WISE Ticket to Work Webinar
Putting it Together: Choosing a Service Provider That’s Right for You
October 23, 2019

Speakers: Sarah Hyland (Moderator), David Leon (Presenter)

SARAH>> Good afternoon, everyone, and welcome to today's Ticket to Work webinar, "Putting It Together: Choosing a Service Provider That's Right for You." 

My name is Sarah Hyland, and I am a member of the Ticket to Work team. I will be your moderator for today's webinar. We are glad you are able to take time to spend with us today to learn about Social Security's Ticket to Work Program and how it can help you as you start on the path to financial independence through work. Each of us has our own path to follow, and we hope you find some information today that will assist you in moving forward on your path to employment and financial independence. 

Let's get started by going over some of the functions of the webinar platform so that you can interact and get the most out of the information presented today.

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If you are unable to connect to your audio with your computer or prefer to listen to the webinar by phone, please dial 1-800-832-0736 and enter access code: 4189148#. 

Next, we're going to share some information about webinar accessibility. On the Adobe Connect platform, you will notice that on your screen there are four different boxes. These boxes are called "pods." We have a Presentation pod where the slides appear. Below that is the Closed Captioning pod. On the top right-hand corner, you will see a Q&A pod; and below the Q&A pod is the Web Links pod. We're going to talk about these pods in a little bit more detail in a bit.

If you need assistance navigating Adobe Connect, an Accessibility User Guide with a list of controls is available at http://bit.ly/adobe-accessibility. This link is also available in the Web Links pod at the bottom right-hand corner of your screen and is titled, "Adobe Accessibility User Guide."

Real-time captioning is available and is displayed in the Captioning pod, which is the box that appears below the slide that is on your screen right now. The Captioning link can be found in the Web Links pod under the title "Closed Captioning." 

We are here today to answer questions you have on the Ticket to Work program. Please send your questions to us at any time throughout the webinar by typing them into the Q&A pod. We will direct your questions to the speaker during the Q&A portions of our webinar. We will be addressing questions at two different times throughout today's presentation, so go ahead and send those questions in. We will do our best to answer as many of them as possible.

If you're listening by phone or are not logged in to the webinar, you may ask questions by sending an e-mail to the Ticket to Work e-mail. The address is: webinars@choosework.ssa.gov.

Another resource available that we think you will find extremely helpful in connecting with different resources mentioned today is the Web Links pod, which you will find at the bottom right-hand portion of your screen. This pod lists all the links to the resources presented during today's webinar. To access any of these resources, highlight the topic you are interested in and would like to connect to and then select "Browse To" button at the bottom of the pod. You will be then taken to the website requested. 

If you're listening through your phone and not logged in to the webinar or don't have access to the Web Links pod, you can of course e-mail Ticket to Work at webinars@choosework.ssa.gov or reference the confirmation e-mail that you received to today's webinar for a list of available resources. 

Also, please note that SSA cannot guarantee and is not responsible for the accessibility of external websites.

Today's webinar is being recorded, and a copy of it will be available within two weeks on the Choose Work website, which can be accessed at http://bit.ly/wise_ondemand. This link, as well as others, can be found in the Web Links pod which we just talked about at the bottom right-hand corner of the screen. That's going to be titled "WISE Webinar Archives."

We hope everyone has a great experience on today's webinar; however, if you run into any technical difficulties, please use the Q&A pod to send us a message; or you can send an e-mail to the Ticket to Work e-mail, which is: webinars@choosework.ssa.gov.

As I mentioned to you earlier, my name is Sarah Hyland; and I am a member of the Ticket to Work team. I'm excited to be here with you today as your moderator. We are delighted to have with us David Leon today.

David Leon is Deputy Director for Workforce Programs at the Virginia Department of Aging and Rehabilitative Services. Prior to his current position, David has managed implementation of the Ticket Program in the Commonwealth and continues to be a strong advocate of the program and of forging effective relationships with employment service organizations, centers for independent living, and workforce agencies through Partnerships Plus. 

Thank you all for joining us today. We have an informative session planned where our guest presenter will discuss Social Security's Ticket Program, establishing work goals, identifying your employment team, benefits counseling, and choosing the right service provider. 

We hope that by the close of today's webinar you will better understand the Ticket program, be able to set work goals, know your employment team, and be able to choose a service provider to help you meet your employment goals.

With that, it is my pleasure to introduce David Leon to start us off with the, "Ticket to Work Program: Support on Your Journey to Work."

Thanks, David.

DAVID>> Thank you very much, and it's great to see so many people on the call today.

As we begin, I just want to remind folks that the goal of the Ticket to Work program is to support beneficiaries as they work towards financial independence. This doesn't have to happen immediately. The Ticket to Work program allows for beneficiaries to take their time if necessary. Depending on the type of Social Security's benefits that are received, the effects of work on those benefits may be delayed or gradual.

Social Security Disability Benefits programs includes Social Security Disability Insurance and Supplemental Security Income. The effect of income and work on Social Security benefits is different for each beneficiary, depending on a number of factors. We won't be going into those during this training, but I did want to touch on a couple of important points.

Social Security Disability Insurance, SSDI, is an umbrella also known as Title II. It's a type of benefit that's issued to someone who has a disability and has generated enough work credits through their FICA taxes to draw. Title II benefits are also available to the adult children of disabled or deceased workers or, in some cases, widows and widowers. SSDI beneficiaries are eligible for Medicare benefits and often receive their benefits on the 3rd of the month.

SSI, or Supplemental Security Income, is a type of Social Security benefit that is used for someone who has a disability and has not generated enough work credits through their FICA taxes. This doesn't mean that they haven't worked, only that their taxable work hasn't generated enough credits through those FICA taxes. It's possible that some SSI beneficiaries have extensive work histories of cash in hand or other types of jobs where maybe they were paid under the table or in other ways. With SSI beneficiaries, because of a disability and a lack of resources, they are entitled to those benefits; and that generally happens on the 1st of the month.

One last thing...it's also possible that somebody is receiving both of those benefits at once, and that would be a concurrent beneficiary. I moved the slide a little quick; I apologize.

Starting the journey...only you can decide if work is the right choice. Not everyone is ready to return to work right away. Some beneficiaries may be ready but may not know that they're ready. Sometimes there are fears or anxieties that need to be addressed in order for a beneficiary to realize their full potential. Sometimes these fears won't manifest themselves until after returning to work. That's why beneficiaries have better chances of success with the personalized supports offered through the Ticket to Work program.

