Music MEGAN: I believe it was around January of 2008. I kind of got sick and I took another position and from that position I ended up getting fired. And, uh I had a mental breakdown so my disability is a mental illness. And it took a lot of time for me to get everything back together I ended up actually having to file bankruptcy. It was really great for me that I was introduced to the disability program. After so many months in the disability program you can get a ticket to work and then that will help you actually get back into working but it also allows you to get medical assistance which helps you for me uh... to be to able to see psychiatrists and doctors and get my medicine and everything like that. Staying at home is not as fun as it looks, um but also it's not me. I’m twenty seven so I don't want to be at home my whole life and I have a lot of things to do. Um so that that really made me want to get back to work because that's what I should be doing that's what I want to be doing. The first thing I received in the mail was my Ticket to Work and with that it included some websites and pamphlets about what the program was and places, uh, you could go and people you could get the tickets to you and so I found actually TransCen and I called them. TRANSCEN COUNSELOR: Megan came to TransCen about a year ago. Um she and she was seeking a job in the IT uh DNA synthesis field Uh and she you knew exactly what she wanted to do and she worked with our employment counselor in developing her resume fine-tuning her interview skills identifying employers and after only a few months she was able to obtain employment actually as a temporary agent uh... doing what she wanted to do. MEGAN: one of the big problems or concerns that I had Was would I lose my disability benefits if I started working and then I couldn’t continue to work and then I would have to start all over again. TRANSCEN COUNSELOR: So at that point she connected with me for benefits counseling and I was able to walk her through uh...what how her benefits would be affected by that. She receives social security disability insurance so she was happy to learn that She had what are called trial work period months and she was able for nine months to work at a full-time position and not have any decrease in her benefits she still received full benefits.uh... after those nine months were over she had an additional three months called her grace period months and after those months are over uh...she has an additional three years Where, ah, her disability check will only be suspended based on her earnings and if she's not able to keep the job she can go uh, return to his social security disability benefits MEGAN: It made me feel supported that I could do it and I could try and If it didn't work I could come back but I could keep trying. uh, the job that I do is a document control specialist and the easiest way to explain that is it's part librarian so people return things to me and I check them out Uh, and it’s part teacher because when the return things to me I check it to make sure that it’s correct and if it's not I ask for them to redo it. TRANSCEN PRESIDENT: What made Megan a success in her job search first and foremost was her willingness to go back to work and our job after that really is how can we support her to make that happen. TRANSCEN COUNSELOR: I’d classify Megan as a success story in that she was able to do what she wanted to do where she's continuing to work now and she’s earning enough that she's going to be working her way off of the disability benefits she's happy in what she's doing and as long as she’s happy We are very happy for her. MEGAN: The impact has been great. uh, I have a year left to pay of my car and then it's mine (laughs) forever and kind of get my life back under control I’m looking to move out on my own, uh, and just making a lot of good choices that are good for me and just moving forward. Music MEGAN: One of the biggest things I like to do is I like to competitive ballroom dance. And also when I, uh got into my disability.I gained a lot of weight so that wasn’t as fun for me as it could have been. And so now it’s getting more fun and I’m enjoying it, I like the costumes, uh so that a big thing that I do. Music MEGAN: And now I have a lot of focus. I’m not going to say that sometimes I don’t fall back into the abyss but now I know And I’ve received the tools from TransCen. For myself and from the people They have put me in contact with To pull myself out and to keep going.Uh, I don't think that I will ever not fall back but I don’t believe that I will never keep moving forward. This is a program that can help anyone no matter what your disability is no matter who you are or where you live. This is something that can help you move forward and continue on with your life.