Ticket to Work and Work Incentives Advisory Panel
Quarterly Meeting

Wyndham Bonaventure Hotel
Fort Lauderdale, FL
February 10-12, 2004

Tuesday, February 10, 2004 - Day 1

Deborah Morrison, Designated Federal Officer, called the meeting to order at approximately 9:30 a.m. and turned the meeting over to Chair, Sarah Wiggins Mitchell.

Presiding: Sarah Wiggins Mitchell Welcome,
Introductions and Review of Agenda

Attendees

Advisory Panel Members
Sarah Wiggins Mitchell, Chair, Torrey Westrom, Andy Imparato, Frances Gracechild, Bryon MacDonald, Libby Childs, Jerome Kleckley, David Miller, Berthy De La Rose-Aponte, and Thomas Golden.

Advisory Panel Staff
Marie Strahan, Executive Director, Bernard Wixon, Lisa Ekman, Kristen Breland, Monique Fisher, and Jim Wiegel.

Designated Federal Officer
Deborah Morrison

Presenters
Martin H. Gerry, Marianne Daley, Paul O'Leary, and Pam Mazerski, Social Security Administration; Beverlee Stafford, Rehabilitation Services Administration; Maria Flynn, Department of Labor/Employment and Training Administration; Michael O'Brien, Washington Division of Vocation Rehabilitation; Amy Porter, Connecticut Vocational Rehabilitation Services, Treva Roanhorse, Office of Special Education and Rehabilitation Services for the Navajo Nation; Mary Satterfield, Maximus, Inc.; Tamara Allen and Barbara Butts, Capstone, Inc; Denise Payne, Southern Movement for Independence; Karen Collins, Largo, Florida; Benjerlene Nelson, West Palm Beach, Florida; Ron Matia, Palm Beach Garden, Florida; Angel Figuerdo, South Florida; Elizabeth Jennings, Gulfstream Goodwill; Barry Shalinsky, The Advocacy Center for Individuals with Disabilities; Harold Thornton, Department of Education, Vocation Rehabilitation Program; Barbara Otto and John Coburn, Health and Disability Advocates.

Members of the Public
Douglas Towne, Elisa Corozano, Jill Nelson, Theresa Devlin, Tom Foran, Mary Higgins, Anna May Rand, Judi Drew, Wendi Herzman, Mary Higgins, Jennifer Hill, Patricia Hill, Anson Houghton, Elizabeth Jennings, Wendy Martindale, Yanet Novoa, Ann Osborn, Nancy Sciabarrasi, Joe Hickman, Susan Goodman, and Stephen Zwirn

Social Security Administration Implementation Updates 

Presenter: Martin H. Gerry, Deputy Commissioner, Office of Disability and Income Security Programs
Topics: Expansion of Ticket to include youth 16-18 years of age and those with Medical Improvement Expected (MIE); EN participation; Relationship between ENs and State VR Agencies-Transmittal 17

Presenter: Marianne Daley, Acting Associate Commissioner, Office of Employment Support Programs
Topics: EN Capitalization; Burden of collecting earnings documentation, new invoice submission and payment systems

Presenter: Paul O'Leary, Economist, SSA Project Officer, Office of Program Development and Research
Topic: Ticket to Work Evaluation

Presenter: Pam Mazerski, Associate Commissioner, Program Development and Research
Topic: SSA Demonstration Projects

Rehabilitation Services Administration

Presenter: Beverlee Stafford, Director, Program Administration Division
Topic: Reauthorization of the Rehabilitation Act, EN agreements monitoring, and transmittal 17

Lunch Break

Department of Labor/Employment and Training Administration

Presenter: Maria Flynn, Administrator, Policy Development Evaluation and Research
Topics: ODEP Navigators; Work Incentive Grants; Accessibility of One-Stops; Interagency Coordinating Forum; High Growth Job Training Program

VR Panel on Successful Strategies

Presenter: Michael O'Brien, Director, Washington Division of Vocational Rehabilitation, Department of Social and Health Services
Topics: Involvement of multiple partners across the state; Interagency Ticket advisory group; Statewide conference; recruiting ENs; other start-up activities

Presenter: Amy Porter, Project Director, Vocational Rehabilitation Services, Connecticut
Topics: Paradigm shift toward employment; training community providers, employers, beneficiaries, and state agencies; EN agreements; bonuses for counselors who assist beneficiaries to leave the SSA roles;

Presenter: Treva Roanhorse, Director, Office of Special Education and Rehabilitation Services for the Navajo Nation
Topic: Vocational rehabilitation for Native Americans

Social Security Administration Implementation Update continued

Presenter: Mary Satterfield, Project Director, Maximus, Inc.
Topic: Recruiting of ENs and non-traditional providers

Public Comment

Presenter: Stephen Zwirn, Manager, Work Search Organization
Topic: Working with employers to place beneficiaries in employment

Presenter: Douglas Towne, Executive Liaison, Disability Relations Group
Topic: Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act; and transportation services to and from work

Presenter: Elisa Corozano,
Topic: Difficulty maintaining Medicaid while working; Lack of accurate information from local SSA offices

Presenter: Jill Nelson, Cerebral Palsy Research Foundation
Topic: Lack of accurate information from local SSA offices; cumbersome nature of collecting payments for ENs

Committee Meetings

Program and Legal Policy Committee, David Miller, Chair

Program Design, Implementation and Evaluation Committee, Bryon MacDonald, Chair

Top of Page

Wednesday, February 11, 2004 - Day 2

The meeting reconvened at approximately 9:05 a.m. with Sarah Wiggins Mitchell, Chair, presiding.

