1. Work Incentives Planning and Assistance National Training and Data Center Understanding the WIPA Service Model and Prioritizing and Triaging Services

2. Training Objectives Upon completion of this training, participants will: 1.Determine which beneficiaries are considered high priority for WIPA services under the new service design. 2.Identify and describe strategies for providing outreach that minimize staff time and travel expense while maximizing access to high priority beneficiaries. 3.Identify and describe strategies for designing referral processes that minimize the referral of ineligible beneficiaries and eligible beneficiaries who are a low service priority. 2

3. Training Objectives Continued 4.Prioritize caseloads to focus on the provision of individualized WIPA services to high priority beneficiaries and reduce provision of I&R services to beneficiaries of a lower priority. 5.Identify and describe techniques for providing high quality WIPA services using distance communication methods. 3

4. Conducting Triage under the New WIPA Service Model Step 1: The triage process begins with determining eligibility for WIPA services. There is NO change in the eligibility requirements. (See handout) Step 2: Determine which eligible beneficiaries are considered a high priority for WIPA services. Step 3: Determine which high priority beneficiaries have an urgent need for WIPA services. These people are served first. 4

5. Beneficiary Prioritization Under the New WIPA Service Model Priority Group 1: Individuals who are currently working or engaging in self-employment and have both a need for and interest in receiving individualized work incentives planning and assistance services. 5

6. Priority Group 1 with Urgent Needs Beneficiaries who are working at a level that might result in an overpayment of benefits. This would include Title II beneficiaries who have earned income at or above the current SGA guideline and SSI recipients with earnings that would cause a reduction in SSI cash payments; Title II Beneficiaries who are working at a level that results in the use of work incentives; earnings are above the current TWP amount – but not at SGA level; 6

7. Priority Group 1 with Urgent Needs Working beneficiaries who have encountered a problem that might result in resignation, cutting back on hours, or otherwise reducing earned income; and Working beneficiaries considering a promotion, a second part-time job, a job or career change, or becoming self-employed. 7

8. Priority Group 1 with Least Urgent Needs Beneficiaries who are: 1.working (or self-employed) at such a low level that no work incentives will be used, and 2.who do not have the ability or interest in working more time. For a Title II disability beneficiary, this would qualify as earned income of less than the TWP amount (including less than 80 hours per month of work for Title II beneficiaries). For an SSI recipient, it would be earned income of less than $65 per month. 8

9. Beneficiary Prioritization Continued Priority Group 2: Beneficiaries who are actively pursuing employment or self-employment and who are interested in receiving work related benefits counseling. This group includes: 1.Beneficiaries with a clear employment goal who are conducting an active and regular job search; and 2.Beneficiaries with a clear employment goal who have taken active steps to prepare for achieving that goal. 9

10. Important Points to Remember about Priority Group 2 All beneficiaries in this group have a clear employment or self- employment goal. If assistance with career exploration is needed, the beneficiary would not meet the criteria for this group. Active and regular job search is defined as as searching for job openings on at least a weekly basis (using online job postings or other sources), submitting applications or resumes, and participating in job interviews. 10

11. More Important Points about Priority Group 2 Beneficiaries who have taken active steps to prepare for employment or self-employment would include individuals who: Have an approved PASS, a pending PASS or are good candidates for PASS development; Are participating in an education or training program related to the employment goal; Have a Ticket assigned (or “in use”) with the State VR Agency or an EN with a signed IPE/IWP and is actively engaged in the services stipulated in the plan; 11

12. Important Points about Group 2 Continued Are in the process of developing a business plan, securing financing for business start-up, or otherwise preparing to pursue the self-employment goal. Are participating in a work study program, OJT opportunity, apprenticeship, paid or unpaid internship, or other job preparation program. 12

13. Priority Group 2 with Urgent Needs Beneficiaries with one or more job offers pending who require WIPA services in order to make an employment decision; Beneficiaries who are actively using a work incentive to support work preparation efforts and require assistance in managing or resolving issues. 13

