 
Plan, your signature on that plan is the mechanism that 
assigns your ticket.
Assigning your ticket means that you and the Employment 
Network have agreed to work together, so you can get the 
job connection services for free.
And the Individual Work Plan, on it lists the services that 
the Employment Network will provide to you.
So it's generally a contract between the two of you.
Your signature on the Work Plan means that your Ticket is 
assigned.
And that allows the two of you to begin working together 
right at that point.
With that said, the EN may have some other routine forms 
for you to sign, allowing it to work with you on your pay 
for Social Security or possibly other service providers on 
your behalf.
And please remember that you can choose to un-assign your 
Ticket at any time if you change your mind, or if you 
decide the EN is not a good match.
Un-assigning might be a new term.
It was a new term for me when I first started working with 
this program.
Un-assignment means that you take your Ticket back, and 
then you can also assign it to another EN.
So again, even after you get started with the process, you 
have so much choice.
As Tina mentioned earlier, your Continuing Disability 
Reviews are exempted as long as you are making timely 
progress towards employment.
That is another benefit and something that you just really 
won’t have to worry about.
So some general examples - and I did say that Employment 
Networks vary, the services that they provide and how they 
provide those services.
And so examples of EN services in general would be to help 
you develop a resume and provide advice on how to fill out 
a good application.
It may be to do an application online, maybe you have never 
done that before.
Interview skills and tips are always crucial for any 
workforce service.
And another thing that we talk about a lot with our Ticket 
customers is how to explain, maybe, long absences from work 
to an employer without disclosing your disability.
Some people choose not to disclose a disability or tell an 
employer that “I have a disability, and that is why I had 
to miss the last five years, because of my disability or a 
health barrier came up.”
So there are ways to have that absent gap on your resume, 
and how to talk about that during an interview as well.
Now job accommodation information and resources is also 
another valuable tool that Employment networks will provide 
you with.
A reasonable job accommodation is any kind of modification 
or adjustment to a job, to the work environment, anything 
like that to assist a qualified employee to do the job.
So that may be something that comes up in your workplace or 
before you go to work, so some counseling and information 
about that is also provided.
And did you know that businesses receive tax incentives?
So the EN would be able to provide businesses with tax 
incentive information.
And that is information on how to save money by hiring a 
person who has a Ticket to Work.
They receive a tax break, if you will.
And EN should also be able to provide referrals to other 
resources in your area.
That is what really creates that network of support and 
services that you need to move into the world of work.
So that is a lot already, but on the next slide I want to 
let you know that we have job leads and information on 
employers who are hiring, job fairs, career fairs, 
recruiting events.
And also Employment Networks are a place where you can go 
and get access to a resource center, basically, that has 
computers with Internet connection, E-mail, telephones and 
fax.
And so it will be easy to fax in your resume for no cost at 
the resource center of the Employment Network.

Other general services would include job development on 
your behalf, and that is working with employers in your 
community to increase job opportunities for you, and then 
also referrals to agency partners and continuity of your 
Ticket assignment with the state Vocational Rehabilitation 
office.
So those are very general services.
And any EN will probably have additional services to this, 
so shop around, interview and ask questions.
And remember, there are lots of great tips that can help 
you when you start putting your employment team together.
[Ed Lopez]
That was excellent, Lisa, absolutely excellent, and don't 
leave yet because once we get to the end of our program, we 
have many questions for you.
So both you and Tina have inspired people to write in.
And we already have 11 questions, organized and ready to go 
when we get to the end.
So that was excellent.
Right now what I would like to do is just cover a little 
bit on the issue of Vocational Rehabilitation services and 
how it relates to the Ticket to Work program.
The bottom line here is that if you decide to use your 
Ticket to Work for VR services, a lot of the same rules 
apply.
For example, if an individual - and this is a great one – 
decides that they're going to use their Ticket for 
Vocational Rehabilitation services with a state agency, 
they are presumed eligible automatically because they are a 
Social Security beneficiary.
So what happens then is that exactly what happens with an 
Employment Network.
The individual with disabilities and the VR counselor 
develops an employment plan, in this case called an 
Individual Plan for Employment, an IPE.
And like the Employment Network, the Ticket is considered 
in use when the VR and you and your counselor sign the 
employment plan.
