Partnership Plus

Partnership Plus models of service delivery can go a long way toward:

• Strengthening partnerships between VR agencies and ENs to expand the scope of services and supports available to assist beneficiaries in entering and re-entering the workforce.
• Establishing procedures and improving the coordination of services provided by VR agencies and ENs.
• Assisting beneficiaries through the provision of vocational rehabilitation and support services to obtain employment resulting in earnings above the applicable SGA levels and enabling them to become self-sufficient for sustained periods of time.
• Providing funding to support ongoing services and supports for beneficiaries in Supported Employment programs.
• Maintaining and expanding best practices, ethical standards, and support for consumer rights and choices.
• Maximizing CR payments for VR agencies and Ticket payments for ENs.
• Minimizing the administrative tasks associated with CR and Ticket payments.
  
• Ensuring that the intent and requirements of the public VR program are achieved.
  
• Ensuring that beneficiaries understand their options and choices under the TTW program and how work can affect their benefits.

The new TTW regulations are designed to encourage partnerships. The approaches described here are evolving and they represent only a few of the many opportunities for meaningful cooperation under the TTW program. Exciting new prospects for VR-EN partnerships mean a better mix of services for beneficiaries and improved coordination of services. The Partnership Plus option represents the first influx of new monies in many years into the service delivery system. It represents an opportunity for service providers and beneficiaries to exercise increased control over employment services. This constitutes a win-win situation for all involved.

Looking to the Future of Partnership Plus

Working in partnership with the Rehabilitation Services Administration, SSA’s Office of Employment Support Programs is committed to enhancing Partnership Plus and improving relationships between State VR agencies and ENs. Although these relationships will vary depending on how the State VR agency decides to approach Partnership Plus, we expect to see significant benefits across the country for VR agencies, ENs and beneficiaries.

Assistance Is Available to Help You Get Started

• Obtain an application – it costs nothing to apply.
• Complete the application – technical assistance is available
  to help you every step of the way.
• Enjoy all the benefits of being an EN, including free training and technical assistance.

Start the process today – gain additional income for your program for the employment oriented services you are already providing!

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• The Basics
• Overview
• EN Resources
• Questions and Answers
• Contact an Account Manager

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The Basics

Ticket to Work is an employment program created in 1999 by the Ticket to Work and Work Incentives Improvement Act and is administered by the Social Security Administration (SSA). The initial program regulations were published in December 2001.

Ticket to Work is a voluntary program that offers beneficiaries age 18 through 64, and who are receiving Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) and/or Supplemental Security Income (SSI) based on disability, expanded opportunities to obtain the services and supports that they need to work and to achieve their employment goals.

SSA does this by paying providers of services, referred to as “Employment Networks” or “ENs”, for assisting beneficiaries reach designated Milestones and Outcomes associated with achieving self-supporting employment.

The ultimate goal of this program is to reduce reliance on Social Security disability benefits and to promote increased self-sufficiency for beneficiaries with disabilities through work.

An Evolving Program

Because this is a new approach to service delivery, Congress instructed SSA to use its regulatory authority to refine and improve the program. In September 2005 and August 2007, SSA issued Notices of Proposed Rule Making (NPRM) which proposed changes to the Ticket regulations. These proposals were designed to improve the Employment Network payment systems and to provide greater financial incentives and flexibility for ENs. The goal was to encourage service providers, educational entities and employers to become ENs by making the Ticket Program more appealing. The final Ticket regulations, published on May 20, 2008, became effective on July 21, 2008. SSA, in conjunction with its Program Manager for Recruitment and Outreach, CESSI, is undertaking national, regional, state, and local initiatives to recruit qualified entities to become ENs and to inform beneficiaries with disabilities about the Ticket Program and other work incentives. Additionally, SSA and CESSI want to connect beneficiaries to ENs and community resources through local Work Incentive Seminars (WISE Events).

Overview of the Ticket to Work Program

Any entity can apply to become an Employment Network (EN).

