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January 9, 2023
Interventional Cooperative Agreement Program News
On December 22, 2022, SSA made the second round of awards for the Interventional Cooperative Agreement Program (ICAP). Projects under ICAP are collaborative cooperative agreements with States, foundations, and other non-federal groups and organizations who have the interest and ability to identify, operate, and evaluate research related to the Disability Insurance and Supplemental Security Income programs. ICAP is an ongoing program that will accept new applications for award every year.
This year, ICAP made awards to Mathematica and Westat. Mathematica will conduct a randomized controlled trial to assess the impact of an employment intervention for youth with disabilities who are transitioning into the adult workforce. Westat will conduct a randomized controlled trial to assess the impact of combining supportive housing with Individual Placement and Support (IPS) supported employment services for recently homeless people experiencing a range of disabilities and mental health conditions.
If anyone is interested in reading more about ICAP, they may review SSA's ICAP project page here.
December 13, 2022
Annual Section 234 Report
We have posted the 2022 report detailing the ongoing progress of SSA's demonstration efforts, as required by Section 234 of the Social Security Act.
December 9, 2022
We posted new report on the Promoting Readiness of Minors in SSI (PROMISE) project. This report provides a detailed picture of PROMISE youth's employment, education, training, and living arrangements. It also bechmarks youth outcomes against those of similarly-aged youth with and without disabilities. To access the report, select PROMISE Education and Work.
October 28, 2022
PROMISE Report On Pathways to Education and Employment
We posted new report on the Promoting Readiness of Minors in SSI (PROMISE) project. This report examines the role of youth's use of transition services and work experiences in the pathways that youth with disabilities followed to longer-term employment and education outcomes. To access the report, select PROMISE Pathways Report.
October 21, 2022
Workers' compensation Research Publication
SSA Researchers and co-authers have published a new workers' compensation research paper in the journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine entitled, "Increased all-cause mortality following occupational injury: a comparison of two states." Prior mortality studies have shown that workers' compensation injuries are associated with significantly higher rates of mortality following injury. However, the work-injury data used for these studies exclude factors like smoking and obesity that are known to affect both workplace injury and mortality. This new analysis uses quantitative bias analysis (QBA) on Washington state work-injury data, SSA mortality data, and secondary data on mortality smoking status and obesity. It finds significantly elevated mortality rates for injured workers in even after adjusting for smoking status and obesity also compares these results to prior paper by this team using QBA for injuries in New Mexico, a relatively smaller and less nationally representative state as compared to Washington. The publication is now live at: Increased all-cause mortality following occupational injury: a comparison of two states.
August 16, 2022
You Are Cordially Invited to the ARDRAW Cohort 5 Project Presentation Webinars
The fifth cohort of researchers from SSA's small grant program, Analyzing Relationships between Disability, Rehabilitation and Work (ARDRAW) will present their research findings in a series of webinars this month - August 23 – 25, 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. each day. The ARDRAW small grant program provides stipends to graduate students conducting research related to disability issues of interest to SSA. Cohort 5 students were awarded in July 2021 and have spent the past year conducting their research.
Registration information and the full schedule and lineup of each day's topics can be found on the Research Presentations page of the ARDRAW website. Click the header for each webinar for the Zoom meeting link, access information, and call-in number.
The webinars will take place on Zoom. Each presentation will last about 20 minutes with 10 minutes for questions after the presentation. Please feel free to share this invitation with others who may be interested. We will be using Zoom for the presentations; to view the PowerPoints during the presentations you will need to be logged on to Zoom.
August 15, 2022
Video of ICAP Potential Applicant Webinar Now Available!
ORDES hosted a webinar for potential applicants on the Interventional Cooperative Agreement Program (ICAP) on August 3, 2022 from noon to 2 p.m. (ET). A video recording of this webinar, as well as a transcript and presentation slides are now available. If you were unable to join us, or if you would like another opportunity to view the information, please check it out on ICAP project page on the SSA website!
