>> Ray Cebula: Good afternoon, everybody. This is Ray Cebula from Cornell University's Employment and Disability Institute, and I'd like to welcome you to our "Ticket to Work" webinar. Today, we are celebrating Veterans Day week, and we are going to focus on America's veterans and what issues are facing them when they begin to reintegrate into civilian society and for those who come back with injuries, how that's going to impact that return to work. So, we really want to thank all of our veterans out there who are participating with us today for their service as well as for attending today. So, let's see if we can move ahead. You're going to see a webinar screen up in the right-hand corner of your computer screen. It's going to allow you to do all kinds of things. We don't want you to do all kinds of things, just a few of a them. If you are using the mic and speakers for your computer, that's what's happening. You're hearing us through your computer screen. If at any time during today's webinar, you have trouble hearing us, you lose your web connection, we're going to be able to give you a phone number. And you can call back in. You won't be able to necessarily see anything unless your computer remains connected and you just lose voice, but you will be able to hear what's going on. And I've got to click on everything. We also want your questions today. So, if you look at that webinar console, you're going to see a question box with a plus sign in front of it. If you don't have a question, click on the plus sign. That's going to open this box. You can type in your question, hit send, and it's going to arrive on Jamie's [assumed spelling] desktop. And she is going to then ask us questions. Now, because we have a lot of information, we're going to do sections of the webinar and break for questions after each section. Now, we do want to talk about webinar accessibility. We want our products to be as accessible as they can possibly can, so that as many people as possibly can participate. If you have any issues -- if you have any issues at all concerning today's webinar, please let us know. And what we do want to know, along with the issues that you have, is whether or not you have a solution. If you know of a program, if you know of a few steps we can take to fix your issue, please let us know that, too. Now, the toll-free number that you have up here is, unfortunately, the incorrect one. So, let me give you the correct one. And this is going to help those of you who are, either depending on the telephone to hear us right now or need to, the number for today is 877-739-5903. That is 877-739-5903. The access code that you'll need to punch in is 180106670. And Jamie has typed that into the chat box in your console. Captioning -- closed captioning is available at that link, as you can see -- http://www.ilr.cornell.edu/edi/captions.cfm?activity underscore id equals 4091. That's ID equals 4091. And you will be able to take a look at this during the session, and it will be archived later on. The webinar presentation and recording should be available in about two weeks. It looks like I can see all of that address. They'll be archived at www.ilr.cornell.edu/edi/m-wise-webinars.cfm. We will have a question-and-answer period, as we mentioned, during the webinar. You can submit your questions through that question box. If you do feel more comfortable using the chat box where Jamie is posting some of our addresses, that's absolutely fine. Or if you want to use email, send your email to chooseworkquestions -- all one word -- chooseworkquestions@gmail.com. And, if you should have questions after today's webinar, email those questions to support@chooseworkttw.net, and we will be sure to get all of your questions answered. So, what are we going to talk about today? We are going to talk about being welcomed and introduced [chuckles]. I'm taking care of that. We're going to talk about the Ticket to Work program. It's a Social Security program that provides great assistance and exceptional benefits to folks who are receiving benefits from Social Security -- either SSI or SSDI -- and want to return to work. Great way to get services. Kendra Barry from Indiana Works is going to talk to us about that program. We'll talk about vocational rehabilitation and employment, particularly with some emphasis on veterans' programs, and I'll be -- do that. Kendra will then talk to us about work incentives. Kendra's going to talk to us about Employment Network Services -- another group of agencies -- some of them private, some of them public -- who can help provide support for folks who are looking to return to work. I'll provide you with lots of other resources and lots of other websites that you can get in touch with as well as toll-free numbers to get your questions answered. And, if we have any time left after that, we will be taking questions and answers. There are a lot of you out there listening to us today, so I can assure you, we won't get to all of your questions, but we will get them -- as many as we can, and we will provide you with a phone number where you can get your particular questions answered. Now, we have a welcome from Bob Williams, who's the associate commissioner at Social Security at the Office of Employment Support Programs. So, Mike [assumed spelling], if you could queue up that video for us? [ Silence ] [ Typing ] [ Silence ] Okay, Mike is working on the sound. So, we may rewind this a bit in a minute, as soon as we get that sound out. [ Silence ] >> Bob Williams: ...brief your... [ Music ] >> Ray Cebula: Thanks, Mike. [ Music ] [ Silence ] >> Bob Williams [computer voice]: Hello, and welcome to today's webinar. My name is Bob Williams, and I am the associate commissioner for employment support at the Social Security Administration. We run the Ticket to Work and Self-Sufficiency program, which assists persons ages 18 through 64 on SSDI or SSI who want to improve their life and future by becoming employed. By viewing this webinar, you will learn how you can receive training, become employed, increase your earnings, reduce your reliance in disability benefits and eventually earn a better living by becoming fully self-supporting whenever possible. The Ticket program is not for everyone. This is why the choice of whether to take advantage of it is yours and yours alone. I know firsthand that people with significant disabilities face barriers to becoming and staying employed. This is especially true in today's economy. A major reason you receive disability benefits is that Social Security determined that you were not able to work enough to support yourself. But, I also want you to know that having a significant disability no longer has to be a lifetime bar to employment and greater financial security. The Ticket can offer you the choices, training, opportunities and support you need to go to work and gain financial independence. I hope today's webinar begins your journey towards greater self-sufficiency. Your life and future can be better. Thank you for joining us. [ Music ] [ Silence ] >> Ray Cebula: Okay, thanks for that, Mike. Apologize for the little glitch, but that's what live TV is all about. Now, before we move on today, you might have thought that you were going to sit back and listen, but we've got a little work for you to do. In order for us to make sure that we're reaching the right people, we have a couple of questions for you. And I'm going to launch those questions, and your responses are going to help us with future marketing. And the first question is, how did you learn about today's webinar? Was it via email, Facebook or Twitter, a website or a friend or family? We'll give you a few seconds to make your selection. [ Silence ] Wow, lot of people on email it looks like. [ Silence ] All right, thank you for that. I'm going to close that question and ask another one. What are you hoping to learn today? You hoping to learn about the Ticket to Work, about work incentives for SSI, work incentives for SSDI, employment networks and vocational rehabilitation possibilities or legal protection and advocacy. I got to launch that, too, don't I? So, I read the question and didn't even give you an opportunity to look. What do you hope to learn from today's webinar? About the Ticket, the work incentives for either SSI or SSDI, employment networks and voc rehab or protection and advocacy services? [ Silence ] All righty, thank you for that. Let's see if I can do this one