• Application assistance is provided by CESSI, SSA’s Program Manager for Recruitment and Outreach. To become an EN call 1-877-743-8237 (v/tty), e-mail application@cessi.net or visit http://www.cessi.net/ttw/contactus.html
• Obtain the EN Request for Proposals at: http://www.socialsecurity.gov/work/enrfp.html.
• The application is processed and approved by SSA.
• Once approved as an EN, Maximus, SSA’s Operations Support Manager, offers an array of training and support services to help ENs get set up and operate a Ticket to Work Program. MAXIMUS also administers the assignment of Tickets and manages information on approved ENs. Call MAXIMUS at (866) 968-7842 (v) or (866) 833-2967 (tty), or visit www.yourtickettowork.org to learn more about the Ticket to Work Program and functioning as an EN.

ENs receive information on beneficiaries with Tickets available for assignment in their area and beneficiaries receive information on ENs available to serve them.

The Ticket Process

The beneficiary and the EN agree to work together and develop an Individual Work Plan (IWP) that outlines the mutual commitment they are making to each other.

To understand the effects of work on their benefits, many beneficiaries will wish to meet with a representatives of a Work Incentives Planning and Assistance (WIPA) Program prior to entering into an agreement. Find the WIPA nearest you by visiting https://secure.ssa.gov/apps10/oesp/providers.nsf/bystate.

The IWP is approved by Maximus.

• The EN provides the agreed upon return to work services.
• The beneficiary performs the agreed upon actions to go to work.
• The beneficiary will not be subjected to a medical Continuing Disability Review by Social Security a long as the beneficiary’s Ticket is assigned or “in-use,” and the beneficiary is making timely progress towards self-supporting employment.

Once the Ticket Holder is working at a level that justifies a payment to the EN, the EN submits a request for payment to Maximus, along with applicable documentation of earnings.

• Payments are direct deposited into the EN’s bank account.

If at any point in time, the EN or the beneficiary chooses to exercise their right to dissolve the relationship, Maximus must be contacted in writing.

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Overview: The NEW Ticket to Work Program

In 2008, the Social Security Administration (SSA) issued revised regulations that significantly improved the Ticket to Work (Ticket) program. SSA believes these changes will:

1. Encourage more organizations to become Employment Networks (ENs) and increase the types and number of ENs available to serve Ticket Holders.
2. Promote partnering between organizations and expand the range of services available to Ticket Holders.
3. Offer public and private entities exciting opportunities to obtain flexible funding by becoming ENs and helping Ticket Holders enter and maintain employment.
4. Improve the coordination of the Federal, state and local services available to beneficiaries, particularly the coordination of Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) and EN services and the various SSA Work Incentives.

Regulatory Improvements of Particular Interest

Ticket eligibility has expanded to include ALL adult beneficiaries, ages 18 through 64, who receive cash benefits from Social Security based on disability under the Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) program and/or the Supplemental Security Income (SSI) program.

• Total potential payments for SSI and SSDI beneficiaries are now approximately the same.
• ENs can earn payments earlier in the employment process, more often, and at higher rates.
• Two sets of Milestone payments are available based on gross earnings:
  • Phase 1 Milestone payments are based on gross earnings at the Trial Work level ($720/month in 2010), which in many cases equates to part-time work, and permits beneficiaries to receive a mix of benefit payments and earnings as they explore work.
  • Phase 2 Milestone payments are based on gross earnings at the Substantial Gainful Activity (SGA) level ($1,000 for non-blind and $1,640 for blind individuals per month in 2010) which encourages the use of SSA Work Incentives.
• If a Ticket is “in use” (assigned) and the Ticket Holder is determined to be making “timely progress” in moving towards self-supporting employment, the Ticket Holder’s medical Continuing Disability Reviews will be postponed. The new regulations expand the criteria for measuring timely progress to include both educational attainment and work.
• SSA can now pay a State VR agency and an EN for providing sequential services to the same Ticket Holder (referred to as Partnership Plus). This applies when VR serves the beneficiary under the VR/SSA Cost Reimbursement program, the VR agency closes the case, and the beneficiary subsequently assigns the Ticket to an EN for job retention or ongoing support services.