To learn more about or apply for this competitive research funding opportunity, please view the ICAP funding announcement on Grants.gov. We are currently accepting applications; the application period ends September 15, 2022.
July 27, 2022
Interventional Cooperative Agreement Program (ICAP) Funding Opportunity Announcement
The Social Security Administration’s Office of Research, Demonstration, and Employment Support is pleased to announce that the 2022 application period for the Interventional Cooperative Agreement Program (ICAP) is now open! We will host a webinar for organizations interested in applying for this research funding opportunity on Wednesday, August 3, 2022, from noon Eastern to 2 p.m. Eastern.
ICAP allows the Social Security Administration (SSA) to enter into cooperative agreements with non-federal entities who have the interest and ability to identify and operate interventional research through cooperative agreements. The research and interventions under this program target eliminating the structural barriers in the labor market, including for racial, ethnic, or other underserved communities, that increase the likelihood of people receiving or applying for Disability Insurance (DI) or Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits; promoting self-sufficiency by helping people enter, stay in, or return to the labor force; coordinating planning between private and public human services agencies to improve the administration and effectiveness the DI, SSI, and related programs; assisting claimants in underserved communities apply for or appeal decisions on claims for DI and SSI benefits; and conducting outreach to people with disabilities who are potentially eligible to receive SSI.To learn more about and apply for this competitive research funding opportunity, visit the ICAP Funding Opportunity on www.grants.gov.
The webinar for potential applicants will cover eligibility requirements, topics of interest, and how to apply. This event will be hosted on Microsoft Teams with the option to join by telephone. For more information and to register for the webinar, please visit the registration site.
March 30, 2022
POD Special Topics Report
We have posted the Promoting Opportunity Demonstration: Description of Overpayments and Stakeholder Experiences. This brief examines how POD treatment and control group members experienced overpayments.
March 17, 2022
POD Special Topics Report
We have posted the Promoting Opportunity Demonstration: Trends in Treatment Group Outcomes and the COVID-19 Pandemic. This brief summarizes the implementation experiences and outcome trends of POD treatment group members during the first year of the pandemic.
March 15, 2022
POD Final Evaluation Report
We have posted the Promoting Opportunity Demonstration: Final Evaluation Report. The Final Evaluation Report presents the findings from POD in detail, using over two years of outcome data following enrollment based on a random assignment design.
March 15, 2022
POD Summary of the Final Findings
We have posted the Promoting Opportunity Demonstration: Summary of the Final Findings. This brief summarizes findings at the end of POD’s two-year implementation period.
February 17, 2022
Video of ICAP Informational Session Now Available!
ORDES hosted an informational session on the Interventional Cooperative Agreement Program (ICAP) on February 2, 2022 from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. (EST). A video recording of this webinar, as well as a transcript and presentation slides are now available. If you were unable to join us, or if you would like another opportunity to view the information, please check it out on ICAP project page on the SSA website!
To learn more about this upcoming competitive research funding opportunity, please view the ICAP forecast on Grants.gov and subscribe for updates to receive an alert when the funding opportunity application period opens.
January 25, 2022
Upcoming Informational Session for the Interventional Cooperative Agreement Program
The Social Security Administration's Office of Research, Demonstration, and Employment Support will host an informational session on the Interventional Cooperative Agreement Program (ICAP) on February 2, 2022 from 11:30 a.m. Eastern to 1 p.m. Eastern.
ICAP allows the Social Security Administration (SSA) to enter into cooperative agreements with non-federal entities who have the interest and ability to identify and operate interventional research through cooperative agreements. The research and interventions under this program target eliminating the structural barriers in the labor market, including for racial, ethnic, or other underserved communities, that increase the likelihood of people receiving or applying for Disability Insurance (DI) or Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits; promoting self-sufficiency by helping people enter, stay in, or return to the labor force; coordinating planning between private and public human services agencies to improve the administration and effectiveness the DI, SSI, and related programs; assisting claimants in underserved communities apply for or appeal decisions on claims for DI and SSI benefits; and conducting outreach to people with disabilities who are potentially eligible to receive SSI. To learn more about this upcoming competitive research funding opportunity, visit www.grants.gov to see the ICAP forecast.