What is the Ticket to Work program?

It is a free and voluntary Social Security program that offers career development for people ages 18 through 64 who receive Social Security benefits. Beneficiaries have the freedom and authority to choose the service provider that is the best fit for them. Providers may or may not have all of the ability or resources to meet someone's needs, despite the beneficiary's enthusiasm and motivation to work. So it's really important to make sure you have a good match with the services you need to be successful and those offered by a particular Employment Network.

Both the providers and the beneficiaries voluntarily agree to work with each other, and that's based on a case-by-case basis. When a beneficiary is under the age of 18, their benefits are issued based on their ability to learn. Once someone turns 18, they're reevaluated on whether their disability affects the ability to work. The Ticket to Work program is employment-based, so we're looking at individuals that are 18 and older.

The Ticket to Work connects you with free employment services to help you decide if working is right for you, to prepare for work, to find a job, or to succeed at work. These services are specific to the needs of each individual beneficiary and are negotiated prior to the start of services. Not every beneficiary will need assistance with each item, and some beneficiaries may do great in an interview and will have difficulty with job retention. Others may need assistance with their résumé. Others may need support or motivation to think about those long-term goals instead of kind of those short-term, temporary work opportunities which I like to think of as survivor jobs.

Again, in terms of what the program is, the services can really be customized to meet the needs of an individual provided those services are available and offered by that particular Employment Network.

So how does it work?

If you choose to participate, you will receive services from authorized Ticket to Work service providers such as Employment Networks or your State Vocational Rehabilitation agencies. Those services can include career counseling, résumé help, interview advice, assistance with finding a job. It may include things like negotiating job accommodations or slight differences in duties or shifts to accommodate a disability-related condition.

Employment Networks have access and connections to resources to provide a holistic approach to supporting a beneficiary's needs. Sometimes there are needs beyond what the EN can provide, but they should be able to help that beneficiary in accessing the support from services that will benefit them. In some cases, it may mean referring that person to another service provider or perhaps the State VR agency. Some ENs can be single organizations; others are comprised of a series of partner organizations. So each provides different but needed services to support each individual who has expressed an interest in returning to work.

That's just a few examples of what the Employment Network could look like.

So why Ticket to Work?

Earning a living through employment is not something everyone can do, but it may be right for you. Once they understand the various systems, services, and supports available to them, many people find that the rewards far outweigh the risks. If you take the time to learn about the employment services and supports available through the Ticket to Work program, you may be surprised. We're here to help you on your journey to financial independence. 

One of the neat things about this program and why I think it's so great is that there are lots of research studies that show that going to work is a positive social determinant of health. It's great to be involved in the community. While the ultimate goal of Ticket to Work is for a beneficiary to achieve financial independence by working their way off of Social Security cash benefits, this isn't an immediate requirement. The program is designed to allow for a beneficiary to increase their income over time as they build confidence, experience, and stamina. 

No one is required to start Day 1 in a full-time position. One of the reasons this so important is as we work with people to improve and increase employment opportunities, many folks have to start at a level that is less than their ultimate goal. It's a great thing to remember that when you think of the Ticket to Work program, don't be overwhelmed with the thoughts of "I have to go to work full-time today when I may not have worked in a long time."

Exploring work goals...as I said before, not every beneficiary is ready to start working full-time salaried positions right away though some are. Discussing work goals with a service provider is a great way for everyone to be on the same page. The beneficiary can have a frank discussion about what they want, what they don't want; and the service provider can discuss the things they can offer and what they can't provide. It's a really great way to begin; and the more an individual understands their work goals, the more they'll be able to then match an Employment Network to the needs they have and where they want to go.

So why set work goals?

Work goals help you focus on your pathway to a career. They can also help measure your progress, hold yourself accountable, stay motivated and stay on track, and increase your chances of success. 

Work goals also may change over time. It's possible to have a goal that greatly underestimates a beneficiary's interests and abilities. Someone may find that they were ready, willing, and able to work far more than they previously thought. Conversely, it's also possible to have a work goal that overestimates a beneficiary's motivation or ability at that particular moment. So it's not to say that the end goal isn't the same or attainable; but sometimes as you begin this process, in order to build on success you may find that you have to change those goals based on the experiences and what's happening as you're progressing through the program.

What are your work goals?

When you're thinking about developing those goals, some of the questions to ask and to think about are...
What types of work do I like to do?
What are my interests?
What kind of job do I want now?
Equally, and more important, what kind of job would I want five years from now?

Some more questions to think about may include...
What are my long-term career goals?
Where do I want to work?
Do I want to work at home, in an office, outdoors?
Do I want a job that's sedentary, or do I want a job that has me moving around a lot?
Do I want to be self-employed, or do I want to work for someone else?

Once you know the kind of job you want, ask yourself what you need to succeed. This is where you might think about...
What information about specific job options do I need to know?
Are there going to be training or educational requirements for that job?
What might I need to do in terms of my résumé, or how can I hone my interview skills?
You're going to also want to understand how work affects benefits and health care and whether or not there are opportunities for reasonable accommodations or assistive technology. 
All of these things are really important to consider as you are moving through the process of not only exploring work but exploring those work goals.

Another thing I like to do when I'm working with someone around their work goals is when you think of what that end goal is, it's great if ahead of time you can think through what are the steps along the way that you're going to need to do. Earlier, we discussed goals and having goals that are attainable. So it's great if you have a list of six or seven things you're going to need to do and very empowering when you can start checking those off.

For instance, if you've never worked and you're looking at the Ticket to Work program, making sure you have all the documentation needed to be able to be put on someone's payroll. That could be one of the steps towards employment. Every time you go through one of those steps, you're that much closer to working; and I think that's a great way to be empowering and motivating as working through the process.

Now let's meet the employment team. Once a beneficiary has decided to return to work, which option is best for them? How do they choose who to work with? Who can help achieve your work goals?

Through the Ticket program, you'll have access to a variety of Ticket program service providers. Those include Employment Networks, workforce Employment Networks, State vocational rehabilitation agencies, work incentives planning and assistance projects, protection and advocacy for beneficiaries of Social Security organizations. All of these groups are available to help an individual begin to return to work and look at work. Now we're going to spend a couple of minutes explaining what these groups are.