right. This one should be easy. What is your gender? [ Silence ] All right, that was easy. We got that one down quick. Thank you for that. And could you please pick an age group. I'm going after that last one now, Jamie. It's very sad [chuckles]. We've got a good spread here. [ Silence ] All right. And one last question, guys. Because we know that there may be more than one of you watching a single screen. We just want to know how many people are with you? [ Silence ] That'll give us an idea of how many people are actually here, rather than the connections that we have. [ Silence ] All right. Thank you for that. And we can move on to give you the information that you came for. Now, what are you going to expect from today's presentation? What can you expect? We're going to give you information about the Ticket to Work and all of the work incentives that are available to you. We're going to answer those frequently asked questions and try to, you know, address all of those myths that are out there about work and disability benefits. We're clearly going to give you information where we -- where you can find more information. We don't expect you to understand everything about returning to work today from the hour and a half that we have, but we do want you to get all of that information. We have some success stories from a veteran who has used that Ticket to Work and has left the benefits rolls. Now, why are you choosing work? You know, why choose work? If you have a disability, if you are collecting veterans' compensation or SSI and/or SSDI, or a combination of those, you've got a whole lot to offer us. You've got skills and experience. And what I was thinking about what types of skills you have, being somebody who has worked with people who want to go to work, you've got tons of skills that are readily transferable to the civilian workplace. All of those -- think about, if you were working on machinery, those skills are very valuable in the civilian world. If you were even working, you know, in a depot where you were distributing supplies, you were distributing, you were keeping records -- all of that stuff is very valuable to civilian employees. When we talk about discipline and teamwork, I don't think there's anybody out there who can beat you folks. You know, you are disciplined, and you know how to work as a team directly because of that military experience. And employers are looking for folks who are disciplined -- who can show up at 8:00 and leave at 5:00 and do that consistently and are able to work with all kinds of people to get the job done. Courage and resilience -- you know, you've got everybody beat on that as well. A little bit of change is not going to scare any of you. You know, and the resilience to come back from your military experience, to reintegrate into civilian life, is a great, great benefit that you can bring, and something that you can be proud of and use as an example to other people in the workplace. But what do you get? What do you get back from entering the workplace? Clearly, financial independence -- that's critical to everybody. You know, a successful civilian life -- you know, if your military experience is over, for whatever reason, you know reintegrating into civilian life is going to be somewhat difficult, but very, very important. The chance to meet new people on the job and in the community. You know, and this is where I always give my little pitch that I met my spouse while I was working. You know, so I am married because I met somebody. You know, the fact that I have, you know, friends at work and Christmas parties and all of that good stuff that comes along with that weekly paycheck, but it is just as important as that weekly paycheck. Gets you out of the house, out of your little isolation, into the community and meeting new people. Now, here is Robert. He's been gracious enough to share his story with us. He's a veteran who spent seven years serving in the Army. After surgery -- after a surgical mishap in 2000, he sustained a spinal cord injury which left him with limited mobility. After getting disability benefits and having that mishap, he used that Ticket to Work to discover his passion for helping other veterans navigate the transition back into civilian life. And we've got a video from Robert explaining his experience. So, Mike, if you could queue that up? [ Silence ] [ Music ] [ Silence ] [ Music ] >> Robert Statam: Coming straight out of high school from Chicago, I had a strong interest for the military. I joined the service, and I went into the Army. And my job that I went into service for was communications, and I was a communications specialist. I spent two tours in Europe, in Germany. And I spent over -- about seven years total in the military. Once I completed my time in the service, I continued to work for the government as a United States postal carrier. And after 13 years of this work, it began to take a toll on my health-wise, and it led to some medical issues that I started to have. I became disabled from a surgery, kind of a mishap, where a disk ruptured, and it paralyzed me. The Ticket to Work program was introduced to me throughout my rehabilitation time period. So, the VA was assisting me. They even offered me the ideas about, if I ever thought about going back to work. So, they introduced me to a representative from the Social Security board who told me about this Ticket to Work program. Well, as the representative explained the program, it was obvious that there was some safety nets there. Some of the things that I was worried about, I really didn't have -- it was no worry at all. Now, it wasn't until the voc rehab representative for Paralyzed Veterans, who again introduced me to the Ticket to Work program, and I told him I had heard of it and I was aware of it, but at this time, as years had went by, I felt a little bit more stronger about actually accepting it this time, because I knew that I was at a level health-wise, and I thought it was time for me to make some serious decisions and not be living on a fixed income when I had such a desire to want to do much more. The program had told me all the things, like, well, if it don't work out, it was still enough of a security net there to say that you don't have to worry about that. They even gave me a year, even while I was working, that I was still covered under Social Security. They make sure that they are there to assist you and help you in all types of ways, not only to put you back in the workforce or give you skills that you need to get there, but to follow you once you're there. After being part of this Ticket to Work program, I started looking again into the availabilities of positions for a national service officer. At that time, there just happened to be some available positions. >> Winston Woodard: He put in the ticket. The position that -- he had to apply for the position normally. That position came up, and he -- shortly thereafter, he was selected as a candidate to be a national service officer at the Chicago office. >> Robert Statam: After the interview, they immediately told me that I was very much qualified and I could prepare to begin to come to work. I became a national service officer for the Paralyzed Veterans of America. Paralyzed Veterans of America, of course, is a service organization dedicated to helping those veterans with spinal cord injuries, spinal cord disease, as we assist all veterans, with VA benefits, and we advocate for veterans' health care. Robert Statam. >> Okay. >> Robert Statam: I'm a national service officer with the Paralyzed Veterans of America. I greet and meet with, especially, the new veterans, or a new patient that has just come in for the first time. Coming back to work has probably built up my independency, the self-pride and -- you know, I'm an achiever again. You know, I got something to offer society, and you know it's almost like you're re-gaining a good portion of dignity back. [Music starts] Prior to even coming back to work, I was highly interested in -- got interested in some of the disability sporting events -- the Wheelchair Games. I used to participate in that every year, and it was a big event for me. The Ticket to Work program, it helped open up the door and put me back to where, you know, it's almost like it put my life back on track. [ Music ] [ Silence ] >> Ray Cebula: Okay. Always like to thank Robert for sharing his story with us. He is just one example of the thousands of