1. Workforce Employment Network Strategic Partnerships
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

2. Enter your location in the Chat window – lower left of screen
Where are you?
Enter your location in the Chat window – lower left of screen #

3. Moderators 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. Disability Employment Initiative
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. # 4 4

5. Learning Objectives
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 # 5 5

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

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

8. Strong Service Delivery System
Partnerships Build A
Strong Service Delivery System # 8 8

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

10. Partnerships: 3rd Level of Collaboration
Networking
Alliance
Partnership
Coalition
Collaboration
Partnership: purpose
Partnership: 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 #

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

12. Example A: Community Mental Health Center (CMHC) Partnership
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. #

13. Example B: Community Rehab Provider (CRP)
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.

14. Example C: Programs Within a Job Center
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. #

15. Example D: Among Job Centers
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. #

16. PARTNERSHIP WITH STATE VOCATIONAL REHABILITATION# 16 16

17. The Focus is the Customer
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 #

18. Understand and Appreciate
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 #

19. Basics Need to Know about VR and Ticket
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. #

20. Successful VR Case Closures
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. #

21. Cost Reimbursement and EN Ticket Payments
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. #

22. #

23. Partnership Plus Expands Life of Ticket#

24. #

25. Life Scenario
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 #

26. Life Scenario continued
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 #

27. Impact of Partnership Plus
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 #

28. Example of the Impact!
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. #

29. Building a Responsive System
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 ( ) #

30. #

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

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

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

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

35. FINAL WORD FROM RANDEE Moderator: Randee Chafkin
Title: Workforce Development Specialist
Organization: Employment and Training Administration # 35

36. Your thoughts or questions are welcomed…
Discussion & Feedback
Your thoughts or questions are welcomed… # 36 36

37. Please enter your questions in the Chat Room!#

38. Speakers’ Contact Information
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 38

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