You have reviewed it and you and the VR counselor sign the 
employment plan.
And just like a regular Employment Network, the Continuing 
Disability Reviews are exempted as long as the individual 
is making timely progress towards employment.
And then a key here is that when a person with a disability 
who has signed a Ticket decides that they're going to go to 
work, the VR counselor will make a referral to a Community 
Work Incentive Coordinator, a CWIC like Tina, in their area, 
on the individual's behalf so that they get services.
And a lot of the fear of going to work just vanishes.
So it's very important to know that so much of this is very 
similar.
Additionally, when you begin to work using your Ticket with 
a VR, you and your counselor are going to discuss the 
opportunity to have an Employment Network, like the 
organization Worksource that Lisa works with, provide 
employment supports when the VR services end, so that 
basically, the VR is not the end-all and be-all.

Sometimes the VR will get people all ready to go to work, 
and then, that ends, and lo and behold the EN steps in to 
continue with the vocational services needed by an 
individual who has started to work.
And finally, when the VR closes the case, an individual can 
use their Ticket either with an EN for follow-up or follow 
along on employment supports and services also, so that 
what happens in the following, and I want to make sure 
everybody understands this.
Number one, a person can use their Ticket by going to a 
state VR.
And the state VR is paid for also by the Social Security 
Administration under a separate set of rules.
Once those services are provided, then the VR can either 
hand the case over to an EN, or the individual can say, 
please close my case, I’ve gotten as much help as I can 
from you, thank you so much VR.
And they can take their Ticket to an EN for the follow 
along on employment supports and services.
So again, it's a program that has got a lot of thought in 
it.
And now, my friends, I’d like to introduce you to Natalie 
Alden, an Advocate/Investigator with Disability Rights in 
Florida.
And she is a Protection and Advocacy for Beneficiaries of 
Social Security advocate.
And she will tell you about this wonderful program.
Natalie, welcome and take it away.
Natalie?
Well if Natalie cannot join us right now, let me present 
for you on the PABSS.
Protection and Advocacy for Beneficiaries of Social 
Security, PABSS, are located throughout every state and in 
all the US territories.
They are designed to help an SSI and/or a SSDI beneficiary 
with beneficiary with disabilities to go to work.
And the reason that they are important is that they help 
individuals surmount barriers to employment.
They help individuals surmount barriers to employment.
And those services are free to everyone that receives a 
Social Security benefit or a Medicare benefit or a Medicaid 
benefit based on disability.
They are available even if the individual does not have a 
Ticket, or has not assigned their Ticket.
It is a wonderful, wonderful organization.
Additionally, PABSS assists beneficiaries in the following 
manner.
They can advocate for workplace accommodations because, 
sometimes, an individual with disabilities can do the job, 
but only if they get certain accommodations.
A PABSS can advocate for those accommodations.
Secondly, they can advocate for vocational services from 
Employment Networks or state Vocational Rehabilitation 
agencies.
Make sure that a person gets the services that they are 
entitled to.
Next, they can provide information, referral and advocacy 
around different types of benefits.
SSDI, SSI, any benefit that is somehow limiting, limiting, 
this is key here, limiting the person’s ability to work.
Next, they can assist beneficiaries to remove those 
barriers to work that had existed the year before.
And, very important, they can address overpayment issues.
For example, in New York, the local PABSS has actually 
worked with different private attorneys and provided them 
continuing legal education credits to go to trainings and 
learn about overpayments, and then to agree to handle one 
case per year, thereby providing so many individuals with 
the much-needed overpayment representation when 
overpayments rear their ugly heads.
So again, it is an absolutely wonderful program.
Now as you can imagine, there are other resources.
One of Ray and my favorites is the website that the Social 
Security Administration has put together.
It is an award-winning website.
It is www.socialsecurity.gov/work.
And you can see it right up on your screen there.
It is all one word, no spaces.
By going to them, you can actually find the local Work 
Incentives Planning Agency.
You can find local Employment Networks and then contact 
them all and see which one is better for you, as Lisa said, 
and other Ticket to Work and Work Incentives information.
You can also call the hotline if you want to get more 
information, the Ticket to Work helpline.
And of course, that was given to you already once before by 
Tina, and let me do it again.
It is 866-968-7842 for voice.
And if an individual is in need of TTY services, they can 
contact that hotline by contacting 866-833-2967.