Outcome Payment System

The new Ticket regulations made two significant changes to the EN Outcome payment system.

The total amount of potential Outcome payments increased to $711 a month for SSDI and $409 a month for SSI in 2010.

The total payments available under the Milestone-Outcome payment system were increased to 90% of total payments available under the Outcome only payment system.

New EN Milestone-Outcome Payment System (2010 figures)*

Payment Type	Beneficiary Earnings	EN Payment per SSDI Ticket Holder	EN Payment per SSI Ticket Holder
Phase 1 Milestones
Milestone 1	$360 for one calendar month**	$1, 275	$1, 275
Milestone 2	$720/mo. x 3 mos. w/in 6   mos. (cumulative)	$1, 275	$1, 275
Milestone 3	$720/mo. x 6 mos. w/in 12 mos. (cumulative)	$1, 275	$1, 275
Milestone 4	$720/mo. x 9 mos. w/in 18 mos. (cumulative)	$1, 275	$1, 275
Total Potential Phase 1 Milestones		$5,100	$5,100
Phase 2 Milestones	Gross Earnings > SGA ($1,000/$1,640)***	$382 a month for up to 11 months	$220 a month for up to 18 months
		$382 x 11 = $4,202	$220 x 18 = $3,960
Total Potential Phase 1 + 2 Milestones		$9,302	$9,060
Monthly Outcome Payments	Earnings > SGA ($1,000/$1,640/month)*** and federal cash benefit = $0	$382 a month for up to 36 months	$220 a month for up to 60 months
		$382 x 36 = $13,752	$220 x 60 = $13,200
Total Potential Milestone and Outcome Payments		$23,054	$22,260

* The payment rate in effect at the time the Milestone or Outcome is attained is the rate that will be paid for that particular month, regardless of when the payment request is submitted.
** The earnings must represent 2 weeks of work in a trial work level job.
*** The 2010 monthly SGA amounts are $1,000 for non-blind and $1,640 for blind individuals.

Important Reminder

Total EN payments depend on many variables and differ among Ticket Holders. SSA determined that Phase 1 Milestone payments will be awarded based on an EN providing initial services, including job placement, that lead to employment. This means that one or more of the Phase 1 Milestones may not always be available to an EN. Two situations that can impact the availability of Phase 1 Milestones are:

1. Partnership Plus: When a State VR agency serves a beneficiary under the new Partnership Plus option, the beneficiary may initially receive VR services to meet his/her intensive up-front service needs and, after the VR case is closed, the Ticket Holder may assign his/her Ticket to an EN and receive job retention services or ongoing support services. While the EN has the potential to earn Phase 2 Milestone and Outcome payments, the Phase 1 Milestone payments are not available to the EN if VR closed the case with the beneficiary in employment. To learn more about Partnership Plus, visit: www.socialsecurity.gov/work/documents/PartnerPlusD8x11108.pdf
2. Recent Work Rule: If a Ticket Holder worked with earnings at or above the Trial Work level ($720 in 2010) during the 18 months prior to assigning his/her Ticket to an EN, the four Phase 1 Milestones may or may not be available to the EN depending on when the work occurred. MAXIMUS has created a tool to explore a Ticket Holder’s recent work history. Visit: www.yourtickettowork.com/training_2 and click on “18th Month Prior Earnings Tool.”

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EN Resources: Where to Get Help

The following resources are available to assist potential and approved Employment Networks (ENs) as they explore and participate in the Ticket to Work (Ticket) program.

Exploratory Phase: Considering Becoming an EN

Responding to the Request for Proposal (RFP): Becoming an EN

EN Capitalization Education: Generating Start-Up Funds

Starting Operations: Developing and Implementing Your Business Model and Accepting Tickets

Growing Your Bottom Line: Assigning Tickets, Getting Paid, Submitting and Tracking Claims for EN Payments

Beneficiary Outreach: Work Incentives Seminars (WISE) and Outreach Activities

For additional information, contact or visit: