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Ticket To Work And Work Incentives Advisory Panel
Quarterly Meeting
Embassy Suites Hotel at Chevy Chase Pavilion
Washington DC
May 19-21, 2003
Monday, May 19, 2003 – Day 1
Carol Brenner, Designated Federal Officer, called the meeting to order at approximately 10:00 a.m. and turned the meeting over to Chair, Sarah Wiggins Mitchell.
Presiding: Sarah Wiggins Mitchell, Chair
Welcome, Introductions and Review of Agenda
Attendees
Advisory Panel Members
Sarah Wiggins Mitchell, Chair, Bryon MacDonald, Stephen Start, Katie Beckett, Libby Child, Jerome Kleckley, David Miller, and Berthy De La Rosa-Aponte.
Note: Berthy De La Rosa-Aponte was sworn in as an official Panel member on May 21, 2003.
Advisory Panel Staff Present
Marie Strahan, Executive Director, Bernard Wixon, Lisa Ekman, Kristen Breland, Gordon Richmond, and Shirletta Banks.
Designated Federal Officer
Carol Brenner
Presenters
Linda McMahon, Pam Mazerski, Ken McGill and Martin Gerry, Social Security Administration; Mary Satterfield, Maximus, Inc.; Joe Razes, Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services; Paul Wehman and John Kregel, Virginia Commonwealth University; Robert Pasternack, U.S. Department of Education; Gina Livermore, Cornell Center for Policy Research; Monroe Berkowitz and Debra Brucker, Rutgers University; and Joshua Wiener, The Urban Institute
Members of the Public
Cheryl Bates-Harris, Jade Baumel, Christin Claussen, Joyanne Cobb, Judi Drew, Harriett Einschlag, Timothy Finegan, Marty Ford, David Forgosh, Nanette Goodman, Neil Hardman, Rebecca Hare, Andrea Harles, Ryan Hess, Joe Hickman, Nitin Jagdish, Balchander Jayaraman, Marissa Johnson, Peter Kierpiec, Patricia Leahy, Tracy Lynge, Rita Martin, Chen Masi, Jennifer McCuiston, Valerie Melberg, Elaine Mitchell, Anthony Murray, Roger Naoroji, Ann Osborn, Hassan Rasheed, Enrique Ruffat, Sand Smith, Paul Seifter, Andrew Sperling, Sara Thompson, Brad Turner, Kata Vehar, and Melissa Weiss
Social Security Administration Implementation Updates
Presenter: Linda McMahon, Deputy Commissioner, Operations, Social Security Administration
Topic: Area Work Incentive Coordinator Position
Presenter: Pam Mazerski, Associate Commissioner, Program Development and Research, Social Security Administration
Topic: Adequacy of Incentives Panel, Youth Demonstration Projects, Mental Health Study, One for Two Demonstration Project, and other SSA activities
Presenter: Ken McGill, Associate Commissioner, Employment Support Programs
Topic: Progress on Agency regulations, current Ticket statistics, payments to ENs and other administrative issues
Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services Implementation Update
Presenter: Joe Razes, Senior Project Manager, TWWIIA Implementation
Topic: Update on Medicaid Infrastructure Grants and Medicaid Buy-In Programs
Lunch Break
Urban Institute Briefing Papers
Presenters: Paul Wehman and W. Grant Revell, Rehabilitation Research and Training Center, Virginia Commonwealth University
Topic: Marketing strategies and techniques to enhance implementation
Presenter: John Kregel, Rehabilitation Research and Training Center, Virginia Commonwealth University
Topic: An evolving partnership, role of the State VR agencies in the implementation of the Ticket to Work Program
Public Comment
Presenter: Harriet Einschlag, National Council of SSA Field Operations Locals
Topic: Dedicated employees to provide work incentives information, DOL navigator position, resources for implementation in field offices
Presenter: Dr. Valerie Melberg, Director, New York Works
Topic: Enhancement of marketing and implementation of TWWIIA
Presenter: Paul Seifert, Director of Governmental Affairs, International Association of Psycho-Social Rehabilitation Programs (IAPSRS)
Topic: Nature of cooperative agreements between VR and ENs
Break
Break for Committee Meetings
Top of Page
Tuesday, May 20, 2003 – Day 2
The meeting reconvened at approximately 9:00 a.m. with Sarah Wiggins Mitchell, Chair presiding.
