Welcome to Workforce 3 One U.S. Department of Labor Employment and Training Administration Webinar Date: June 17, 2014 Presented by: Mary Lynn ReVoir & Kevin Nickerson, NDI Technical Assistance Team U.S. Department of Labor Employment and Training Administration Workforce Employment Network Strategic Partnerships

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Moderator: Randee Chafkin Title: Workforce Development Specialist Organization: Employment and Training Administration Moderator: Miranda Kennedy Title: Director of Training for DEI, NDI Technical Assistance Team Organization: National Disability Institute 3#

4# According to the SGA, DEI Projects at the state level and/or local level participating LWIBs are required to become Employment Networks (ENs) under Social Security Administration’s (SSA’s) Ticket to Work Program. Training and Technical Assistance to DEI Projects in attaining Employment Network status and implementing effective EN operations is provided under U.S. DOLETA contract with NDI Consulting, Inc. and the National Disability Institute (NDI). Evaluation of the impact of the DEI Projects implementation and outcomes as Employment Network will be provided under U.S. DOL ODEP contract with Social Dynamics.

5# Upon completion of this training webinar, DEI grantees and participants and partners from the public workforce system will have the following: Understanding of the value of partnerships as an opportunity to build a responsive service delivery system Ideas on how to create a partnership with a community service provider using Ticket to Work Information on how State Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) agencies and Workforce entities can collaborate to expand the scope of services available to beneficiaries and improve service coordination

Presenter: Kevin Nickerson Title: Ticket to Work Subject Matter Expert for DEI, NDI Technical Assistance Team Organization: National Disability Institute 6# Presenter: Mary Lynn ReVoir Title: Ticket Coordinator for DEI, NDI Technical Assistance Team Organization: National Disability Institute

7# Partnerships and founding principles Partnerships with community providers Building Partnership Plus with State VR Time for Q & A

8# Partnerships Build A Strong Service Delivery System

1. One must be willing to invest in the time necessary to work as a team and make a difference 2. One must believe in the power of integrating efforts for the purpose of supporting a person and building a responsive system 9

#10 Partnership: purposePartnership: process Coordinate and share resources to address common issues. Merge resource base to create something new. Autonomous leadership But focus is on issue. Group decision making is central Communication is frequent and clear Level 1Level 2Level 3Level 4Level 5 NetworkingAlliancePartnershipCoalitionCollaboration

11# Workforce EN Exploring Community Service Providers Community Service Providers as Partners

#12 CMHC has:  Knowledge supporting individuals who experience mental health symptoms  Variety of services addressing symptoms that interfere with obtaining and maintaining employment  Many customers receiving SSI or SSDI AJC has:  Approved EN that provides opportunity to assign Ticket  Expertise in employment counseling  Wide variety of employment services and programs A PARTNERSHIP: The CMHC could join the workforce EN operations and together they would blend their service expertise to better serve the job seekers who experience employment barriers due to mental health symptoms.

CRP has:  A mission to provide services designed for individuals with disabilities directly (i.e. supported employment private agency) or indirectly, (i.e. veterans agency)  Services related to employment, for example:  Job development, job coaching  Work incentive counseling  Ongoing employment supports AJC has:  Approved EN provides the opportunity to assign Ticket  Expertise in employment services A Partnership: The CRP could join the workforce EN operations and together they would blend their service expertise to help the customers of the CRP obtain employment, and the “partners” could decide how to use generated EN funds. 13

AJC has:  Approved EN led by a coordinator (designated staff person, such as DRC)  Multiple programs/services within the center, all of which serve individuals with disabilities  Veterans  Older Worker Program (Senior Community Service Employment Program – SCSEP)  Business Services Teams / Reps All programs should be connected to the EN and invite customers with Tickets to discuss Ticket program and potentially be invited to assign their Ticket. #14

A workforce entity approved as EN can also serve as the EN of Record on behalf of multiple locations. Example: A state workforce agency has oversight of the public workforce system supporting many workforce investment boards or associated providers. The state agency is the EN of Record on behalf of the local workforce boards or providers. The EN of Record performs administrative duties for each participating region. The local office provides the employment services. #15

16# PARTNERSHIP WITH STATE VOCATIONAL REHABILITATION

–The focus is the customer and not the money. There are more individuals with Tickets than either agency can serve at one time, therefore no need for competition –Appropriate and readily available services is the goal with employment being the desired outcome –The delivery system needs both State VR services and other service providers as ENs –Many job seekers who have a disability access America’s Job Centers making Job Centers a critical player –Offering Partnership Plus to customers provides continuum of support and potentially reduces beneficiaries return to benefits in the future #17

–Foremost, it is the individual’s choice and he/she owns the Ticket and voluntarily uses it as he/she decides on services –Understanding the funding for state VR agencies is important (cost-reimbursement) –Understanding what Workforce ENs can bring to the table as post-employment services –Value the services provided by each other #18