The informational session will cover eligibility requirements, topics of interest, and how to apply. This event will be hosted on Microsoft Teams with the option to join by telephone. If you are interested in attending the informational session, please RSVP to SSA.ICAP@ssa.gov with your name, email address, and organization to receive a calendar invitation to the event.
November 12, 2021
POD Special Topics Report
We have posted the Promoting Opportunity Demonstration: Using Web Surveys for People with Disabilities. This brief provides insights into the take-up rates of the web and phone surveys in POD, and it informs other data collection efforts involving disability beneficiaries.
October 15, 2021
Annual Section 234 Report
We have posted the annual report detailing the ongoing progress of SSA's demonstration efforts, as required by Section 234 of the Social Security Act.
Request for Information on Potential Disability Insurance and Supplemental Security Income Demonstrations
We published a Request for Information on Potential Disability Insurance and Supplemental Security Income Demonstrations in the Federal Register. SSA seeks public input on potential services, supports, or DI and SSI policy changes that could promote attachment to the labor force and increase the employment and self-sufficiency of individuals receiving or applying for DI or SSI benefits, including children and youth; and to coordinate planning between private and public welfare agencies to improve the administration and effectiveness of the DI, SSI, and related programs. The comment period closes November 16, 2021.
October 1, 2021
First ICAP Awards Made!
On September 30, 2021, SSA made the first awards for the Interventional Cooperative Agreement Program (ICAP). Projects under ICAP are collaborative cooperative agreements with States, private foundations, and other non-federal groups and organizations who have the interest and ability to identify, operate, and partially fund research related to the Disability Insurance and Supplemental Security Income programs. ICAP is an ongoing program that will accept new applications for award every year.
This year, ICAP made awards to the Kessler Foundation and the State of Georgia Criminal Justice Coordinating Council. The Kessler Foundation will conduct a randomized controlled trial of an employment intervention for rehabilitation patients who have experienced recent neurotrauma. It is an early intervention demonstration for people who might apply for disability programs. The Criminal Justice Coordinating Council will conduct a feasibility study of the implementation of the SSI/SSDI Outreach, Access, and Recovery (SOAR) model in county jails with inmates with serious and persistent mental illness across the state.
If anyone is interested in reading more about ICAP, select ICAP project.
August 20, 2021
You Are Cordially Invited to the ARDRAW Cohort 4 Project Presentation Webinars
The fourth cohort of researchers from SSA's small grant program, Analyzing Relationships between Disability, Rehabilitation and Work (ARDRAW) will present their research findings in a series of webinars this month. The ARDRAW small grant program provides stipends to graduate students conducting research related to disability issues of interest to SSA. Cohort 4 students were awarded in July 2020 and have spent the past year conducting their research.
The webinars will take place on Zoom. Each presentation will last about 20 minutes with 10 minutes for questions after the presentation. Please feel free to share this invitation with others who may be interested. We will be using Zoom for the presentations; to view the PowerPoints during the presentations you will need to be logged on to Zoom.
Registration information and the full schedule and lineup of each day's topics can be found on the Research Presentations page of the ARDRAW website. Click the header for each webinar for the Zoom meeting link, access information, and call-in number.
POD Special Topics Report
We have posted the Promoting Opportunity Demonstration: Summary of Findings. This brief summarizes the findings in the POD Interim Evaluation Report and provides plausible reasons why the $1-for-$2 benefit offset had no effects on key outcomes after the first year of POD’s implementation.
April 16, 2021
Promoting Opportunity Demonstration: Interim Evaluation Report
We have posted the POD Interim Evaluation Report. The report presents interim findings related to the process, participation, and impact outcomes of POD enrollees through 2019—the first year after we completed all POD enrollment activities. The report presents key feature of POD implementation and enrollment, POD counseling services, POD withdraws, and benefit offset use.