An Employment Network is a private or public organization that has an agreement with Social Security to provide free employment support services to people who are eligible for the Ticket program. Many state public workforce systems, such as American Job Centers, are workforce ENs. Some other types of ENs might be a center for independent living, a community rehabilitation program, a psychosocial clubhouse model, a community service board. There are all sorts of organizations out there who function as Employment Networks.

An EN service area may cover the local community or statewide. An EN may cover multiple states or the whole country. Services may be offered in person, virtually, by phone, or e-mail. One of the other great things about this is that you have a say in how those services are provided. You may be working with an EN that is in your community, and you still may prefer to do things over the phone so you don't have to travel to more meetings than needed. That is something you can choose to do. This program is very customizable based on what it is you want and need to be successful...not just at the end by getting that job, but to meet all of the goals in between deciding to go to work and getting there.

How can working with an EN help you?

Services and supports are designed to help you on the path to financial independence through work. This may include identifying your work goals, writing and reviewing your résumé, preparing for interviews, requesting and receiving reasonable accommodations, benefits counseling if there's a certified benefits counselor on staff. There are a variety of ways. Some ENs may help with procuring assistive technology that may be needed. Sometimes it could be as simple as helping with setting up schedules and reminders or maybe rearranging a workstation to be more effective. 

Anything that may be of help is something that could be offered. It, again, depends on each individual case; and it's based on the needs of each individual combined with the types of jobs that you're looking for.

A State Vocational Rehab agency is another type of employment option for SSA beneficiaries. State VR agencies provide a wide variety of services to help people with disabilities return to work, enter new lines of work, or enter the workforce for the first time. Some states have separate VR agencies that serve individuals who are blind and visually impaired. 

It's possible that a beneficiary's needs may be greater than what an Employment Network can provide. In those cases, it may be that an individual is referred to work with a State VR agency. The VR agency has the option through Partnership Plus to transfer the beneficiary to an Employment Network when they're ready after those immediate, more-intensive needs are met. 

At the same time, some beneficiaries may start with an Employment Network, realize that they may have some needs that would need to be met through a state VR, and may be transferred to a VR to then go back to the EN later in the case. That is a great thing because it, again, shows how flexible this program can be. We're going to learn a little bit more about that in a couple slides when we get to Partnership Plus.

We mentioned how can State VR agencies help. There are many services that are very similar to what you can receive through an Employment Network, but there are some additional services that are often available through State VR agencies...comprehensive vocational rehabilitation services, training and education, and special programs for young adults and veterans. Similar to ENs, State VRs can also offer benefits counseling if they have certified benefits counselors on staff. 

Some of the services we've offered here in Virginia include things like vehicle modification; we've helped someone go to school. Again, every case is different. The other thing that's important to remember is just because a service is available doesn't mean that it's always going to be approved in every case because each person is different; their knowledge, skills, and abilities are different; labor markets are different; and every state has different policies. So it's always good to make sure that you've done a little homework on your state's VR agency to make sure the things you're asking for are available.

What is Partnership Plus?

This is near and dear to my heart because I believe this program really opens a lot more doors for all beneficiaries interested in the Ticket to Work program. Partnership Plus is an agreement where State VR agencies partner with Employment Networks to provide a transition of services for those who need ongoing support. VR agencies typically close a case approximately 90 days after someone has become stable in their employment.

An Employment Network may offer continued support services to maintain employment and increase earnings over time. This is a really important factor that I try to talk to our beneficiaries with often. Many times when someone is getting ready to have their case closed by a VR because they are successful, everyone is really excited; but often, things come up six months or a year down the road. By partnering with an Employment Network and maintaining ties to a service provider through the Ticket to Work program, when something comes up that may be a little hiccup, because you have help someone is there to address it immediately.

I always look at it as if you were to have a car and it came with a warranty. Having the access of that Employment Network after VR services is an extra level of protection for people who want to go to work and make sure they're still doing all the right things they need related to managing the interaction of their earned income and their Social Security benefits. 

Partnership Plus again...EN services after VR case closure may include job retention and career advancement, job coaching, transportation, benefits counseling, wage reporting assistance, assistance with requesting job accommodation. 

We just had a really neat case where an individual we closed about nine months ago has a chance for a promotion. Because they've been working with an Employment Network, that EN helped them update their résumé with the new skills they've been receiving through their current job to include a couple of trainings they've had on the job; helped them prepare for a new interview; and our former VR participant just got promoted thanks to the Ticket to Work program. 

So this can be done in different ways. We also have had groups here who have helped our clients once they started earning better money because they had higher wages work on issues related to their credit scores. That down the road will allow them to purchase a new vehicle at a much lower interest rate. So there's all sorts of benefits to Partnership Plus and the Ticket to Work program, and those are just a couple of recent cases here in Virginia.

All right, so if you want to learn more about Partnership Plus online, there's a Partnership Plus Fact Sheet. To find more information about this, you can look in the Web Links pod at the bottom right corner called "Partnership Plus." 

The Work Incentives Planning and Assistance project...these are often just called WIPA projects, and they are staffed by community work incentives coordinators. Community work incentives coordinators provide free benefits counseling services to Social Security Disability beneficiaries about how work and earnings will affect your SSDI, your SSI, health care, and other public benefits. 

The WIPA project can help you understand work incentives and how they apply to you, explain the potential benefits of employment, and dispel myths about working. They can also help decide if the services and supports from the Ticket program are right for you. WIPA services, again, like other Ticket to Work services, are free and really a great place to start if you're worried about what's going to happen if going to work.

Who does the WIPA project serve?

The Ticket to Work Help Line will refer you to a WIPA project if you receive SSDI, SSDI-related Medicare, SSI, or SSI-related Medicaid and you're currently working or self-employed, have a job offer pending, are actively interviewing for jobs, had an interview in the past 30 days, have a job interview scheduled for the next two weeks, or if you're age 14 to 25 even in the earliest stages of considering work.

Again, access to the WIPA project begins at 14. Ticket to Work begins a little bit later, but it may be helpful to access the WIPA services as early as possible to best understand work options for beneficiaries. One of the examples of that would be a work incentive that is called the "Student Earned Income Exclusion." That allows students to disregard some of their earnings if they're in an approved educational program who may be younger than 18.

Protection and Advocacy for Beneficiaries of Social Security...and we also just call that PABSS. These organizations provide free legal assistance to people who receive Social Security disability benefits and who have disability-related employment issues. PABSS services may include legal support, advocacy, information to assist beneficiaries resolve employment-related concerns with employers, Social Security, Employment Networks, State VR agencies, WIPA projects, or others.