State VR agencies place the Ticket “in use”, and not Ticket assignment for most of their clients who are Beneficiaries State VR operates under Department of Education, Rehabilitative Services Administration. SSA also invests in State VR services through Ticket program. State VR opens a “case” for client receiving services and then closes a case when done with services. Case closure can be successful or unsuccessful. When Beneficiary has an open case with state VR, the Ticket is “in use” and not available for assignment by an EN. #19

Successful case closure is obtained when a client is employed for 90 days. (Note: length of time not required earning level) When VR closes a case, VR informs OSM, and the Ticket is then released and available for assignment by EN. Upon a successful case closure, a VR client can be invited to continue using his Ticket with an EN. An EN can provide support to this Beneficiary as a plan to keep the Beneficiary employed long term and even move up the career ladder. #20

State VR agencies have a different Ticket payment plan called Cost Reimbursement (CR) VR can tap into CR when client is employed over SGA for 9/12 months Consider the relationship: –SSA is financially supporting VR for a client who is working over SGA for 9/12 months –SSA is investing having an EN to continue supporting the same client during this time Theory if the client is being supported the chances of long term employment increases. #21

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Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) client gets an office job at local medical clinic and VR is using the Ticket Mid-way through her employment, the VR counselor discusses with the client closing her case after 90 days on the job and explains the value of moving her Ticket to an EN and provides choices of Employment Network (EN) with a Partnership Plus (PP) agreement The VR Client selects an EN before the 90 days and meets with the EN to develop IWP and assigns her Ticket with the workforce EN immediately after VR case closure. Her Continuing Disability Review (CDR) protection continues uninterrupted Client wants to further education through tuition assistance program from employer and hopes to be a trainer for new staff at the clinic #25

Client and the workforce EN discuss what she needs to support this employment goal The client has tuition covered from employer but could use financial help with the purchase of books The workforce EN explores option to help finance books, including work incentives and Workforce Investment Act (WIA) services Client continues receive benefits planning services and explores additional work incentives from the EN Client receives assistance updating her resume to apply for the Trainer position, attends a workshop to refresh her interviewing skills, examines labor market information regarding wage negotiation #26

Customer’s life is changed! Both agencies (VR and EN) are positively impacted –Additional revenue generated for both –Achieving positive performance outcomes Potential Savings for SSA –The average savings for SSA when a Beneficiary gets off of benefits is $250,000 #27

279 VR Successful Case Closures in one year. 10% (27) of these closed cases are Beneficiaries and continued to use their Ticket by assigning it to an EN and worked over Successful Gainful Activity (SGA) level for 1 year. The Cost Reimbursement (CR) potential for State VR = ~ $398,034 *Based on national average CR per case is $14,742 x 27 clients The flexible funds available for the EN = $75,816 - $131,868 *Based on 2014 total EN payments for 12 months of working over SGA (Phase 2 payment = $234/month x 12 months = $2,808 for SSI and $407/month x 12 months = $4,884 for SSDI. If all 27 are SSI recipients 27 x $2,808 = $75,816. If all 27 are SSDI recipients 27 x $4,884 = $131,868.) Most importantly, 27 Beneficiaries are now engaged in the workforce and in better position to become self-sufficient and moving out of poverty. #28

Lessons learned triggered development of Workforce EN / VR Partnership Plus Blueprint What is included in the blueprint? –4 steps to best position the workforce EN to prepare dialogue with State VR about Partnership Plus –VR case closure data research for your given state Where can I get the blueprint? –Contact NDI Ticket Team to walk through this process ( #29

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#31 Example of marketing Post- Employment Services courtesy of Alaska DEI

#32 Example of marketing Post- Employment services courtesy of SW Wisconsin DRC

Please indicate which statement best reflects your current EN situation. 1.Our EN does not have any formal partnerships at this time but is interested in pursuing this idea. ( inc.org for technical inc.org 2.Our EN currently has a formal partnership with a community agency. 3.Our EN currently does not have a Partnership Plus agreement with State VR but we are interested in pursuing this idea. ( for technical 4.Our EN currently has a Partnership Plus agreement with State VR and we would like to strengthen this relationship. #33

In today’s presentation we covered the following: Partnerships and founding principles Partnerships with community providers Building Partnership Plus with State VR 34

Moderator: Randee Chafkin Title: Workforce Development Specialist Organization: Employment and Training Administration 35#

36# Your thoughts or questions are welcomed…

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Speaker:Kevin Nickerson Title:DEI Ticket Subject Matter Expert Organization:National Disability Institute Speaker:Mary Lynn ReVoir Title:DEI Ticket Coordinator Organization:National Disability Institute 38#

Thank You! Find resources for workforce system success at: 39#