Presenter: Sarah Wiggins Mitchell
Topic: Introduction of Berthy De La Rosa-Aponte, New Panel Member and other Panel Members and attendees
Executive Policy Discussion: Title I Vocational Rehabilitation and the Ticket Program
Presenter: Martin Gerry, Deputy Commissioner, Office of Disability and Income Security Programs, Social Security Administration
Topic: Relationship between vocational rehabilitation agencies and the Ticket Program
Presenter: Robert Pasternack, Assistant Secretary, Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services, U.S. Department of Education
Topic: New Freedom Initiative, employment of people with disabilities,
Business Meeting
Presenter: Sarah Wiggins Mitchell
Topic: Approval of Minutes
Motion: The Panel moved, seconded, and approved the minutes for the January 14 teleconference and the February 10-12 Quarterly Meeting.
Presenter: Marie Strahan
Topic: Administrative update on Panel activities, including staffing, administration and budget
Presenter: Susan Webb, Chairperson
Topic: Program and Legal Policy Committee Report
Presenter: Bryon MacDonald, Chairperson
Topic: Design, Evaluation, and Implementation Committee Report
Presenter: Susan Webb
Topic: EN Summit Issues Working Group
Presenter: Stephen Start, Chairperson
Topic: Program Planning and Operations Committee
Old Business
Presenter: Sarah Wiggins Mitchell
Topic: February Congressional Briefing Summary
Presenter: Sarah Wiggins Mitchell
Topic: August Meeting (August 26-28: Detroit MI)
New Business
Presenter: Sarah Wiggins Mitchell
Topic: May Congressional Briefing
Presenter: Susan Webb
Topic: Earnings Reporting for ENs
Presenter: Susan Webb
Topic: Work Opportunity Tax Credit
Motion: The Panel moved, seconded, and passed a motion encouraging the U.S. Senate to pass HR 743, the Work Opportunity Tax Credit.
Presenter: Sarah Wiggins Mitchell
Topic: Dates for November and February Quarterly Meetings—November 5-7 in Washington DC and February 10-12 in Tampa
Lunch Break
Presenter: Gina Livermore, Cornell Center for Policy Research
Topic: Wage reporting and earnings-related overpayments in the Social Security Disability Programs: Implications and suggestions for improvement
Presenter: Monroe Berkowitz and Debra Brucker, Rutgers University
Topic: Early Intervention Demonstration Project
Presenter: Joshua M. Weiner, Principal Research Associate, The Urban Institute
Topic: Medicaid and work incentives for people with disabilities: background and issues
Top of Page
Wednesday, May 21 – Day 3
The meeting reconvened at approximately 9:00 a.m. with Sarah Wiggins Mitchell, Chair presiding.
Public Comment
Presenter: Cheryl Bates Harris, CCD Work Incentives Task Force
Topic: Consortium for Citizens with Disabilities (CCD) response to formal briefing papers, particularly RSA involvement in the Ticket Program
Panel Discussions and Deliberations
Presenter: Sarah Wiggins Mitchell
Facilitator: Jim Weigel
Topic: Marketing strategies and techniques to enhance implementation
Action: The working committee will develop four or five action recommendations based upon the briefing paper and Panel discussions for the Panel’s consideration.
Topic: Medicaid and work incentives for people with disabilities: background and issues
Action: The Medicaid subcommittee of the PLP Committee will address the interpretation of the definition of work and communicate concerns to the Administration and Congress.
Action: All papers will be placed in a separate place on the website, making it clear that the Panel does not endorse the recommendations in the papers.
Topic: An evolving partnership, role of the State VR agencies in the implementation of the Ticket to Work Program
Action: The Panel will share Panel comments with the authors and await the final paper.
Action: The Panel will write a letter in response to issues raised in Dr. Pasternack’s presentation and ask for his response. This will be referred to the PDIE Committee.
Topic: Overpayments
Action: The PDIE Committee will continue to work on these issues.
Break
Topic: Response to Demonstration Project presented by Monroe Berkowitz
Action: The Policy Committee will draft a response
Topic: RSA involvement in implementing the Ticket Program
Action: The Panel will request a meeting with Commissioner Wilson to resolve issues related to Ticket implementation between State VR agencies and ENs.
Presenter: Susan Webb
Topic: Milestone and Outcome Payments
Motion: The panel moved, seconded and passed a motion to send a letter to the SSA Commissioner saying that we have a crisis; the issue of collecting pay stubs from beneficiaries is very problematic. The Panel requests that SSA stop requiring that ENs collect pay stubs or other equally valid documentation after the first determination by SSA indicating that the beneficiary is achieving SGA and has left the rolls.
Presenter: Stephen Start
Topic: Analysis of milestone and outcome payments
Topic: February meeting
Action: The Panel will meet in Miami in February
Presenter: Sarah Wiggins Mitchell
Topic: Congressional Briefing
Action: At the briefing, the Panel will discuss the Annual Report, post entitlement workload, EN Summit, presentation of research papers, RSA collaboration on the Ticket Program, Medicaid issues., and the Area Work Incentive Coordinators.
The meeting adjourned at approximately 1:10 p.m.
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