Many folks may have heard negative stories about interactions with one of these systems, and it's easy to have a misstep if we don't have the help in place that's needed; and PABSS is there to help make sure that doesn't happen. Really, they're there if something happens and you need to address it. If you're working with an EN or a State VR, hopefully we are doing the things needed so that your road to employment is smooth.

Other services that PABSS may help with include navigating organizations and services to support your effort to work and protect your rights; requesting reasonable accommodations in your workplace, college classes, training courses, and licensing programs; or addressing other disability-based legal issues that are barriers to employment.

How do you find a service provider?

If you're ready to find a service provider, visit choosework.ssa.gov/findhelp. Search by ZIP code, services offered, disability type, languages spoken, provider type. You can look based on an Employment Network, a workforce EN. You can look for State VR agencies, PABSS, or WIPA. You can also locate the and find help tools under "Find Help Tools" in the Web Links pod. The other option is to call the Ticket to Work Help Line for a list of service providers at 1-866-968-7842 or 1-866-833-2967. Those are just some of the ways to find a service provider.

SARAH>> All right, David, everything was excellent that you just presented. We're going to go ahead and do some questions now if you're ready.

DAVID>> Sure.

SARAH>> Awesome, okay. I'm going to start with: "If you have decided to switch programs, how can you provide feedback on the services you received with the previous organization?"

DAVID>> So you want to provide feedback to your former Employment Network about why you're switching?

SARAH>> Correct.

DAVID>> Okay, frankly, that is great; and my hope is all ENs will take that feedback. I think that when you request to have your Ticket unassigned from an Employment Network, it's a great time to actually say, "Hey, here's why I'm requesting to have my Ticket unassigned from your Employment Network." If it's related to a specific service that they don't offer or maybe related to how a certain staff that you were working with, how you perceived their interactions with you...any of those reasons would be valid and the kind of information that would allow an Employment Network to do better.

SARAH>> Great, and I will add to that even though you just said this, David. It's a great number to have, the Ticket to Work Help Line at 1-866-968-7842 and, for TTY, 1-866-833-2967. 

The next question I have for you, David, is: "I am currently under review for continued disability benefits. I may be cut off from my benefits soon. If this happens, will I also be cut off from the Ticket to Work program?"

DAVID>> Wow, so that is a great question. If you're under your continued disability review...I'm sorry. Can you repeat the question one more time? 

SARAH>> Absolutely.

DAVID>> I apologize.

SARAH>> No, you're okay: "I am currently under review for continued disability benefits. I may be cut off from my benefits soon. If that were to happen, would I also be cut off from the Ticket to Work program?"

DAVID>> Ah, okay...if you are...oh, that's a hard question to answer. So if that happens and your benefits are determined to not be in place but you're already enrolled in the program and making timely progress, you should be allowed to continue in the Ticket to Work program.

SARAH>> Okay, the next question I have for you is: "Why is it important to write down clearly-defined goals that include deadlines or timelines for reaching targets?"

DAVID>> That's really important for many reasons...first, accountability for both yourself and your service provider. The first question that was "How do I handle it if I quite because I'm not happy with my services," well, if you haven't agreed or you don't have a clear idea of what you both agreed to, it's really hard to make sure you stay on the same page. I think that having those clearly-defined goals that include deadlines...A, it helps you reach those targets. It also gives you the opportunity to reflect to say, "Hm, I thought I'd already have A, B, and C done by now; but I've only finished A. Is this more than...maybe should I reevaluate and revise my goals?"

It's great to always be moving towards employment, but sometimes we don't stop to think or we don't take into account the things we're learning along the way. The more you learn about yourself related to employment, the more some of this may change. So by writing down these goals, it gives you those opportunities to, A, be more accountable to yourself and those around you to meet them, but also to remember exactly why you're doing something. I think it's very motivating to have goals and objectives and timelines.

SARAH>> Absolutely, David, I couldn't agree more. A follow-up to that is: "How often do you recommend that I should review or revise my goals?"  Based on what you just said, do you recommend every six months, once a year, every few months? Do you have a certain timeline that you recommend?

DAVID>> No, absolutely...really, I look at it in two different ways. I always have multiple things I'm working on; and I try to review them at least every quarter, so once every three months. The reason I say that is sometimes because of no fault of our own or other priorities, certain things get put to the side. If we don't do it often enough, then it's easy to forget about; and then we never do it. 

So, first, at a minimum I would say once every three months. Now, that might be different...if you're enrolled as part of your plan in a one-year training program, there are going to be natural times during that program where maybe you have tests or exams or grades; and those are the times to evaluate. In general, I would say once a quarter.

The other thing is if you've got an employment plan that maybe has six or seven steps, it's great to review that plan after you complete each step. So maybe the first step in your employment plan for the specific goal you had was to go back and get your GED from high school. Well, in the process of getting that GED, which is great, you might realize, "Hey, I actually am thinking I might be interested in something a little different than what I started out in now that I have my GED and know that I can apply to these other types of businesses." I think by reevaluating your goals when you've met different benchmarks related to them, it gives you more agency and autonomy with where you want to go.

So that is how I would answer that...is at a minimum of once a quarter, and then whenever you hit one of the targets because does hitting that target or did the process of hitting that target change anything or teach me anything that may shift what I want to do?

SARAH>> Okay, thank you, David. Next question is: "Am I able to work with multiple service providers...such as my State VR and ENs?"

DAVID>> Absolutely...now, there may be a sequential order to those services, but 100%. That's called Partnership Plus; and if you're going through an American Job Center, depending on what your goal is, you may ask to have an integrated resource team in which you would bring all of the partners together that could help you to kind of figure out a plan that would work. 

The answer is absolutely, but you can't have your Ticket with two groups at one time. So sequentially, yes...but some of the services you may need wouldn't need the Ticket to apply to it.

SARAH>> So would a VR agency and the EN be able to work together for the one Ticket...whoever—

DAVID>> Oh, we do that a lot in Virginia. What's great about our Partnership Plus model is we might have an Employment Network who is also an employment service organization for our agency. A perfect example in Virginia...we will bend out benefits counseling services, and we work with Employment Networks in the state who have certified benefits planners. The ticket at the moment would be with the State VR agency, but we would work with that EN staff around issues related to benefits. Then when we close the case successfully, we encourage those individuals to hand their Ticket over to an Employment Network that they've either worked with or one that has the services they need.