14. Priority Group 2 with Urgent Needs Beneficiaries with an employment (or self- employment) goal that requires the purchase of items or services and who may be an appropriate candidate for PASS or other work incentives development; and Beneficiaries who are engaged in education or training programs that will be completed within a year. 14

15. Priority Group 2 with Least Urgent Needs Beneficiaries who are engaged in education or training programs that will take a year or more to complete; and Beneficiaries who have recently initiated services with an EN, State VR agency or other vocational services provider and who have more than one year of preparation before a job search will begin. 15

16. Points of Emphasis WIPA projects should focus efforts on beneficiaries who meet the priority criteria WIPA projects must implement a consistent process for screening beneficiaries for eligibility, priority, and urgency of need. WIPA benchmarks will be adjusted to better fit the new priorities. 16

17. Tips for Performing Effective Triage Train all staff who accept initial calls on new priorities. Design and implement call scripts that ask the right questions, right away Don’t overcomplicate triage and prioritization. It isn’t difficult. Supervise initial contacts to ensure that new priorities are being applied consistently. 17

18. WIPA Outreach Basics Remember that outreach activity is limited to 15% of staff time this contract year. All outreach materials must be approved by Social Security. A repository of WIPA outreach materials will be available on the NTDC website in the near future. Outreach is an ongoing process that never ends. Your objective is to conduct outreach that minimizes staff time and travel expense while maximizing referral of high priority beneficiaries. 18

19. Conducting Efficient Outreach Focus efforts on agencies that provide employment or vocational services to beneficiaries. Actively partner with local Social Security Offices. Make a concerted effort to reach transition aged youth, veterans and other underserved populations. Use a variety of low cost methods to disseminate information such as website, conference calls, email blasts, mailings, etc. Face-to-face meetings should be reserved for large groups of high volume referral sources or high priority groups. Be clear about who you serve, how & when to refer. 19

20. Outreach Under the New WIPA Service Model Start with concerted re-education of existing high volume referral sources such as State VR agency, American Job Centers, ENs, other community agencies. Provide specific information about new WIPA priorities in writing. Disseminate this information widely using a variety of methods. The goal is to reach as many referring staff as possible! Plan your referral/service request process carefully and communicate that process clearly and consistently. 20

21. WIPA Outreach Resources 2015 WIPA Manual - Module 2, Unit 1 at http://www.vcu- ntc.org/resources/ntcmanual.cfm Archived training – Promising Practices: Outreach to Transition Age Youth at http://www.vcu- ntc.org/training/call.cfm?id=123http://www.vcu- ntc.org/training/call.cfm?id=123 Archived training – Providing WIPA Services to Veterans Part 1 at http://www.vcu-ntc.org/training/call.cfm?id=137http://www.vcu-ntc.org/training/call.cfm?id=137 Remember your VCU TA Liaison – we are here to help! 21

22. WIPA Referral/Service Request Process under the New Service Model The new beneficiary priorities have important implications for the way WIPA projects accept referrals and initial service requests. The objective is to minimize time spent on low priority beneficiaries and maximize time spent on high priority beneficiaries. The new WIPA service model also challenges CWICs to reduce the amount of time spent delivering generic I&R services and increase in-depth, individualized services. WIPA projects will serve fewer people, but provide services that are more in-depth, intensive and of longer duration. 22

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24. It’s Time to Change! The only way to reduce time spent with low priority beneficiaries who typically present with I&R needs is to restrict initial direct access to individual CWICs. WIPA projects must find ways to triage referrals and/or callers and determine priority BEFORE the CWICs have contact. 24

25. Strategies for Conducting Effective Triage Route initial contacts through the Ticket to Work Helpline by advertising the toll-free line on all outreach materials. Establish single point of contact within the project for all referrals and requests for service. Stop giving direct contact information for CWICs in advertising. Reserve those numbers for existing clients. 25

26. Managing Contact from Low Priority Beneficiaries Eligible beneficiaries who are low priority should NOT be re-routed back to the Ticket Call Center once they have contacted a CWIC directly. The CWIC should provide the necessary I&R services. Explain the new priorities and encourage the beneficiary to make contact again when nearer to employment. If the beneficiary was referred by an agency, follow up to reiterate the new priorities. 26