people who used this Ticket to Work to get back to work. And you can see -- I mean, I can tell you what you'll experience when you go back to work and how it will enrich your life. But you heard it right from Robert, and that means a whole lot more than anything I could tell you about that. Now, Social Security has a veterans benefits application process. And this is a great benefit. The application process is tailored specifically to veterans. If you are an active-duty status, your military pay should not be stopping because you applied for Social Security disability benefits. You're one of a very unique group. You are actually the very unique group who are able to collect both SSDI benefits and veterans compensation benefits without any offset. So, nothing should stop because you decide, I want to pick up Social Security disability benefits as well. Whether you're still hospitalized, in a rehabilitation program, undergoing outpatient treatments, you can apply at any time. As a matter of fact, I would encourage you to apply as soon as you can possibly can after you make that decision. And because of your veteran status, Social Security expedites the application through all phases of processing. So, the application process that could take a couple of years for some people is going to be much faster for you. Now, when you're ready to explore the idea of returning to work, where do you start? Now, fortunately, we've got really a no-wrong-door policy. You can start wherever you're comfortable. You know, we're going to teach you about some of the work incentives today that Social Security has to help support you. You're going to need to build a new employment team. And what we mean by that is, you need to get all of those stakeholders available -- your veteran service rep, if that's possible, and potentially family members or your spouse, your vocational rehabilitation worker and, ideally, someone who can help you plan that return to work so it will have as little impact on your cash and health benefits as possible until you're ready to make that transition from one to the other. And staying positive -- look for the opportunities. As Robert indicated, you know, we are here to open as many doors as possible for you. All you need to do is gain some knowledge and decide which door to walk through. Now, building that employment team is a great way to start. Now, you can start any way you want to. You can speak with an expert at the Ticket to Work help line, and that is 1-866-968-7842, or if you're using a TTY, 1-866-833-2967. That's going to start the process for you. There'll be somebody there who can answer your basic questions and get you referred to the next person who can help and start building that team. Learn more about the Ticket to Work. If you're comfortable talking to somebody yet, the SocialSecurity.gov website at www.SocialSecurity -- one word -- dot-gov/work is an exceptional website, and it's very user-friendly. It will give you a lot of information that you'll want to know. And it's a very unintrusive way of finding out. It's written in plain language. You can use that to start. Find an employment network. Kendra will talk to you about employment networks, who they are, where they can be found. Or your state VR agency. You know, at this point, you folks have another option, too -- the veterans rehabilitation services are going to be there as well for you. And then, the question is, who's leading this team? And you are leading this team. This team is taking orders from you. They'll discuss what you want, where you want to go and what your goals are. And it's your responsibility to them -- stay connected and take the necessary steps to meet those goals. But this entire team is there to support you. We got a couple of different benefits that Social Security offers, and I want to give you a little bit of information about those. The first program is Social Security disability insurance. And it is exactly what it says it is. It's an insurance program. When you were working and have FICA taxes withheld from your paycheck, those taxes were insuring you for retirement and for disability. Now, if you are insured for disability purposes, you can draw on those because of an impairment that prevents you from working. Again, it's an insurance program. With this program, because it doesn't consider other income other than earnings, you will be able to receive both veterans compensation and Social Security disability insurance. Now, the Supplemental Security Income program is a federal low-income system. Now, SSI is income-based, and as a result, any compensation that you receive from the Veterans Administration would be considered when Social Security determines what the amount of benefits you would receive. SSI, in 39 states, automatically brings Medicaid coverage as well. So, that's an important health care benefit. I didn't mention that SSDI will eventually provide you with Medicare, but this Medicaid program that comes along with SSI in 38 states is a great thing. In those other 11 states, if it's not automatic, you need to apply for Medicaid separately. But remember, these are intended to be low-income programs. SSI and Medicaid are low-income and will consider any compensation you receive from the Veterans Administration in order to determine eligibility. Some folks can receive both SSDI and SSI, and they're called concurrent beneficiaries, because they're receiving both types of benefits. It's a little more confusing and all the more reason why folks who receive both of those benefits should be seeking out someone to help navigate the way back to work. Now, I talked to you about some of common myths, some of the frequently asked questions, and here's the first one. If I try to go to work, I will automatically lose my Medicare or Medicaid. And the answer to that is simply, it's not true. It is a myth. Medicare and Medicaid, at this point in time, are the last things you need to worry about. In many states -- 45 states now have Medicaid buy-in programs, which would simply mean you pay a premium, and a very reasonable premium, for those health care benefits. Medicare is going to last for at least seven and a half years after you finish what's known as a trial work period. And Kendra will tell you what that's about, too. So, the potential loss of health care -- and I say potential, because I mean it -- is way, way out into the future, and you're able to focus on your return to work rather than worrying about losing your health care benefits. Okay, we've got a little static going on here. If somebody could mute their microphone, that would be great. Number two -- if I use my Ticket to Work, Social Security will perform a medical review, and I'll lose my benefits. That's just turned right on its head, because the fact of the matter is, if you use your Ticket to Work -- and every Social Security and SSI recipient between the ages of 18 and 64 has a Ticket to Work -- using that Ticket to Work actually prevents medical reviews, because Social Security wants to give you time to get those skills, education and training that you need to get back to work and make sure that your income is sufficient to replace those benefits before they're going to consider whether or not you remain disabled. So, the Ticket provides a lot of great services as well as significant protections. And number three, if I go to work and have to stop working, I'm going to have to reapply all over again. And it took me a long time to get approved in the first place, and I can't afford to wait, so I shouldn't try to work. That's also incorrect. The Ticket to Work Act, which was a major piece of legislation, put in place something called expedited reinstatement. It's what we call EXR. And what that basically does is allow you a very fast back into the program for five years after your benefits have been terminated because you returned to work. Now, I told you how long it takes to terminate those benefits, and Social Security, even after you terminated, is giving you five years to come back if your disability prevents you from working. And it's really quick. If I use today's date -- it's November 14. We're right in the middle of the month, but we might be on time to have benefits paid beginning December 1. The very latest benefits would be paid based on a request for EXR today would be December -- ah, January 1st, I'm sorry. So, this is a real quick, easy back on. And then Social Security will put your medical information and application through the process of determining whether or not you are currently eligible for benefits. Now, we are ready to talk about the Ticket to Work program, but I want to check with Jamie to see if we have any questions. >> Jamie: Thanks, Ray. I think, at this point, let's hand it over to Kendra, who may end up answering some of our questions. >> Ray Cebula: Okay, great. Okay, Kendra? If you'd just let me know when you want these slides advanced, you can take over and talk to us about the Ticket to Work program. >> Kendra Barry: All right. Thanks, Ray. My name is Kendra, and I'm a community work incentives coordinator here in Indiana with Indiana Works, and I help people not only understand the Ticket the Work program but also all of the work incentives that are available to Social Security beneficiaries and how working will affect their benefits. So, let's talk about the Ticket to Work program and exactly what it is. The Ticket to Work program is a free and voluntary program that can assist SSDI and SSI beneficiaries to go back to work, enter the workforce for the first time, or increase their current work hours. Most people with disabilities age 18 through 64 who receive SSDI or SSI benefits can participate in the program. The most important thing to get from this is that it's voluntary and up to you. If you're ready to work, then this is a great resource for you to use to get assistance in finding a job that's [inaudible]. Next slide? Now that you're considering working, [inaudible] Ticket to Work program [inaudible]. [Inaudible] ready to earn more money, then the Ticket to Work program can help you improve your earning potential by providing you with assistance such as working with an employment network and job coach to find a great job for you. If you're looking for the personal fulfillment that can come from working, sometimes people just want to get out of the house and feel useful again. The Ticket to Work program is going to provide you that assurance and the stability you need to feel confident while you're out there looking for a job. I think sometimes the most important thing to remember is that you've got to have support, and the Ticket to Work program is going to link you up with agencies [inaudible] provide you with that support that [inaudible]. If you want to be able to get back to your benefits if your job doesn't work out because of your disability, Ticket to Work an put you on the fast track, just like Ray explained to you. That expedited reinstatement provides you with that safety net so that you can know that you can go out there and try to work as much as you can, but if it doesn't work out, that's okay. If you're feeling overwhelmed and don't know where to turn, don't worry about it. A lot of people come to these presentations, and it's so much information, they are worried about it. But we are here just to give you the resources, so that when you're ready to start looking for a job and contact these agencies, you'll know exactly where to go. Next slide? So now that you're thinking about working, and you're ready to explore the possibilities, there's a few different steps that you're going to have to take. When it comes to the Ticket to Work program, the first thing you need to do is find an employment network and assign your ticket [inaudible]. Employment network can be a public agency, a private agency, a vocational rehabilitation services agency, and what you're going to do is week with them to develop a work goal. The point of the ticket is to find you the job that you're looking for -- not a temp service. They're not going to just place you somewhere. They're going to talk with you, discuss what your goal is. So whether it's part-time or full-time, looking for an office job or [inaudible] looking for work in a restaurant, they're going to work with you to determine what that goal is. You're going to need to stay connected to your employment network as you explore your work options. They'll be there to give you that support needed while you're looking for a job [inaudible]. When you're ready to get started, the first thing to do is to call the Ticket to Work help line. I'm going to give you their number, but we'll give you their number a few times throughout this presentation. The number is 1-866-968-7842 or, for TTY or TDD, 1-866-833-2967. You can also visit a website to find an EN or vocational rehabilitation near you. The website is www.socialsecurity.gov/work. And you can go to the links that Jamie posted for you in the chat box to visit this website. Not only will you be able to find local employment networks and vocational rehabilitation services near you, but you can also view the webinar that we're going through today and find more information at these sites. Next slide? When it comes to building your employment team, you have a lot of different options. The first thing that you can do is call the Ticket to Work help line at the phone number that I just provided. Or you can visit the website. When it comes to finding and employment network or a state vocational rehabilitation option, we are going to talk about that later and talk about what you should keep in mind when it comes to choosing and agency that's right for you. Again, the biggest thing with the Ticket to Work program is that it's completely voluntary, and it's all up to you. So, something to keep in mind. Again, it's important to stay connected to all these agencies that you're working with so that they can keep supporting you along your journey. Next slide? >> Ray Cebula: Okay, Jamie, do we have any questions for Kendra before we move on? >> Jamie: We sure do. Kendra, is there any assistance for people who want to explore self-employment associated with a ticket? >> Kendra Barry: There is. You can contact your local vocational rehabilitation or an employment network to discuss self-employment. The reason you're going to want to contact one of these agencies is because there are special work incentives that we're not going to discuss today, but they are specifically available for people who are interested in pursuing self-employment. So you can visit the website or call the Ticket to Work number to get information about the employment networks and the voc rehab services if you're interested in pursuing self-employment. >> Jamie: Great. Thank you, Kendra. Here's another one. What happens to my cash benefit while I'm using my Ticket to Work for -- if I'm on either SSI or SSDI? >> Kendra Barry: After Ray talks to you about vocational rehabilitation and the employment services, we are going to discuss work incentives, and that's when we're going to discuss how working will affect SSDI and SSI and the different programs that Social Security has put into place to provide you with a more safety net. So, we are getting to that. >> Jamie: Great. Thanks, Kendra. And Ray, it is back over to you. >> Ray Cebula: Okay. Thanks a lot, Kendra. I'm real glad to hear about those self-employment work incentives and the availability of how to get folks self-employed. Because the statistics that I was just looking at yesterday, believe it or not, told me that most returning vets either are working in small businesses or start their own and become self-employed. So, this is a great service and seems to be one that's very needed given the statistics on vets who come back and return to work. So, let's move on to talk about voc rehabilitation, or vocational rehabilitation, and employment service. The Department of Veterans Affairs has a program -- VR&E -- Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment. The primary function is to help veterans who have service-connected disabilities become suitably employed, maintain employment or achieve independence in daily living. Now, those are wonderful, wonderful variations on vocational rehabilitation. Again, we're talking about folks with service-connected disabilities to become suitably employed. Is it employment that is sufficient to produce income that you can actually live on? Maintain employment -- is there something that veterans can provide you with that will help you maintain the employment situation you're in? Or, if you're in a situation where you're not able to work, the veterans can still provide you with vocational rehabilitation services so that you can live independently. And that's something that has disappeared from the civilian side completely. It used to, you know, be something, when I was a whole lot younger, but it's nowhere on the civilian side anymore, and it's a great, great service. In order to receive these VR services through the Veterans Administration, you have -- you must have to have received an honorable discharge or something other than dishonorable discharge. And when I was reading this slide, I just wanted to let you know that, if you are out there and were dishonorably discharged, don't just leave it at that. Consider contacting the National Veterans Law Center in Washington, D.C. Just Google that. It'll give you an 800 number. And talk to them about whether or not there's a possibility of getting that discharge upgraded so that you can become eligible for these services. Again, you have to have a VA service-connected disability rating of 10% or more. And you have to apply for these services through the Veterans Administration. Now, what we usually do is look at the 12 years -- you have a 12-year period between your date of separation from active military duty or the date that you were first notified by the Veterans Administration that your disability is, in fact, service-related. So there is a time limit. You have 12 years, again from your date of separation or your first notification that your disability was service-connected, in order to apply for these vocational rehabilitation services. You're going to meet with a counselor and have a comprehensive evaluation. You know, this is very similar to what the civilian VR agencies might provide you with. And I say might -- the vocational rehabilitation services provided by the VA are something very, very special and very comprehensive. What if you don't know what you want to do? You know, I mean, we all go through that [chuckles]. I can assure you of that. They'll give you an assessment of your interests. What your aptitudes are, what abilities -- you know, the -- remember those skills I said that you're bringing back from the military? How can you use those? That's going to give you some idea -- that evaluation's going to give you a great idea of what jobs are out there in the civilian world that you're going to be able to do. Whether or not your service-connected disability impairs your ability to find or hold a job using the skills that you already have. You know, that could be an easy fix. Maybe, at that point, we just want to provide you with some equipment or some additional training to allow you to do a job using your current skills, the skills that you gained through your military service. Or exploring your options to help you see -- to help you see a goal and develop that goal. As Kendra said, that's what this is all about. We're putting a team together, and you are selecting a goal. You are telling the team, this is my goal. Now, let's all work towards getting to that goal. Now, if the VA counselor decides that you do have an employment handicap based on the results of the comprehensive evaluation. And you are entitled, if you have a 20% service-connected disability and an employment handicap, or if you the disability is 10% service-connected, vocational rehabilitation and employment must find a serious employment handicap to establish entitlement to VR services. And I want to talk about what that means, because that's confusing as all hell right now. An employment handicap is very different than your medical impairment. An employment handicap is defined by the VA as something that is preventing you from obtaining the job. That's different than something that's preventing you from doing the job, because oftentimes that's what vocational rehabilitation is focusing on -- how can we get you the skills or abilities to do the job you were doing or a new job? The employment handicap is looking at the pool of applicants. Is there something about you that is presenting a significant barrier to getting the job? So, if we do make those findings, you notice that that 20% service-connected disability rating can be reduced to 10% if it's a serious handicap. Provided you are entitled to these services because you meet one of these criteria, you will then begin to work with your counselor to develop a rehabilitation plan. Now, what's that plan? That plan is a written, detailed outline provided by voc rehab and employment, and it could include anything. Remember that when you start preparing these plans, this is your plan. It's not up to your counselor to tell you what you should be doing to make a living or what your goal should be. You know, that's what that evaluation was all about. It's up to you to select a goal that's appropriate to meet your needs and the lifestyle that you want. It could include reemployment with a previous employer, short-term services for some new employment. It could include self-employment, as Kendra said, where the vets are going to support that as well as the Ticket to Work. It can include long-term services as well. And this is also a great thing that doesn't really exist in the civilian system. It could provide for job coaching or assistance on the work site for a long time, or potentially some counseling to support that work effort, for a long time. And, as I said, those independent living services are going to be very valuable for somebody who's not able to work, but they're also going to be valuable for people who are going to work but still need some assistance with that independent living. Because independence here is what it's all about. Now, some additional resources for this program for VR&E. You can check out www.vetsuccess.gov. The Paralyzed Veterans of America -- that's a great organization at www.PVA.org/operationpave -- one word -- operation P-A-V-E. Or the Disabled Veterans of America at www.dav.org/veterans/jobs.aspx. Okay, Jamie, any questions in that box? >> Jamie: Yes, sir. So, we just learned about assigning our ticket to an EN. How does that work with -- if I'm working with VR&E? >> Ray Cebula: That's a really good question. VR&E may not necessarily be an employment network. State VR agencies are an employment network. But you should check to make sure that your VR&E program site is an employment network. That's going to be up to you to check, because if it's not, you would not get the protections that you need. That's still a valid choice to make. And a counselor, or somebody like Kendra, could talk to you about, what is the possibility of having a medical review done if I begin a voc rehab program? It could be very remote. And so, we do want to know whether that VR&E site is an employment network. And if it's not, because of the range of services being so much more significant than the civilian side, I think we then want to talk to somebody in Kendra's position to see what the ramifications of choosing to work with VR&E would be. >> Jamie: Thank you, Ray. Here's another question that just came through. And I am just going to read it out as is, and you can give our questioner some advice. >> Ray Cebula: Okay. >> Jamie: He says, "I am a veteran with a 70% disability. Is this program for me? VR has been unable to help me as of now. What happens if I'm not able to hold a job? I've already met with a counselor and gone through the evaluation." >> Ray Cebula: Okay, I think regardless of the rating of your disability, this program is for you. This program is for you if you want it to be. I believe that everybody, regardless of the nature or severity of their disability, is able to work. And this program can work for you. We can take that VR information that you have and look if we can get you into VR&E. Because we're within that 12-year period, we may be able to get some extra services. When Kendra talks about the employment network side, we could very well get you hooked up with an employment network that would be able to provide you with services. And Kendra's going to tell you about a new twist on that that will allow you to use both VR and employment networks. So, I think this program's for everybody out there who's listening who makes a decision that they want to attempt to go back to work. What if you can't hold a job? Well, that employment network might be able to provide you with the support you need so that you can. I mean, we don't know that yet. If you absolutely cannot, expedited reinstatement will get you back the benefits that you working out of. So, there's really nothing to lose. All we need to do [static] a shot and make a decision that you want to try. Anything to add on that, Kendra? >> Kendra Barry: No, I completely agree with everything that you said. The program is whatever you make of it. So, it's worth taking the chance and giving it a try. >> Ray Cebula: Okay. >> Jamie: Great. Thank you both. Ray, can you repeat the name of the place we're supposed to contact about our dishonorable discharges? >> Ray Cebula: Yes, that's the National Veterans Law Center. I know they're located in Washington, D.C. And if you Google National Veterans Law Center, that should get you their contact information. >> Jamie: Great. >> Ray Cebula: I know I worked with them many years ago when I was in legal services in doing some of these discharge upgrades, and it is very possible for it to happen. >> Jamie: Well, that's great news. Thank you, Ray. One more question. Just one more time, can you clarify what the difference between VR&E and an EN is? >> Ray Cebula: Okay [chuckles]. I'm going to give that one a shot. VR&E is a veterans program. You know, it's going to be specifically providing a very extensive array of programming, employment supports, training, rehabilitation services to veterans. Now, an employment network can be a state VR agency or a private agency that supports a work effort. The difference -- the great difference between the two is whether or not one is in a position to accept a ticket. Now, an EN certainly can accept a ticket. So, a state VR agency can accept a ticket. The question I have is whether or not the VR&E program is able to accept the ticket. You know, then there's the balancing act. That ticket gives you that protection from the medical review that Social Security would normally do on a timed basis. Every so many years, everyone's reviewed. Now, if that is not available through VR&E, it may be that the extensiveness of the benefits that can be provided by that program outweigh the risk of a medical review. And I think that what you would need to do to make that determination would be to talk to somebody like Kendra who can help you get information to determine when that medical review is going to happen, and given the nature of your disability, is it likely that it matters if it happens or not? You know, so I think that's the big difference. You know, and I can't tell you for sure whether VR&E programs are accepting tickets. It's certainly something, for those of us working behind the scenes, to check out and see if we can make that happen. >> Jamie: Okay, Ray, thank you for that answer. That's it for now. I think Kendra's presentation coming up will help answer some more of our questions. >> Ray Cebula: Okay. Kendra, take it away. >> Kendra Barry: All right. What we're going to do now is talk about the work incentives, which are programs that Social Security has established to help provide you with that safety net when it comes to going back to work. Next one. The point of the work incentives are that they give you leverage to fix that. Not only is it a safety net, but it gives you some timelines to know that going back to work isn't going to cause you to lose all of your benefits. I think one of the most common questions that people first ask me are, you know, will my benefits stop as soon as I start working? Or, will I lose my insurance when I go back to work? What if I don't qualify for insurance through my job? And there are answers to all of those questions. Because Social Security realizes that those are very real fears and that everyone has them. So, let's look now at some of the different work incentives. When it comes to the work incentives, they're going to allow you to receive training for new skills -- could you just click through this whole slide for me -- improve the skills that you already have, pursue your education, try out different jobs, start a career and gain confidence. The point that I was mentioning -- the career, it's because, like I said earlier, this isn't a temp program. They're not going to place you somewhere. Ray explained to you that a plan will be developed. So, you're going to sit down with the counselor, whether it's through the VR&E program, through the state vocational rehabilitation, or through an employment network. You're going to sit down and tell them what you would like to do. You're going to tell them how many hours you would like to work, what you would like to do and how much you'd like to earn. And they're going to do everything they can to help you reach that goal. So, when it comes to gaining confidence, they're going to be there behind the scenes providing you that support that you need. Next slide? Some of the most common work incentives [inaudible] here for you. And this is not all of the work incentives. We are just going to briefly discuss some of the most common for SSDI recipients and some of the most common for SSI recipients. If you want more information on the work incentives and would like to get, you know, answers to your specific situation, I would encourage you to call the Ticket to Work number found in the chat box and visit the website so that you can contact someone and actually ask them questions that you have regarding your situation. When it comes to SSDI recipients, the first work incentive that [inaudible] run into is the trial work period. What the trial work period is, is it's a nine-month period where you can earn any amount of money at all and continue to receive your SSDI check. This allows you to go out there and try to work as much as you can and to your full potential without having to worry that your benefits are going to stop. After the nine-month period, you have what's called the extended period of eligibility, or EPE as it's often referred to. And again, this is only for SSDI recipients. The EPE is the 36 months following the end of your trial work period. So, as soon as you used that last trial work period, your EPE begins. And it will end 36 months later. And this is a three-year period where, whether your earnings are high or low, you'll continue to be on the rolls for SSDI. The way that it works is that Social Security had to choose an earnings level at which to say, if you're earning more than this consistently, every month, then we're going to stop your Social Security check. So, after the trial work period, this year, if you are earning $1,010 a month or more, than your check would stop. The way that the extended period of eligibility provides you with assistance is that, say you're working a job, and you're earning $900 a month. But you pick up extra hours during the holidays, and you earn $1,500 in November and December. If that were to happen, then you would not be eligible to receive a check for November or December, because you were above that threshold that Social Security established of $1,010. But if your earnings went back down to $900 come January, you would be eligible to receive a check for that month. And again, this is -- it's just that a number had to be chosen. Because we are coming up on the new year, some of these figures have changed. That level of $1,010, called the substantial gainful amount, or SGA, in 2013, is going to be $1,040. So, if, after trial work period, you're earnings are less than $1,040, your check would [inaudible]. Hopefully that makes sense, and if not, we will be taking questions about the work incentives. Those are the two basic ones, and the two first ones that you'll run into with SSDI. Some we aren't going to discuss in detail are the -- if you have [inaudible] and expenses related to your disability, Social Security will take those into consideration. So, I would encourage you to call and talk to someone about your situation. When it comes to SSI recipients, it's a very different program. Because SSI is for people just to survive on, and it is more of a welfare program, any earnings that you going to have are going to affect the amount of SSI that you receive. Currently, the federal benefit rate for SSI is $698. Again, because we're coming up on the new year, in 2013, the federal benefit rate for SSI is going to be $710, so there will be an increase. The earned income exclusion, the third work incentive listed here, says that Social Security is going to count less than half of your earnings when they're considering what your new SSI payment will be. So, say you find a job, and you're earning $885 per month. Social Security won't count the first $85 your earn, and after that they'll count half. So 885 minus 85 is 800. Half of 800 is 400. So, instead of receiving the maximum of [inaudible] dollars, you would receive [inaudible] 98 dollars in SSI. That scares a lot of people, because they just think, well, the SSI check is lowering, and I don't know what I'll do. But if you've earned $885, and you're receiving $298 in SSI, you have over $1,100 [inaudible], which is a lot more than [inaudible] 98 you [inaudible] before you were working. The other benefit to working and receiving SSI is that you're going to be paying taxes and paying your FICA taxes, so you are going to earn credits to become entered to the SSDI program. So it's really extremely beneficial for you to work, especially when you're receiving SSI. Just like with SSDI, [inaudible] on here. If you have expenses that you're paying out of pocket related to your disability, anything from medication copays to doctor's copays to items that you may need, such as canes or hearing aids -- anything related to your disability, Social Security will take those into account. Another work incentive is expedited reinstatement. I think Ray did a great job of explaining this earlier. If you go to work, and your benefits are stopped, but you find out a couple years down the line that you just can't [inaudible] it anymore because of your disability, you can get your benefits restarted within a month. So, it's a great thing to know, and it's one of the main safety nets that you have, just knowing that, if anything happened, you're not going to have to go through that application process again and worry about what you're going to do until you're found eligible. So, it's a great [inaudible]. The last thing is that, when you assign your [inaudible], you have protection from medical continuing disability reviews for both SSDI and SSI recipients, which means that going to work isn't going to just cause an automatic review of your case. Next slide? Now that we've talked about the work incentives, and I know there may be some questions, but we're going to go through the employment network, and then when we take them all, so you can submit your questions through the chat box or by emailing Jamie. Next slide? When it comes to building your employment team, first thing you're going to want to do is contact an employment network. You can call the Ticket to Work help line at 1-866-968-7842 or 1-866-833-2967 for TTY or TDD, to speak with a benefits counselor and request of list of employment networks that serve your area. What they'll do is, they'll put together a packet of, not only your local employment networks, but also the national employment networks, for you to contact. So, it will give you a huge variety of choice when it comes to choosing what agency you'd like to work with. You can also visit www.socialsecurity.gov/work to access the list of employment networks. Again, you'll find that same list of both local and national agencies to review, as well as information about those agencies and what services they provide. Next slide? When it comes to choosing an employment network, you're going to have too many to look at. There are some questions that you should keep in mind, and questions that you should ask them. You can ask them how many people that they've helped through the Ticket to Work program find employment. And what they'll do is, they'll be able to give you a number of people that they've helped find jobs, as well as some of them have report card scores that they've received from the state. And they can give you information about [inaudible]. You can ask what kind of companies they work with for placements. The benefit of working with an employment network or agency that does this is that they have contacted people in the community and created relationships with them, so that they are taking you somewhere where they know the higher-up managers, and where they know what they're looking for when it comes to applicants. So they can help you be prepared for the type of job you're looking for. You can ask them what kind of jobs might be available to them. Some agencies specialize in working with people with disabilities. There are agencies that specifically work with people who are blind or visually impaired. There are other agencies that work with people who have mental illnesses. So, depending on what your disability is and what kind of assistance you need, there may be an agency that's better suited to help you. You can also ask them how often you'll communicate and meet with them. Some of the local agencies will want to meet with you weekly, and they'll be able to help you get to and from the application places and actually be with you while you're applying for jobs. And then some of the national agencies will do a lot of things with you over the phone and provide you support and job links through email. So, it's important to consider what you're looking for. The benefit of these employment networks is that they can offer such a large variety of services that you can find an agency that is tailor-fit to meet your needs. Next slide. When you call the employment network, you should keep these things in mind. The Ticket to Work program is meant to be voluntary, and it's mean to [inaudible]. So, the employment network that you're talking to should be able to tell you everything you want to know [inaudible] all of your questions. When you talk to them, you should tell them what your goal is and what your intention is. If you need assistance with every part of the process, like resume assistance, and you would like to do some mock interviewing, you would like their assistance actually applying for jobs, tell them that to find out if those are services that they can offer. [Inaudible] should also be able to talk about any fears that might have. If you're concerned about how it will affect your benefits, or if you've used any your work incentives, they should be able to provide [inaudible] assistance [inaudible] specific benefit [inaudible]. They should also work with you to develop specific [inaudible] work plans, the same as the VR&E agencies would do. [Inaudible], and you're going to discuss what your goals are, and they'll be able to tell you how they can help you reach the goals. Next slide? When it comes to meeting with these [inaudible] in person, again, these are some things to remember. You're going to sign off on the plan that you create with your network. So, you have to agree with everything. They are not going to be able to do anything without your agreement. So, again, it's never going to be a temp service or [inaudible]. [Inaudible] may have some other versions of [inaudible] assign in order to provide you with services. I know that my agency, Aspire Indiana, we have to have people sign a lot of forms allowing us to communicate with them via email, allowing us to keep track of their information. The employment network [inaudible] agency [inaudible] government, their goal is to help you find a job, because they don't get paid until you're working. So, there may be some other paperwork for you to sign. If, at any point, you decide that the employment network you chose is not a good match, you can unassign your ticket and assign it to another network. So, what you could do is, you could visit the website or call the Ticket to Work line, and you could, again, get a list of employment networks, change your ticket assignment. The biggest thing to keep in mind is that this voluntary. So if, at any time, you feel that the [inaudible] you choose isn't meeting your needs the way you thought they would, you [inaudible]. And again, the continuing disability reviews are postponed as long as you're making progress toward [inaudible]. So there are some different milestones that have to be met, but your employment network or the agency you choose to work with will be able to assist with understanding these goals. Next slide. Some examples of the services that the employment network can offer are resume development, advice on how to fill out a good application, interview skills and tips on how to explain long absences from work without disclosing your disability. That's one of the most common questions people have is, they'll ask me, I've been out of work for five years, and I don't know what to tell employers. And when you talk to your EN, they'll be able to give you some tips on how to [inaudible] that without telling people that you are disabled. They'll also be able to assist you with job accommodate information and resources if there's anything that you need. They can tell you about tax incentive information. Because not only is