We also see that in Virginia with supported employment services. Many of our supported employment vendors are also Employment Networks; and so in that period, VR may be the agency paying for those services, but the beneficiary is working with both an Employment Network and a VR staff.

SARAH>> Okay, the next question I have for you is: "Can a Ticket to Work service provider help me with writing my résumé if I'm on the beginning stages of looking for work?"

DAVID>> Absolutely, that is a service that many ENs offer. They can also work with you on customizing a résumé to a specific job. I know one of the things we – because Virginia borders the Washington D.C. area and there are lots of federal jobs, there's an EN that specifically one of the things they're kind of experts in is helping individuals customize their résumé for federal applications. They do really well at that. So that is a service.

One of the things you can see from that "Choose Help" site, when you go to look at ENs, there's a way to see what services they each offer; and that's another way to look. Most will offer help with résumés. Don't be afraid if you see two or three jobs that you like, work with your EN. Maybe you would have to change your résumé a little bit for each; but a lot of jobs these days go through automated processes when people turn in those résumés, so most folks know, oh, I've got to use these keywords when I'm applying for certain jobs.

SARAH>> All right, thanks so much, David. 

"What are my options if the nearest VR provider is 200 miles away from me?"

DAVID>> Wow, so my hope is that if the nearest VR is 200 miles away that they have some mechanism in place to still provide you with services if those are the services you want. That may mean that you get services in a remote setting. Maybe there's an area closer to you where you would go, and the VR staff would meet with you. I know in our rural areas and in our more spread out areas, distance and transportation can be big issues. That's where you would focus more on those virtual or remote services and make sure the agency you're working with has the capability to provide services in that way.

The other piece is I think sometimes people forget that, "Hey, me getting to you is a barrier. What can you do to allow us to work together? That's an okay question to ask. The answer may be different in every state. The answer may actually be different from one VR office to another in a state. For instance, in Virginia we have offices that are in Appalachia, where there's a lot of mountains and distance between offices; and the counties are very large and spread out. Then we have areas with a lot of population density and great public transportation because everything is within a few miles of each other.

So it really can vary in any given state. Again, asking those questions is one of your rights when you go to ask for services.

SARAH>> Okay, thank you. 

"Is there a tool to help me keep track of the Employment Networks that I'm interested in and looking into?"

DAVID>> Absolutely, the "Finding an EN and Assigning Your Ticket Worksheet" provides you with questions to ask and space to write down information as you decide which EN is right for you. To find ENs in your area, use the "Find Help" tool. I briefly mentioned that before. It's a great tool and a wonderful way to figure out exactly what it is you want.

SARAH>> Okay.

"In that case, if I'm unable to make contact with an EN, what do you recommend I do as the next step?"

DAVID>> Meaning that the EN didn’t respond to you?

SARAH>> Yes, non-responsive or having some trouble reaching out.

DAVID>> Okay, again, you could call the 800-number again and see if there could be help that way. You could try a different method. If you made a phone call and that didn't work, did you send an e-mail? 

The other thing you can do is maybe there's another EN you were looking at, and you could try them. I know that when I'm working with beneficiaries because we don't actively recommend one Employment Network over another, one of the things I tell folks to do is, "This is your services, and you're the customer. So you need to treat this much like you'll then go on job interviews. You should treat every aspect of this as kind of an interview for what provider you're going to work with." 

If you were to reach out to three providers that you think are interesting and who meet your needs and one of them calls you back the very next day and two days after that you get stuff in the mail related to everything they do and another one calls you back a week later with no follow-up, well, that would show me one seems more interested in working with me than another. Some of that is part of how you make the decisions of who you're going to work with. 

Again, I would start with calling the 800-number to see if maybe the information had changed a bit or something had changed.

SARAH>> Okay, the next question, David, is: "Can a Ticket to Work service provider help me finish my education?"

DAVID>> Yes, they could; it depends on what kind of education and what you're looking at. There are workforce ENs that help folks get their CDLs and other kinds of credentials. If you're looking for a master's degree or that kind of education, usually it would be a State Vocational Rehab agency that can provide that. That's just because of the costs of those services; but for many types of training programs and credentialing processes related to work, many ENs offer help with those.

SARAH>> Thank you, David. The next question I have for you is: "Can I work and still go to a vocational school to become certified in a field that I desire?"

DAVID>> Absolutely, in fact, sometimes that's a great way to build up your work history and your stamina while working towards your ultimate goal. Oftentimes, it's the way you get the experience needed so that once you have finished that training, you're more employable. I think that's a great way to do things.

SARAH>> Okay, David, that's all the time we have for questions right now. We will come back to some more questions shortly. We're just going to keep moving forward.

I just want to say a quick reminder...and thank you all for sending through your questions. Before we move on, I would like to remind everyone that the accessible materials for today's webinar are available either in the Web Links pod or in your confirmation e-mail for today's webinar; or, if course, you can e-mail Ticket to Work at webinars@choosework.ssa.gov.

I'm going to turn it back over to you, David, to share some information on benefits counseling and much more. Thanks so much, David.

DAVID>> You're welcome, thank you.

Benefits counseling...this stuff is really important, and one of the greatest pieces of the Ticket to Work program and legislation were some of the things related to benefits counseling.

So what is it?

The Ticket program has service providers that offer access to free benefits counseling to help you understand how work will affect federal and state benefits, including Medicare and Medicaid' Social Security Disability Insurance; Supplemental Security Income; housing assistance; Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program, which is SNAP, food stamps.

There are so many of these pieces that the money you earn may change how your benefits work or are affected, and understanding that is such a key part of making an informed choice. There are some great protections available for people who want to go to work; but, again, understanding those benefits is a key piece. The Ticket program basically makes sure that people who want help with that part have the access to it.

There are four types of service providers who may offer access to benefits counseling. We talked briefly about them. Again, they are the Work Incentives Planning and Assistance project, the State Vocational Rehab agencies, Employment Network s include workforce ENs, and I think we left...well, no, and including workforce ENs. Any of those groups may offer access to benefits counseling.

Working with your State VR agency or an EN...when you're looking for finding the right service providers for you, once you've got a list of your service providers from the Ticket to Work Help Line or Find Help tools, this worksheet may help with the process of calling, e-mailing, visiting an EN or VR agency to find one that's right for you. The worksheet suggests questions to ask which may help you make the decision to assign your ticket. You can download that worksheet, which is included right there, at http://bit.ly/finding-EN. 