27. Providing WIPA Services Using Distance Technology The new WIPA service design does NOT prohibit face- to-face contact with beneficiaries. The emphasis on distance technology reflects Social Security’s recognition that resources and staff time are limited. High quality WIPA services are not dependent on face-to-face interaction. 27

28. Effective Use of Distance Technology in Providing WIPA Services 1.Initial intakes or information gathering. 2.Verification of benefits and work incentives usage. 3.Work incentives counseling and individualized analysis of how current employment or employment goal will impact benefits – BS&A and WIP development. 4.Facilitating the use of work incentives and resolving problems. 5.On going follow-up. 28

29. Initial Information Gathering These sessions should be conducted by phone. Make sure you and the beneficiary have set aside enough time – an hour is not unusual. Several sessions may be needed to gather all of the necessary information from the beneficiary. Be sure to gather email addresses and all phone numbers and ask about preferred methods of communication. Don’t interrogate – have a conversation. Get to know the individual. The goal is to establish trust and rapport while gathering needed information. 29

30. Benefits Verification Send all release forms to the beneficiary after initial information gathering session. Forms can be scanned and sent by email or sent by postal service. Include self-addressed stamped envelope if using mail. Be sure to explain how important these forms are and WHY they are needed. Mark your calendar to contact the beneficiary if signed forms have not been received within 10 days. Send reminders as needed by phone, text, email, mail or multiple ways. 30

31. Verifying Other Federal, State & Local Verification using Distance Technology Support the beneficiary to verify his/her own benefits whenever possible. Explore the availability of online account options for benefits verification. Help beneficiaries sign up for and use online accounts. No need for releases of information when beneficiaries provide verification directly. 31

32. Work Incentives Counseling Using Distance Technology Begin sharing work incentives information with the very first call. Start with a general overview of how employment affects benefits. Focus on the 4 main talking points of the WIPA message. (See Module 2, Unit 1). Be careful about overwhelming the beneficiary with too much detail all at once. 32

33. Work Incentives Counseling Using Distance Technology Reinforce conversations with written information (fact sheets, brochures, Redbook, etc.) These can be sent by web link, emailed directly or postal service. SSA publications available at http://www.ssa.gov/pubs/ Suggest the beneficiary watch YouTube videos produced by Social Security at https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNm7O9WmYwy _CuU7YEg8UOA 33

34. Benefits Analysis Using Distance Technology Once BPQY and other verifications are received, make sure you review this information with the beneficiary to identify and discuss discrepancies. Begin providing case-specific individualized benefits counseling. At each step, probe for questions. Be open to explaining concepts multiple times. Send the BS&A by email or postal service. Always go over the report by phone to explain and answer questions. 34

35. PII Reminders WIPA projects may send PII as an encrypted attachment. They must give the password for the encryption to the beneficiary in a phone call, or a separate email. Do NOT send PII in the body of the email message! See handout “Sending Files to a Social Security Laptop” 35

36. Facilitating Use of Work Incentives and Resolving Problems Check for work incentives potential during initial information gathering and subsequent discussions. Assist with requesting approval of work incentives as needed. Follow up on a regular basis to insure that documentation is being retained and earnings are being reported correctly. 36

37. What to do if a Visit to FO is Needed Follow this protocol: 1.Prep the beneficiary for the visit by explaining what to expect and listing questions that need to be asked. 2.If the beneficiary isn’t capable of managing the visit alone, check for family, friend, advocate, or other professional who can help. 3.Provide the same prep to the person who will be helping that you would provide to the beneficiary. A 3-way call works well for this. 4.CWICs should attend meetings only as an last resort. 37

38. Follow Up Using Distance Technology If using phone to check in on beneficiaries, make sure you time those calls wisely. Send texts or emails to check in with high priority beneficiaries or to make phone appointments. If no response is received, follow-up with letters. 38

39. Final Words The changes really are not that drastic and should not require major re-tooling of your WIPA services. The current manual already offers lots of information about triage and delivering WIPA services via distance technology. These are not new concepts. Contact your VCU TA liaison for help when needed. 39