Hello?
Okay.
Now, it is time to get to some questions here.
I have got to tell you that we have got a whole slew of 
questions.
I am going to go through these questions with you folks.
And then I'm going to ask if it is okay with you, to 
volunteer or I am going to request that one of you respond 
to it.
The first question is, “how do I qualify for the Ticket to 
Work program?”
Tina, how about you answering that question for us?
[Natalie Alden]
And Ed, just so you know, I am here.
This is Natalie.
My phone was not letting me talk.
[Ed Lopez]
Oh my goodness, I am so sorry.
And of course I did the presentation for you but we will 
make sure that you get to answer at least one question.
Tina, are you still on?
Lisa, are you still on?
[Lisa Parlapiano]
Yes, here I am.
I just had to un-mute my line.
And that is a very, very good question.
And the reason that, when we all, as a group, presenters, 
talk about beneficiaries, that is what we are talking about 
as a federal beneficiary receiving benefits from the Social 
Security Administration.
That could be SSI, Supplemental Security Income, or that 
could be SSDI, Social Security Disability Insurance, or 
both, because some people have both benefits coming to them.
[Ed Lopez]
Absolutely, and in order to qualify for a ticket, they just 
have to be a beneficiary, and as a beneficiary they would 
have gotten a ticket in the mail already.
It is a red, white and blue ticket.
It's tells them that they’re eligible for services and the 
services can be free to them.
If a person loses the Ticket, they just contact Social 
Security, and Social Security will send them a new one.
Simple as that.
[Lisa Parlapiano]
And for some Employment Networks, you really don’t even 
need to have that physical Ticket from the mail because the 
Employment Network will be able to help connect you with 
the right resource to be sure that you are eligible.
That could be done in person or over the phone, so it's 
very easy and it is open to a lot of people.
[Ed Lopez]
Absolutely correct.
I’ve got a second question here.
But I think you would be great to answer this question also.

“Can I work part-time?”
[Lisa Parlapiano]
We hear that a lot, and yes, Ticket to Work is designed to 
meet your needs.
You may want to start out part-time and see how that goes.
Here is how sometimes it goes: I am going to start out 
part-time and I get that job.
And guess what, two months later, I get promoted to 
supervisor, or manager, or they ask me to extend my hours 
at a time when I am ready to say yes.
That's how I could work up building my hours and also work 
up through the company 
However, I may know that, due to my stamina issues, for 
instance, I am only able to work part-time.
That would be my choice as well.
Both are acceptable through the Ticket to Work.
[Ed Lopez]
Great.
And we have another question that came in on the Ticket to 
Work.
“Is the Ticket to Work program available if an individual 
with disabilities is really interested in working but in 
the federal or government area?”
[Lisa Parlapiano]
If I understand the question right, absolutely.
People with their Ticket to Work may apply and obtain any 
job, any job at all.
Public, private, work for a nonprofit and get paid.
Definitely federal employment is available.
Actually, there are some initiatives that happen each year 
with the federal government such as the Social Security 
Administration Hiring Initiative and other federal agencies.
We can get that information out to any listeners if they 
are interested in them, but absolutely.
The federal government is an employer who welcomes workers 
with disabilities because they understand the benefits that 
workers bring.
[Ed Lopez]
Absolutely correct, again, beautiful.
Another question is, “Is there any assistance for self-
employment or starting your own business out there?”
[Tina Williams]
Yes.
Go ahead Lisa.
[Lisa Parlapiano]
Well I was just going to mention that one of the Work 
Incentives that are on there, the PASS plan, is actually a 
great tool for self-employment.

Some of the Employment Networks, and also Vocational 
Rehabilitation, do assist the people getting into self-
employment.
You can work for your Community Work Incentive Coordinator 
and they can actually help you understand self-employment, 
because some of the Work Incentives are different for 
people who are self-employed.
But it's definitely a great opportunity and there are 
several different means to get that.
[Ed Lopez]
Absolutely correct.
And let me just tell you that if a person uses a PASS for 
self-employment, they can actually put a lot of the monies 
that would have been counted and either decreased or made 
them ineligible for SSI into the PASS to make them eligible 
for SSI and help them save towards achieving that goal, and 
that goal can of course be self-employment.
So absolutely correct there.