Also, if you go to the Web Links pod, under "Finding an EN," you can download the worksheet there. It is a really good tool. If you're on this call and you're a service provider and you work with specific types of individuals, I always recommend it's a great thing to download ahead of time; and you may have certain questions or things that are unique to the population you work with that you want to add or customize for what you do. Again, it is a great tool.

Some of the questions to consider asking a service provider are...
Do you serve others who have the same disability I have or a similar one?
What types of jobs have you found for other people with similar skill sets?
Do you work with clients in-person or virtually?
What happens after I assign my Ticket?

Another question I like to ask is...
Do you have connections and resources in my area that we can utilize for my benefit?
Sometimes an EN may be a member of a local Chamber of Commerce or Economic Development or have an agreement or a partnership with a larger employer. Those things can be really nice. 

Another question I like to think about is...
Have you helped people graduate from the program? Meaning, have you helped people become self-sufficient?
That can tell you a lot about an organization's ability. 

I know we work with a lot of folks who are deaf and hard-of-hearing. They prefer working with ENs who have staff on hand who sign and are fluent in ASL. We also have folks who want to work with someone who speaks Spanish or their native language, and asking those questions to know if that's something the provider you're looking at has is really important.

What services do you need to achieve your work goal?

As you meet with those prospective service providers, be sure to talk about those services you need...such as résumé writing, interview skills, benefits counseling, why you are looking for help with these services, and how the service provider can help you achieve your work goals. 

Again, we may not have all the answers to these questions. It's also a great time to say, "Hey, did I leave anything out? If you've met with someone for 30 minutes to talk about the program and a work plan, you may say, "You know, this sounds really good; but is there anything I'm missing, or are there things you recommend that I consider on top of this list?" Because even though these are your services, the more collaborative you can make the process, the better equipped you will be to take advantage of the knowledge, skills, and expertise of the Employment Network's staff.

Some other questions to keep in mind, and this goes back to sort of what I tried to mention related to paying attention to how long it takes for someone to get back to me. Ask yourself after meeting with someone...
Did the staff seem friendly and willing to work with you?
Did the EN or State VR provide all of the services you need?
How did the service provider compare to other providers you're considering?
Do you know anyone who has used this service provider; if so, what were their experiences?

Along with that...
Did you actually speak to other providers in the area, and did one seem like a better fit than another? That's a really important part of determining what makes sense and what to look for going forward.

There's a path to success. Everyone's path to financial independence through work is different. Once you decide to pursue employment, a Ticket program service provider can help with identifying work goals; creating a plan to achieve your work goals and set a timeline; help complete the steps along that path; and understand your responsibility for reporting work and earnings to follow your plan.

Just like everyone's plan is different, the steps may look a little different; and the things needed may be a little different. So I'd also encourage folks to really do what's in your best interests...not just, oh, I know this other person who went here so that's where I'm going. It may become the right choice for you, but there is built into the Ticket program a tremendous amount of opportunity for agency and autonomy when choosing what it is you want to work on and how you want to get there. That's a great and very empowering part of the Ticket to Work program.

So your road map, Work Plan...part of the path to financial independence through work is a Work Plan. You'll work with your service provider to develop your plan, which will include...
Career planning that identifies short- and long-term goals and the amount of earnings you expect to make when you start working and when your plan ends. 
It's going to also include specific supports and services that you will receive.
An agreement that you sign saying you'll follow the plan and make timely progress toward your goals.
Your service provider will also sign, agreeing to provide the supports within that plan.

So really, think of that Work Plan as a contract between you and your Employment Network with what each of you is going to do to make sure you're successful. It's a way to, again, make sure you're accountable; make sure that things are happening in the right way; and that it seems like a logical way for you to move forward. 

You can learn more about work plans in the Ticket to Work Fact Sheet, "Planning Your Employment Goals with the Ticket to Work Program." Again, if you go to the Web Links pod under "Ticket to Work Fact Sheet," you can get more information on this. It's another great way to kind of have some basics.

I should have said this earlier but the more you understand about the Ticket to Work program before you reach out to Employment Networks, the better off you'll be because you'll just be a more educated consumer of the services you may choose to get. I know when I talk to someone who is considering applying for VR services, I suggest that they read through a couple of different things related to how our state works mainly because I want to make sure that individuals understand what they can ask for, what we may provide, so that they feel empowered to really go for the highest level of what it is they want to achieve. That's an important thing.

Now we're going to look at some additional resources.

If you're looking for an EN to get started on your path to financial independence through work, "Choosing the Right Employment Network for You" fact sheet can help. You can use this resource to find questions that can help you choose a provider, an explanation of the process and what to expect. Again, you can download that worksheet at the link provided; or you can go to the Web Links pod and, again, looking for "Choosing the Right EN" for additional help in the search for an EN. 

That Web Links pod has some great tools; and if you're on, I would highly recommend opening and bookmarking lots of those.

If you'd like to learn more about the monthly WISE webinars, you can subscribe to find out our topics each month and be the first to register. Again, the link is provided.

To stay in touch, you can choose the WISE Webinar subscription and choose the blog description in the Web Links pod. If you're interested in learning more in general about the Ticket program, employment services, and other topics, that "Choose Work" blog is a great way to get weekly updates. There are often changes or new developments and ways to get help, and so keeping up with that is really good.

Especially if you are a provider or a case manager if you're on this call and you help other people, staying abreast of what's happening with the Ticket to Work program is really a great way to be as effective as possible as an advocate for people you're trying to help return to work.

Now we're going to talk a little bit about Walter's story. Walter's goals included working at a local university; and with help from his Ticket program service provider, he was able to begin to develop the soft skills he needed. He gained career experience. He was able to get the job he always wanted, and he became the first person in his family to own a home. 

Walter said, "For me, work is not all about the paycheck," he says. "It's about all of the other things that go with the job. I like being part of the Cornell community. Everyone is so nice; the surroundings are beautiful; and I've met people from many different cultures too. Now I get to work every day in a place where I'm comfortable, where I can be myself." 

A Ticket to Work success story...and, again, you can click on a link to get more information about that. You can find Walter's story in the Web Links pod under "Walter's Success Story."

SARAH>> Okay, David, we have some more questions for you. Thank you for covering all of that. That was great information and great to hear Walter's success story. We are going to go ahead and ask some questions varying from the whole webinar, so it might be some of your beginning information or the end.

"Can a service provider help me find accommodations that will help me at work based on my disability?"

DAVID>> Absolutely, service providers may offer support from services that help you decide how you want to discuss and what your decision is going to be around disclosing your disability. A service provider may support self-advocacy and negotiation with the employer. They may help find accommodations suitable for your needs. Again, part of that is what is your decision related to how you want to disclose your disability and your needs; and all of those things a service provider could help with related to accommodation requests.

SARAH>> Okay, thank you very much.

"Can a service provider help me with transportation for work?"

DAVID>> Actually, that is something a service provider could help with in different ways. I know in a State VR agency, we will often provide for the first month of employment a bus pass or access to some form of transportation and help with a plan related to, hey, we can help until you get that first paycheck; but let's also help develop a budget so that you know how much of your check has to go towards this. That's absolutely something many ENs help with as well.

One more thing about that. I'm sorry, I should have mentioned this. Sometimes because of a disability, individuals need specialized transportation. In our city, we have like a special transit that will provide door-to-door service at different costs; but those costs can then be utilized as an impairment-related work expense when someone is trying to figure out how their earned income is affecting their SSI or SSDI check. So again, working with an Employment Network on something like transportation may not involve the Employment Network actually getting you to or from the job; but they're going to find some ways to utilize a work incentive that can help you do that as well.

SARAH>> All right, thank you, David. The next question I have for you is: "I am planning to relocate to a different state. Will state agencies work together, or will I need to start fresh after my move?"

DAVID>> Many state agencies work together. That doesn't mean you don't have to go through the process. So two things can happen. Depending on where you are in the process, if the State VR agency you were working with...if you're moving because you found the job you want, well, oftentimes that State agency can still continue to help you through the end of your stability period. I know we've had cases where we've had someone that we were providing some of the services and a different state was providing other services. 

So absolutely states can work together, and the key to that is just communication. If you already have a counselor in Massachusetts and you move to Virginia, making sure that you allow those two counselors to talk to each other is going to make things move smoother. So a lot of that is really about making sure you're communicating effectively and sharing the information needed so those states can work together or those groups can work together.

SARAH>> Communication really does always make things better; doesn't it, David?

DAVID>> It does, absolutely.

SARAH>> Okay, the next question I have for you is: "Once I identify a service provider, about how long does the process take? Will service providers continue to follow up with me even after I find a job?"

DAVID>> That's a great question, and this is one of those areas that I spend a lot of time on when I'm working with beneficiaries here in Virginia. First off, the process could take a month; it could take four years to get to where you want to go. One of the beauties of the Ticket to Work program and the way it is designed is even after your initial success and you are earning above substantial gainful activity, the program is designed, depending on your benefit type, for that Employment Network to be available to you for another 36 to 60 months. 

So three to five years, depending on your specific situation, where you have access to services as needed to continue to grow in your employment or address issues as they arise. Part of that though is going to be, hey, if I got a phone call, if my Employment Network checked up because I haven't heard from them in two months, did you return the call? If they sent me an e-mail saying, "Hey, we just wanted to check in to make sure things are okay and there's nothing you need," am I following up to keep them in the loop? That's another of the things that is really back to communication.

Even if you don't really need much from that Employment Network today or in the past month, if they reach out to maintain that relationship, it's really in your best interests to follow up. "Yes, I'm still here. I'm doing great right now. I don't need anything; but thank you, and please keep checking in." That kind of encourages to maintain that relationship because if it becomes a one-way relationship, it's much harder to get help if needed when you need help.

SARAH>> Okay, the next question I have for you, David, is: "If I find a job through Ticket to Work, is it the EN that pays me?"

DAVID>> No, when you find a job, you are going to be employed by a business; and that is where you will get paid. Earlier when I mentioned the piece related to, hey, do I have all the necessary paperwork I need to become legally employed...some places I need a State-issued ID and a bank account for direct deposit. So all of that is because the goal of this program is to get you employed in the community of your choice with a business based on your goals. So the Employment Network is not paying for your hours worked.

Now, there may be Employment Networks who have full-time job openings and you go to work there; but I think that would be less often the case.

SARAH>> Okay, thank you, David. Next question is: "What is the difference between a State VR agency and an EN? Do they provide all of the same services or separate?"

DAVID>> They don't all provide...first off, not all ENs provide all the same services; and not all State VR agencies provide all the same services. The main difference though is a State VR agency is funded through the Rehabilitation Services Administration under the Department of Education and are charged with serving individuals with disabilities. If somebody comes in for services to a VR agency, the VR agency is going to say, "Okay, great, we're going to try to help you with that." 

An Employment Network is usually funded through their Ticket to Work revenue, and they can say, "Oh, I can work with you because this fits with what we do," or they might say sometimes, "We think you can be successful, but we're the not right group for you." That's not going to happen with a State VR agency. If you come in for services and are eligible for VR services, you will be provided those because we're funded differently. 

Many of the services are similar. That's the other reason for Partnership Plus. If your state has a waiting list, you can go get some of the help up front so that when you can get your case opened with VR, you're halfway there; and it can lower the total amount of time it takes to get to full employment.

SARAH>> Thank you, David. Next question: "Can I work with my State VR agency by e-mail or over the phone?"

DAVID>> Absolutely, generally you do have to have a meeting at the beginning to develop your individual plan for employment and to turn in all the paperwork to be eligible; but if you prefer to work with a counselor in a certain mode of communication, your counselor should honor that. If they don't, then that's a sign that maybe this isn't the best fit.

SARAH>> Okay, next question: "Could you clarify? I have a disability and receive benefits. How do I know if I'm eligible for Ticket to Work, and how do I get started?"

DAVID>> Okay, again, you can call the 800-number we talked about earlier; and, A, that's a great way to know if you're eligible. If you receive SSI or SSDI and you're between the ages of 18 and 64, you should absolutely be eligible. Oftentimes, if you can call your State VR agency, they can tell you if you're eligible. You can call an EN; but again, that Ticket to Work Help Line is a great place to start because they usually can tell you that information right away.

SARAH>> Okay, and we will go over that Ticket to Work Help Line number once more before we close the event for everyone.

The next question for you, David, is: "Will my service provider find a job for me, or do I just need to find job openings?"

DAVID>> No, so it's again really a combination of things and what you're looking for and what type of EN you go to look for it with. In many cases, the Employment Network after you have worked developing a résumé and a list of your knowledge, skills, and abilities based on what you want, they might give you a list of, hey, here are openings near you that you should apply for. They should also be very open to if you were to say, "Hey, here's a job I want to apply for," and they could help you customize your application and résumé to fit that. Again, it's back to that it's a two-way street; and you're working together to get employed.

SARAH>> Thank you for that, David. The next question is: "I've heard that I'll lose my benefits right away if I go back to work. I'm afraid that I can't work full-time. Can Ticket to Work help me with that?"

DAVID>> Oh, I hate when I hear that; and I will say, that is not an uncommon thing to hear. We often talk about the fact that there are people who have horror stories related to what happened when they went to work; but usually it's because someone, A, either did something or thought they did something and didn't or didn't follow up in some way. So to start off, no; that is not generally how things work.

Your benefits may change over time; and maybe if you have SSI and you go to work, depending on the amount, your check may be reduced because of your earned income. If you have SSDI and you suddenly are earning a great amount, at a certain point your check would go away because you would have used up your trial work period; but your benefits don't work that way. It's not designed to be, oh, you went to work; you lose everything.

In most cases, you can keep your health benefits for many years. So usually when that kind of question comes to me...and I hate to say it this way because every case is different...but that's why there's such value in the WIPA staff and Employment Network staff or VR that have benefit counselors. Each situation is different; but if you understand your particular situation and how the rules are going to affect you, which also depends on what state you're in, you're going to know how to make the best decision each time there's a decision to be made.

It goes back to that proactive communication and follow-up; but absolutely not, your benefits do not just go away right when you go to work. That would never be the intent of these programs. These programs are designed to actually, when you work with the providers who are trained to do this, make sure you have the critical protections in place to be able to go to work.

SARAH>> Thank you, David. The next question I have for you: "If my State VR agency helped me find a job, why would I need to work with an EN?"

DAVID>> Another question I get often internally when we have folks who are ready to close their case. Part of why you would need that is even if things are going great when your case closes, because you are able to keep that protection for another three to five years, why wouldn't you if, A, the services are fee to you so there's no cost? More importantly, if anything were to come up, you would have someone who knew your situation, knew your benefits, knew your job to where you would get help so quickly that it wouldn't affect your ability to continue to grow in your employment. 

I like to think of it from a different way. The job I got when I first started working in my agency wasn't the job I'm in now because I wanted to continue to grow in my knowledge and skills and abilities. Having someone there to help me craft my story when opportunities came up was a great way to get help to continue to grow in employment. I think that is one of the best parts of the Ticket program. 

You may not need or think you need help today, and you might not. You might not really need any hands-on help for a while, but it's nice to know it's available. If you don't do that, other things come back. One of the other reasons I think it's so great is if you keep working with a Ticket to Work Employment Network and you continue to make that timely progress, you will not have continued disability reviews. So that's another great piece. It's an added benefit of being a part on the Ticket to Work program and being with an EN. So there are a lot of positive reasons to stay involved with an EN after you have a job.

SARAH>> Okay, thank you, David.

"Do service providers report my work and wages to Social Security for me?"

DAVID>> There are some that I've heard of that do that. I always recommend that you, as a beneficiary, should be responsible for managing your benefits; and there are a lot of reasons for that. You might have some good intentioned staff who does some of that for you, and maybe they leave their job. So suddenly, well someone did this for me; well, how do I do it now?

I wear glasses, so I have to regularly get my eyes checked; if not, it's on me that I might have some negative consequence because I didn't do that. I don't think that's the case with this, but reporting your wages is getting easier and easier to do and absolutely is a piece that I always recommend that a beneficiary do themselves...even if anyone they work with has a staff that says, "Oh, I'll do that." 

Again, I just think it also helps with your recordkeeping and ability to say if someone comes back and has a question, "Well, I know I did this on this date; and here's my log of it." So, yes, there are ENs that do that or staff that do that; but I recommend best practice is that you, as a beneficiary, do that yourself.

SARAH>> Okay, thanks again, David. A few more questions for you before we wrap up: "What service provider should I work with if I think my employer has discriminated against me because of my disability?"

DAVID>> Well, so we actually talked about the group that would do that; and that would be PABSS.

SARAH>> All right, excellent. Then another question I have for you is: "What happens if I don't make timely progress? Am I no longer able to receive services from my EN?"

DAVID>> No, that a great question because I think people get really worried about that. If you fail to make timely progress, what that means is that you are going to have your regularly-scheduled continuing disability review. So if you were on a schedule to have your CDR in 2022 because you're on a five-year cycle and you had your last one in 2017, if you signed up with an Employment Network in 2018 but maybe haven't made the timely progress for the first year, you would still be getting those services from the EN; but that medical review that was going to be happening in a couple years would just still be happening.

So it is a scary thing, and people get really worried about it; but it doesn't stop your services and it doesn't mean you have failed and it doesn't mean you won't be successful in the program. It might mean it's going to take a little bit longer, and you'll go through a process that you may have been through in the past because those reviews are a part of having those benefits.

SARAH>> Okay and, David, unfortunately, that's all the time we have today for questions.

Thank you to the audience for sending in such great questions.

David, it was a pleasure having you here today; and thank you for your expertise.

DAVID>> You are very welcome. Thank you very much. I greatly appreciate the opportunity. 

SARAH>> Thanks, David.

Okay, Social Security's Ticket to Work program has a number of service providers and other resources ready to help you get started. To get a list of providers in your area or get answers to questions that you may have about the Ticket program and other work incentives, you can contact the Ticket to Work Help Line at 1-866-968-7842 or, for TTY, 1-866-833-2967. That's Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Eastern Time. 

You can also visit the Ticket to Work website at choosework.ssa.gov any time.

You can also find us on social media or subscribe to the blog and e-mail updates by visiting choosework.ssa.gov/contact. This link appears in the Web Links pod under "Ticket to Work Contact Information."

Please join us again for the next WISE webinar, "Ticket to Work and Employment Supports for Veterans," which will be held on Wednesday, November 20, 2019, from 3:00 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. Easter Time. Registration is open, and we look forward to having you attend. To register online, go to choosework.ssa.gov/wise; or you can call 1-866-968-7842 or, for TTY, 1-866-833-2967.

Your feedback is very important to us and helps us plan for future webinars. Please provide your feedback and tell us what you think about today's webinar by taking the survey. To take the survey, you can follow the link that will pop up after the webinar or visit Ticket to Work website to complete the survey.

Thank you again for attending today and learning about the Ticket to Work program.