there the earned income tax credit that you may qualify for once you begin working, but there's tax incentives out there for employers to hire people with disabilities. So, there's a lot of incentives out there to help you get to work. They can also assist you with referrals to other resources in your area. So, if you have other needs that aren't being met, [inaudible] doctors, or need other assistance, they can assist you with that. Next slide? When it comes to job leads, information on employers who are hiring or job fairs or recruiting events, they'll be able to assist you with that. As I [inaudible] before, there are local employment networks, and there are national [inaudible]. So, what you're going to want to consider is the [inaudible] to apply. If you choose a national [inaudible] network, they're going to be able to give you a lot of information through email and over the phone as opposed to the local employment networks who may have more inside information about some of the local job fairs. So it's definitely something to consider when choosing an agency to work with. You'll also be able to have access to resource centers -- has computers, Internet, email, phone and fax. Some people need some assistance with learning how to use programs on the computer. Any employment networks will be able to provide you with classes on the basic computer programs, getting an email address started and how to use the Internet in your job search. Employment networks' biggest benefit is that they'll do job development on your behalf. Like I said before, a lot of employment networks have relationships with businesses in your own community. So, they will be able to go out there [inaudible] on your behalf [inaudible] see if you're a good fit for some of the positions out there. So it's a big deal when it comes to helping you find that job that's [inaudible]. It also can continue to provide services through the Ticket to Work after you're finished working with voc rehab. Any [inaudible] one of them have the Partnership Plus program, so a lot of people [inaudible] choose to work with voc rehab initially, and then they have the job coach through their employment network. Once they are finished working with vocational rehabilitation, they're [inaudible] able then be assigned to that agency that they were also working with. So, there's a partnership going on, and it will be easier for you to get connected when those vocational rehabilitation [inaudible]. Next slide? >> Ray Cebula: Okay. >> Kendra Barry: All right, then, Jamie, I think we're going to questions? >> Jamie: Thanks, Kendra. I do have a couple for you. You kind of just said this, but I just want to clarify, is, "I'm working with a VR agency, and my case is closed, can I then continue to work with an employment network?" >> Kendra Barry: You can. Once your case is closed with vocational rehabilitation, you'll need to contact the Ticket to Work number and let them know that your ticket can be unassigned from vocational rehabilitation. And then you will need to reassign your ticket to the employment network, which means that you'll have to develop a work plan with them. But yes, you can definitely go ahead and choose an employment network to work with. >> Jamie: Great. Thanks, Kendra. Also, "How do I find out if my ticket's assigned?" >> Kendra Barry: You can contact the Ticket to Work help line, and they will be able to get that information. If you also contact an employment network, and you let them know that you're not sure if your ticket's assigned, they can look into that as well. So, it doesn't matter if you would like to do it on your own, or you'd like some help, you can get that answered. >> Jamie: Thank you. Now, back to work incentives for a minute. "I've heard about the PASS plan. Can you tell me what that is? >> Kendra Barry: The PASS plan, or the Plan to Achieve Self Support -- that's what PASS stands for -- is a program that allows SSI recipients and some SSDI recipients to set aside work earnings or SSDI that they're receiving in order to save for a job-related goal. So, what it is, is it's a program that would allow you to set aside all of your work earnings and continue to receive the full amount of SSI. The benefit of this is that your goal has to be to work your way off of benefits. So, if you wanted to save for education or if you needed specific supplies for your job, the PASS plan would allow you to do that. And there are some different websites that you can visit that, if you call the Ticket to Work help line, they can give information about the PASS. And if you visit the website, you can also get more information about that. >> Jamie: Great. Thanks, Kendra. Ray, I think it's back over to you. >> Ray Cebula: Okay, now, we want to talk to you about some other resources that are available to you. Some of these are going to be repetitive, but they are great resources, and that's why we do this. You want to check with Social Security. It's a great way to start without having to talk to anybody. You can use their website at www.SocialSecurity.gov/work. And they will -- on that website, you will be able to find out who your local employment networks are, who the national employment networks are, and any other Ticket to Work information and work incentive information that you might be interested in. It's a great, very safe way to get more information to decide whether or not you're going to take that step. And then Ticket to Work help line is there to explain some of your particular questions and how your situation fits into all of the stuff that we've been talking about. That Ticket to Work help line number if 1-866-968-7842, and for TTY, 866-833-2967. You can also follow us on Facebook. If you are into Facebooking, check us out at www.Facebook.com/choosework -- one word. Or, if you know how to tweet, and Jamie keeps picking on me, because I still don't know how to tweet, but if you are into twittering, here's www.twitter.com/chooseworkssa and follow us on Twitter. Again, that Ticket to Work help line is 1-866-968-7842, or for TTY and TDD, 866-833-2967. Okay, Jamie, do we have any other questions before we thank everybody for listening to us? >> Jamie: I have one more for you, Ray. Are there any costs associated with VR&E? >> Ray Cebula: Oh, that's a great thing. No, there are no costs associated with VR&E. And you know, and the other thing that I was thinking about while Kendra was explaining Partnership Plus, even though VR&E may not be an employment network and may not be able to take your ticket, that still would not stop somebody from getting services from VR&E and then assigning their ticket to an employment network for those extra services that might be necessary. So, that Partnership Plus model may very well work quite nicely with VR&E. >> Jamie: Thanks, Ray. How about the ticket program or any of the work incentives? Are all of those free, too? >> Ray Cebula: Everything we talked about is free. There are no expectations financially from you other than trying. You know, what Kendra's agency does when they decide to take your ticket is make a bet that you are a great candidate who is going to be successful. You have no financial obligation to Kendra's organization, even though they are providing you with services. What Kendra's organization then does is depend upon you to go to work and meet those milestones. And, as you meet those milestones set by Social Security, Social Security will then pay Kendra's agency. So, your obligation is to comply with your plan and make that progress. So, all you're required to do is give it your best. >> Jamie: Thanks, Ray. And one last time, how do I get in touch with somebody like Kendra? >> Ray Cebula: Okay, you can get in touch with somebody like Kendra by looking at SocialSecurity.gov -- a great website -- /work -- www.SocialSecurity.gov/work, or, if you want to talk to somebody right away, the Ticket to Work help line at 866-968-7842, or for TTY and TDD users, 866-833-2967. >> Jamie: Okay, Ray. That's all of our questions for today. >> Ray Cebula: All right, well, thank you very much. Thanks, Kendra. It's always great working with you. And Jamie, thank you for helping out as well. And to our audience, thank you very much. Please think about the information we gave you. If you have any questions, you can use those email addresses we gave you, or that Ticket to Work help line to get further information. And we wish you the best of luck. Have a great day.