October 9, 2020
POD Evaluation Report
We have posted the POD POD Recruitment and Random Assignment Report. This report provides a comprehensive assessment of the recruitment effort to identify, solicit, and enroll volunteers for POD. It presents insights about who enrolled in POD and how they differed from non-volunteers, information about how enrollees were assigned to research groups that will be used to measure the impacts of POD, and an early assessment of withdrawals from POD. These findings can be used as the basis for understanding and interpreting POD evaluation results that will be presented in future reports.
September 21, 2020
POD Special Topics Report
We have posted the Policy Brief entitled, Promoting Opportunity Demonstration: POD BOND Comparison Report. This brief contains a detailed comparison of POD and the 2nd stage BOND and explains the benefit offset rules and recruitment processes, summarizes characteristics of beneficiaries who enrolled in the demonstrations, and analyzes early use of the benefit offset.
September 18, 2020
Final Enrollment Analysis Report Released
We posted a new report on the Supported Employment Demonstration. This report shows the types of individuals who enrolled in the demonstration, how they compare to those who did not enroll, and the factors associated with enrollment. To access the report and its appendices, select Final Enrollment Analysis Report (appendices).
September 9, 2020
PROMISE Report Released
August 28, 2020
RETAIN Report Released
August 25, 2020
POD Special Topics Report
June 16, 2020
Red Book (English/Spanish Versions)
We have posted the current version of the Red Book in .html and .pdf accessible formats on our website. The Red Book–A Guide to Work Incentives–serves as a general reference source about the employment-related provisions of the Social Security Disability Insurance and the Supplemental Security Income programs for educators, advocates, rehabilitation professionals, and counselors who serve people with disabilities.
October 28, 2019
BOND Snapshot Reports for 2016
We have posted the two Snapshot Reports to the BOND webpage: Stage-1 Snapshot Report and Stage-2 Snapshot Report. These reports summarize the Benefit Offset National Demonstration and the estimated impacts on earnings and benefits for the sixth-year of the demonstration (2016).
October 22, 2019
Annual Section 234 Report
We have posted the annual report that details the ongoing progress of the ORDES demonstration efforts, as required by Section 234 of the Social Security Act.
August 28, 2019
2019 Red Book (English/Spanish Versions)
We have posted the 2019 Red Book in .html and .pdf accessible formats on our website. The 2019 Red Book–A Guide to Work Incentives–serves as a general reference source about the employment-related provisions of the Social Security Disability Insurance and the Supplemental Security Income programs for educators, advocates, rehabilitation professionals, and counselors who serve people with disabilities. This year we have included some specific information about resources to assist youth with the transition to a successful adulthood.
August 27, 2019
We have posted reports on the Disability Research site on recent Technical Expert Panels (TEPs) we convened to obtain guidance as we develop potential demonstrations. These TEPs provide a forum for stakeholders and other experts to provide interactive feedback on the proposed demonstrations. The reports highlight the work of the TEPs on three demonstration topics.
July 25, 2019
PROMISE Interim Services and Impact Report
We have posted a new report on the Promoting Readiness of Minors in SSI (PROMISE) project. The Interim Services and Impact Report presents the estimated impacts of the six PROMISE programs on outcomes related to service receipt, education, employment, expectations, health insurance coverage, income, and youth self-determination. It also reports on participation in SSA and other public assistance programs for families. We have also posted an extensive technical appendix to the report and an executive summary.
February 27, 2019
Retaining Employment and Talent After Injury/Illness Network (RETAIN) Awards
In October 2018, we awarded a contract to Mathematica Policy Research (MPR) to evaluate the state RETAIN projects. RETAIN is a joint initiative with the Department of Labor testing promising early intervention strategies aimed at improving labor force participation and reducing the need for long-term disability benefits (SSDI and SSI) among individuals experiencing the early stages of work disruption due to an injury, illness, or disability. In September 2018, the Department of Labor (DOL) awarded cooperative agreements to eight states (California, Connecticut, Kansas, Kentucky, Minnesota, Ohio, Vermont, and Washington) to conduct initial planning and pilot activities. The state projects will test a variety of ways to improve the early coordination of health care and employment-related supports and services for participating workers, including training health care providers in occupational health best practices and facilitating communication and return-to-work efforts between workers, their employers, and their health care providers. For more information about our RETAIN evaluation, visit our RETAIN project page. For more information on the RETAIN state projects, see the Department of Labor’s RETAIN web site.
February 21, 2019
POD Recruitment Pilot Report
We have posted a new special topic report about a Recruitment Pilot Test on the Promoting Opportunity Demonstration (POD) project. This paper details the four recruitment outreach methods that were used in the first two months of POD recruitment (January and February of 2018) and their impacts.
December 18, 2018
PROMISE Process Analyses
We have posted new process reports on the Promoting Readiness of Minors in SSI (PROMISE) project. The reports document the interventions provided in California and the consortium of western states (ASPIRE). These are the final process reports for the PROMISE national evaluation.
December 14, 2018
PROMISE and Federal Programs
We have posted a new report on the Promoting Readiness of Minors in SSI (PROMISE) project. The report describes how the PROMISE projects fit into the landscape of federal programs for youth with disabilities.
December 11, 2018
BOND Final Evaluation Report
We have posted the BOND Final Evaluation Report to the BOND webpage. This report, along with the Appendices, summarizes the Benefit Offset National Demonstration and the estimated impacts on earnings and benefits from the start of the demonstration (2010) through 2016. It also includes a benefit-cost analysis of this experiment.
November 28, 2018
PROMISE Process Analyses
We have posted a new process report on the Promoting Readiness of Minors in SSI (PROMISE) project. The report documents the intervention provided in New York. Reports on the California and ASPIRE projects are expected to be released later this year. We previously posted reports on the Arkansas, Maryland, and Wisconsin projects.
November 9, 2018
PROMISE and Effective Transition Practices
We have posted a new report on the Promoting Readiness of Minors in SSI (PROMISE) project. The report describes how each PROMISE projects' services are consistent with best practices in serving transition-age youth with disabilities as described in the Effective Practices and Predictors matrix maintained by the National Technical Assistance Center on Transition and Guideposts for Success developed by the National Collaborative on Workforce and Disability for Youth.
October 25, 2018
POD Evaluation Design Report
We have posted the POD Evaluation Design Report on the Promoting Opportunity Demonstration page. This report, along with the Appendices and Addendum, details the design of the Promoting Opportunity Demonstration, a study that tests simplified work incentives and a benefit offset (similar to BOND). It highlights what questions the study will answer and what data will be collected.
September 20, 2018
PROMISE Process Analyses
We have posted the three process reports on the Promoting Readiness of Minors in SSI (PROMISE) project. The reports document the interventions provided in three of the six projects: Maryland, Wisconsin, and Arkansas. Reports on the remaining three projects (New York, California, and ASPIRE) are expected to be released later this year.
September 09, 2018
Annual Section 234 Report
We have posted the annual report that details the ongoing progress of the ORDES demonstration efforts, as required by Section 234 of the Social Security Act.
July 31, 2018
2018 Red Book (English/Spanish Versions)
We have posted the 2018 Red Book in .html and .pdf accessible formats on our website. The 2018 Red Book–A Guide to Work Incentives–serves as a general reference source about the employment-related provisions of the Social Security Disability Insurance and the Supplemental Security Income programs for educators, advocates, rehabilitation professionals, and counselors who serve people with disabilities. This year we have included some specific information about resources to assist youth with the transition to a successful adulthood.
July 20, 2018
Disability Analysis File Public Use File
A new Disability Analysis File (DAF) public use file and documentation are now available on the DAF PUF page. The DAF is a set of files containing SSA administrative data on federal disability beneficiaries, culled from a variety of SSA sources. It contains data related to program participation, employment activity, and benefits for Social Security Disability Insurance and Supplemental Security Income beneficiaries between the ages of 18 and Full Retirement Age who have received disability benefits in any month since 1996. It also includes data on SSI child recipients aged 10 to 17 who have received benefits since 2005. The DAF public use file contains the DAF data elements that are of broadest interest for a random 10 percent sample of the SSI and SSDI beneficiaries included in the full DAF.
July 23, 2018
Retaining Employment and Talent After Injury/Illness Network (RETAIN) Funding Opportunity Announcement
On May 24, the Department of Labor posted a Funding Opportunity Announcement, announcing the availability of approximately $20,000,000 in cooperative agreement funds for Phase 1 of the Retaining Employment and Talent After Injury/Illness Network (RETAIN) demonstration. RETAIN is a joint initiative with SSA that will test promising early intervention strategies aimed at improving labor force participation and reducing the need for long-term disability benefits (DI and SSI) among individuals experiencing the early stages of work disruption due to an injury, illness, or disability. The Phase 1 cooperative awards will fund up to eight state workforce agencies (and other partners) to conduct planning and start-up activities, including the launch of a small pilot demonstration, over an 18-month period. Applications must be received by July 23, 2018. The FOA can be found on the Grants.Gov page.
April 18, 2018
Retaining Employment and Talent After Injury/Illness Network Evaluation Request for Proposals
We have posted a request for proposals (RFP) on FedBizOpps to evaluate the Retaining Employment and Talent After Injury/Illness Network (RETAIN) demonstration. RETAIN is a joint demonstration with the Department of Labor that will test promising early intervention strategies aimed at improving labor force participation and reducing the need for long-term disability benefits (DI and SSI) among individuals experiencing the early stages of work disruption due to an injury, illness, or disability. The RFP will be open until June 4th, 2018, with questions due by May 1st, 2018. The RFP can be found on the RETAIN Evaluation FedBizOpps page.
March 23, 2018
National Beneficiary Survey: Disability Statistics, 2015
We have posted the National Beneficiary Survey: Disability Statistics, 2015 report. This report provides key descriptive statistics from the 2015 NBS, including beneficiary characteristics and health, program and service participation, employment interest and activity, job characteristics, and benefits and employment interaction. The NBS, sponsored by the Social Security Administration’s (SSA’s) Office of Retirement and Disability Policy, collects data on a wide range of variables not available in SSA’s administrative systems. For more information about the NBS, including documentation and public use files, please visit the NBS page.
Feb 21, 2018
BOND Stage-1 (2017) Interim Process, Participation and Impact Report
We have posted the BOND Stage-1 (2017) Interim Process, Participation, and Impact Report. The report documents results of the Stage 1 process and participation analysis through the sixth year of implementation (2016) and presents estimates of impacts on earnings and benefit outcomes during the fifth calendar year of implementation (2015). The report also describes the prevalence and size of overpayments and the impact of the benefit offset on overpayments between May 2011 and December 2014.
Jan 24, 2018
BOND Stage-2 (2017) Interim Process, Participation and Impact Report
We have posted the BOND Stage-2 (2017) Interim Process, Participation, and Impact Report. This report documents results of the BOND Stage 2 earnings and benefit analyses through the fifth calendar year of implementation (2015), process and participation analyses for 2016, overpayments analysis through 2014, and analyses of survey data reflecting beneficiaries’ experiences after 3 years in the BOND study.
January 3, 2018
Request for Information on Strategies to Improve Adult Outcomes for Youth Receiving Supplemental Security Income (SSI)
We published a Request for Information on Strategies to Improve Adult Outcomes for Youth Receiving Supplemental Security Income (SSI) in the Federal Register. SSA is seeking public input on strategies for improving the adult economic outcomes of youth ages 14 to 25 with disabilities receiving SSI. The input we receive will inform our deliberations about potential policy changes and the design of future demonstration projects for transition-age SSI recipients.