Business Meeting

Presenter: Sarah Wiggins Mitchell
Topic: Minutes from the November Quarterly Meeting and from the October and December Teleconference Meetings

Motion: The Panel moved, seconded and passed a motion to approve the minutes of the October 9, 2003 and December 5, 2003 Teleconference Meeting and the November 5-7 2003 Quarterly Meeting with the following amendments:

November 5-7, 2003 minutes: The fourth Action item on Page 6 should read, "The Panel will express its concern to Congress that the AOI Report, including roll-out of the six demonstration projects, is late."

December 5, 2003 minutes: Add the word "Network" after "Employment" to the third motion.

Presenter: Marie Strahan
Topic: Administrative update, including 2004 budget; EN summit report; future meetings; Panel travel

Presenter: David Miller
Topic: Program and Legal Policy Committee, including Report on Mental Illness; and health care access

Motion: The Panel moved, seconded, and passed a motion that the work integration contracts target people with mental illness The Panel also requested that a panel on successful strategies to return people with psychiatric disabilities to employment be organized for a future meeting.

Motion: The Panel wishes to look at access to public and private health care beyond the Medicaid Buy-In and would like to contract with an outside expert to explore other options to increase health care access for beneficiaries.

Action: The Panel would like a panel on successful strategies in working with individuals with psychiatric disabilities

Presenter: Bryon MacDonald
Topic: Program Design, Implementation and Evaluation Committee, including SSA actions on Panel recommendations

Action: The Panel wishes to arrange meetings with the SSA Commissioner to review the matrix of recommendations and agency actions in the Panel's 2003 Annual Report and recommendations in the EN Summit Report. The Panel also requests consultative meetings with other agency staff between February and May 2004 to discuss marketing, early intervention, one-for-two AOI study, and adjustments to Transmittal 17.

SSI/SSDI Consumer Panel - Use and Access to the SSA Work Incentives, Employment Supports, Advocacy and the Ticket

Facilitator: Tamara Allen, Capstone, Inc

Presenter: Denise Payne, Southern Movement for Independence, North Lauderdale, Florida
Topic: Desire to work and keep medical benefits

Presenter: Karen Collins, Largo, Florida
Topic: Determination of ineligibility for benefits after using the Ticket

Presenter: Benjerlene Nelson, West Palm Beach, Florida
Topic: Successful use of Ticket to find employment but fear of losing medical benefits

Presenter: Ron Matai, presenting for Deborah Young, Palm Beach Garden, Florida
Topic: Successful use of Ticket to find employment

Lunch Break

Florida TWWIIA Programs and Projects Panel (State VR, BPAO, P&A, SSA FO, AWIC, DOL One-Stops, etc.)

Facilitator: Barbara Butz, Capstone, Inc.

Presenter: Angel Figueredo, Area Work Incentive Coordinator, South Florida
Topic: Experiences as an AWIC, SSA automation, and future of the AWIC position

Presenter: Elizabeth Jennings, Specialist, Benefits Planning Assistance and Outreach, Gulfstream Goodwill
Topic: 800-number for BPAO Projects, Florida BPAO statistics, relationship between AWICS and BPAO.

Presenter: Barry Shalinsky, Director, PABASS Program, The Advocacy Center for Individuals with Disabilities
Topic: Collaboration between BPAO and PABSS Programs

Presenter: Harold Thornton, Ticket to Work Coordinator, Department of Education Vocational Rehabilitation Program
Topic: SVRA experience with the Ticket program: training, cooperative agreements, collaboration

Midwest Employment and Training Partnership, Health and Disability Advocates, Chicago, IL

Topic: Activities of Health and Disability Advocates; results of regional EN survey
Presenter: Barbara Otto, Executive Director, Health and Disability Advocates

Topic: Policy recommendations of ENs in Region V, pilot project with IL ENs
Presenter: John Coburn, Staff Attorney, Health and Disability Advocates

Top of Page

Thursday, February 12, 2004 - Day 3

The meeting reconvened at approximately 9:05 a.m. with Sarah Wiggins Mitchell, Chair, presiding.

Public Comment

Presenter: Theresa Devlin
Topic: Inappropriate CDR after returning to work

Presenter: Tom Foran, Integrated Disability Resources
Topic: Problems of ENs, including inability to work with beneficiaries on SSI due to payment structure

Presenter: Mary Higgins, Outreach Coordinator, Gulfstream Goodwill
Topic: Problems with recruiting Ticket beneficiaries

Presenter: Anna Mae Rand
Topic: Problems with obtaining services for her children

Panel Discussions and Deliberations

Facilitator: Jim Wiegel

Presenter: Bonnie O'Day, Cornell University
Topic: TWWIA Panel Annual Report

Action: Staff and contractor will finalize the report based upon Panel input

Action: The Panel requests clarification from General Counsel as to whether the 40 percent payment for SSI beneficiaries can be altered by SSA or whether a legislative change is required

Presenter: Sarah Wiggins Mitchell
Topic: Marketing TTW

Motion: The Panel passed a motion to write a letter to Commissioner Barnhart asking that reminder letters to all Ticket holders be distributed and that the Panel ask Congress for an appropriation to cover the costs of mailing. This item will also be included in the annual report.

Presenter: David Miller
Topic: Expedited Reinstatement

Motion: The Panel passed a motion to adopt the recommendations of the Program and Legal Policy Committee regarding expedited reinstatement

Presenter: Sarah Wiggins Mitchell
Topic: Congressional Briefing

Presenter: Sarah Wiggins Mitchell
Topic: Agenda for Future Meetings

The meeting adjourned at approximately 11:30 a.m.