I have another question that just came in.
This one is about educational or training opportunities 
available: “How does a person find out about them?”
Either Lisa or Tina.
[Lisa Parlapiano]
I was going to say, in different areas there are different 
programs.
There is definitely national, state, and local funding for 
training programs.
The different Employment Networks are going to be the ones 
that are aware of what is available in that area.
Sometimes, the jobs in that area that are hiring the most, 
the training in those programs would be available.
So I would definitely suggest going to the website or 
calling online and asking for a list of the different 
Employment Networks to be sent.
And then when you contact the Employment Networks, in 
addition to the other questions that we talked about, ask 
them, what they are familiar with as far as training in 
that area.
[Ed Lopez]
Absolutely.
And in fact, that is a question that should be asked, 
because, as Lisa said before, the key here is very 
important.
The key here is that, when a person chooses the Employment 
Network, it's their choice.
So they want to choose one that is going to give them 
educational or training opportunities that are available in 
their area so that they can become self-sufficient as soon 
as possible.
[Lisa Parlapiano]
And schools or training centers themselves can themselves 
become Employment Networks.

There is a wide variety of agencies and businesses that are 
ENs and even a school with a career development center 
could become an Employment Network.
[Ed Lopez]
Absolutely.
And we have encouraged those places to become Employment 
Networks because they can actually earn some money for the 
work they are doing, and then provide even additional 
services to the people that they're providing services to.
[Tina Williams]
Great opportunity.
[Lisa Parlapiano]
This is Lisa.
Very quickly on that, I just wanted to say that I hope that 
all of the participants are getting the idea that, although 
the framework for Employment Networks is standard and 
static, that so much creativity and local resources can be 
put together, depending on where the Employment Network is 
located and who they have gotten to have partner with.
So on-the-job training is one thing that some people may 
enjoy, not the school setting but they like to learn on the 
job.
Some Employment Networks do that as well.
So I just wanted to add that in.
That is a great question to ask, Tina.
[Ed Lopez]
Absolutely.
Thank you Lisa.
The next question that came in, I’m going to answer really 
quickly, is “How do I find my local Work Incentives 
Planning agency?”
Remember what we said before.
You can go right to the website, www.chooseworkttw.net 
All one word.
And you can then hit on, for Work Incentives Planning 
agencies, it will take you to the state that you are in and 
it will give you the addresses and contact information.
The next question that just came in, also I am going to 
answer very quickly.
It was, “Can I repeat a PASS website that I mentioned?”
I’ve got to tell you, I am so proud of this PASS website.
I spent a lot of time putting it together.
What I did was to first explain to people in simple English, 
third-grade language, all the things that you need to know 
about a PASS, and who is a good candidate, who is not.
Then, I actually went through each question.
For each question, I have got sample answers and helpful 
hints in drop-down menus to help people actually complete 
the application.
And that website is, all one word, passonline.org.
The next question is, “How do I know if an Employment 
Network is right for me?”
And Lisa, this is right up your alley.
[Lisa Parlapiano]
That is a really great question.
And again, it is a lot of information that we provided 
today.
But choosing an Employment Network would be thinking about 
and taking a look at yourself as an individual.
Perhaps it's thinking about some jobs that you have had in 
the past or some training that you have.
Maybe you have a particular career field that you would 
like to get into.
Maybe would like some training.
Maybe you need job development, where the Employment 
Network actually works with employers in your community to 
help maybe even design a job that would work well for the 
company and work well for you, that you would really be a 
good match with.
So I think that finding out where the Employment Networks 
are, and we can give that website again and phone number if 
we need to, Ed.
And the second thing is to ask them questions about what 
they do, how they do it, and really, how can you help me?
What is it that you are offering?
If there are more than one Employment Network in your area, 
contact all of them.
And then take a look at that.
Contact them and then make your decision that way.
Now, it's not written in stone.
If you start with one Employment Network and you are just 
realizing that it's really not the fit that I thought it’s 
going to be, or you have kind of changed direction, and 
there is another Employment Network that is more suited to 
your plan and your needs, then you simply move from that 
Employment Network that you started with and you connect 
with a different Employment Network.
So there is not a lot of risk involved in starting.
[Ed Lopez]
That is great.
And again, it's a great question, because remember, it's 
your choice about which Employment Network you decide to 
assign your Ticket to.
It's your choice.
You guys talk, the Employment Network and yourself.
And then it's ultimately your choice.
The next question asked is, “Is there any assistance for 
transportation?”
And that’s again, another one of these great questions.
And the answer is, yes, but it's not stuff that is etched 
in stone.
For example, one can use a Plan for Achieving Self-Support 
to either purchase a car, or lease a car, or to take public 
transportation for a job.
Because as you know, the whole purpose of a Plan for 
Achieving Self-Support is to help an individual become 
self-sufficient.
And sometimes the only way that an individual can become 
self-sufficient is if they can get to the job.
So that is one way.
A second way, if they are on SSDI, is to use impairment 
related expenses for transportation.
And you use that Work Incentive when the earnings are above 
the Substantial Gainful Activity level to bring those 
countable earnings below the Substantial Gainful Activity 
level and then so that money can be used for transportation.
But more importantly, what I always say to people when they 
ask me this question, is to do the following.
Contact a CWIC in your area.
Go to chooseworkttw.net.
Contact a CWIC in your area.
And talk to them about it.
And they will work with you to come up with the best way 
possible to make sure that transportation is available to 
you.
Another question that just came in, is “Do I need to use an 
Employment Network to find a job, or am I allowed to find a 
job on my own?”
How about it, Lisa or Tina, either one?
[Lisa Parlapiano]
This is Lisa.
Again, the choice is yours.
And you may absolutely independently find a job on your own.
Although, we have noted that Employment Networks can be 
wonderful resources.
If for example you are a beneficiary receiving benefits 
from the Social Security Administration, and you happen to 
connect with a job.
Before you start work, you may want to think about 
contacting an Employment Network and assigning your Ticket 
simply for the protections that it offers you and the 
support that you get while you begin that job and continue 
on that job from your Employment Network.
If you assign your Ticket first with an Employment Network, 
then, depending on their procedures, I think it would be 
true for most all Employment Networks, that you are 
encouraged to find work on your own, of course.
And if that happens, that is great.
It's not a strict placement program where these ten jobs 
are reserved for these ten Ticket holders.
It is employment in the workplace arena.
So if you happen to come upon a good match and get the job, 
power to you.
[Ed Lopez]
Absolutely correct.
[Tina Williams]
I would like to add that, moreover, if you find your own 
employment, I think the first thing that people should be 
looking at is going in and talking with the CWIC so they 
can find out where they currently are in their benefits, 
because you don’t want to go out there and get a job, and 
be in a certain point in your benefits where, or not 
understand the Work Incentives and then end up hurting 
yourself.
[Lisa Parlapiano]
Natalie, that is a great point.
This is Lisa again.
As a policy at the EN where I work, we will not assign a 
Ticket until that contact has been made with the CWIC 
because working can affect your benefits.
That is our first order and our first promise is that we 
want to all understand and be on the same page.
That is part of our process as an EN as well.
It is important to know exactly how working will impact 
your benefits, meaning any person as an individual.
[Ed Lopez]
Absolutely.
And I want to stress again that if a person goes to a 
Vocational Rehab agency, a state VR agency, they will also 
refer to a CWIC for the same reason that Natalie just 
mentioned.
Really important.
And finally I do want to say one thing.
While it's true that you do not have to go through an EN, 
you heard Lisa say at the beginning, it's important to have 
an EN sometimes and I will tell you why it's important.
Because, if you have an EN and your Ticket is assigned, you 
are going to be protected from having a Continuing 
Disability Review started.
People shake when they see a Continuing Disability Review.
And by using the Ticket, and using it with an EN or a VR 
agency, you are protected.
So again, it's a wonderful, wonderful program.
And I don't want to downplay its importance.
The next question that came in is, “What happens to my 
Ticket assignment should I move from one place to another?”
[Tina Williams]
You would un-assign and reassign your Ticket to an 
Employment Network in that new area.
A lot of times, the Employment Network that you are with 
can refer you.
If they have a similar agency in that new area, they would 
be able to refer you to similar services.
And if not, you have already been given the Web address to 
go by even if you move out of state, and find out what 
resources are available.
[Ed Lopez]
I was just going to follow-up with, you said you can un-
assign and reassign to another.
And a question is, how does a person do that?
[Lisa Parlapiano]
That is so simple.
Un-assigning your Ticket is simply letting Maximus, who is 
the Ticket program manager, the Employment Network can show 
you and tell you how to do that.
And it is simply letting them know in writing, either by a 
fax, which has a signature, that you are un-assigning your 
Ticket.
So if you are with the one two three Employment Network, it 
would simply say, “I am un-assigning my Ticket from the one 
two three Employment Network on this date” and submit that 
via fax or you can mail it in.
Once that has been done on, say Tuesday, by Wednesday the 
next day, you can reassign your Ticket.
There is only a 24 hour window when you can un-assign and 
reassign.
So there is no wait-time there either.
It is very simple.

Again, it is not a program that is heavy in paperwork, 
forms and documents.
[Ed Lopez]
Great.
One more question here.
“Can an Employment Network help an individual get a job 
working from home?”
[Tina Williams]
Yes.
[Lisa Parlapiano]
Yes, and that is a great resource for a lot of people who 
need to or desire to work from home.
Actually, it is on the cutting edge of employment in our 
country.
Telecommuting has extended out with the major companies.

That is also okay.
And there would be some Employment Networks out there, 
maybe in your area, that would be able to have a connection 
for you.
[Ed Lopez]
Great.
And the next question is, “What is the difference between a 
Ticket to Work and the Plan for Achieving Self-Support?”
And if you guys don't mind, I will answer that one very 
quickly.
The Ticket to Work is a Ticket that is available to every 
beneficiary of Social Security or SSI that wants to go to 
work.
The Plan for Achieving Self-Support is an SSI Work 
Incentive.
It is available to individuals who are eligible for SSI.
Now mind you, you can make an SSDI an SSI Work Incentive by 
putting the SSDI monies into the PASS, if the person’s 
resources are still within the limits, etc.
Very complicated.
But the Ticket to Work is available to everyone whereas the 
Plan for Achieving Self-Support is only available to 
someone who is eligible for SSI if they are a good 
candidate for a PASS.
If you go to my website, you will see who is a good 
candidate and who is not a good candidate.
And finally, finally they have got to have a specific work 
goal in mind, and a plan.
You don't need an Employment Network for that, but if you 
have one, all the better.
And I have got one final question here.
“How do I get started?
I’ve got a ticket, what do I do first?”
How about it?
Lisa or Tina.
[Tina Williams]
The best way to get started is to choose whether you want 
your questions answered about the Work Incentives that are 
available.
If that is your main thing that you are concerned with, 
then you can talk to a CWIC, a Community Work Incentives 
Coordinator like myself and get those questions answered.
And then if you are at the same point in time seeking 
Employment Network services, you would be wanting to 
contact those agencies and ask them what services they 
provide.
Go through all the questions like we talked about in the 
earlier slides.
And choose an Employment Network.
And then possibly meet with them and assign the Ticket.
We all try to work as a team.
So if you are with one or the other and the Employment 
Network thinks your questions could be better answered by 
the CWIC, then they would refer you and encourage you to 
call that person.
And we all talk with each other and know who does what.
So we will be able to direct you.
[Ed Lopez]
Sounds great.
[Lisa Parlapiano]
And I wanted to let you know quickly, that it is called 
Employment Network for a reason.
And that is really helpful and really productive for all of 
the different pieces of the puzzle to network for your 
benefit and for your success.
[Natalie Alden]
And I would just like to add onto that, that as PABSS, when 
you are signing up and you’re going through this process, 
if you have any issues with the CWIC or one of the 
Employment Networks or VR, or even Social Security, that's 
what PABSS is for.
We are here to help you through any bumps that you have to 
get through on your road to getting to work.
So just keep that in mind, that no matter what state you 
live in, there is a protection advocacy center in every 
state.
[Ed Lopez]
Absolutely, thank you Natalie.
And in fact we have come to the end of our session.
I want to thank Tina, Lisa and Natalie for their 
participation today.
I want to thank everybody out there for sticking with us 
but despite the few glitches at the beginning today.
And folks, if you are out there, and you are looking to go 
to work, use that Ticket.
Go to work now.
If you know someone who's got the Ticket who is considering 
to go to work, have them contact a CWIC and encourage them 
to go to work, because all is not lost.
Once again, thanks to all and have a great day.
[ Event concluded ]