WISE Ticket to Work Webinar
Ticket to Work and Employment Supports for Veterans
November 20, 2019

Speakers: Sarah Hyland (Moderator); Ray Cebula & Sheriene Knox (Presenters)

SARAH>> Good afternoon and welcome today's Ticket to Work webinar, Ticket to Work and Employment Support for Veterans. My name is Sarah Hyland, and I am a member of the Ticket to Work team. I'll be your moderator for today's webinar. We are so glad you were 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 your path to financial independence through work. And for our veterans joining us today, we thank you for your service. 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 functions of the webinar platform so that you can interact and get the most of the information presented today. First, you can manage your audio using the audio option at the top of your screen. The audio option is an icon that looks like a microphone or telephone. All attendees will be muted throughout today's webinar; thus, when presented with the options to joining the audio conference, choose "Listen only," which appears at the bottom right in the audio menu. Clicking Listening only allows the sound to be broadcast through your computer speakers or your headphones. Please make sure your computer speakers are turned on and your headphones are plugged in. If you are unable to connect to 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'll share with you some information on webinar accessibility. On the Adobe Connect platform you will notice that your screen has four different boxes. These boxes are called pods. We have the presentation pod where the slides appear. Below that is the closed captioning pod. In the top right-hand corner you will see the Q&A pod, and below the Q&A pod is the web link pod, and we will talk about these pods in more detail a little bit later. If you need assistance navigating Adobe Connect, an Accessibility 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 found in the web link pod under the title "Closed captioning." 

We are here today to answer question 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 these questions to the appropriate speakers during the Q&A portions of our webinar. We will be addressing questions at two different points throughout today's presentation, so go ahead and send those questions in, and we will do our best to answer as many of them as we possibly can. If you are listening by phone and you are not logged into the webinar, you may have questions by sending an e-mail to Ticket to Work. The e-mail address is webinars@chooseworks.ssa.gov. 

Another resource available that we think you will find extremely helpful in connecting to the different resources mentioned today is the web links pod, which you will find at the bottom right-hand slide 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" bottom at the bottom of the pod. You will then be taken to the website requested. If you are listening by phone and not lo logged into the webinar or have access to the web links pod, and you would like to, you can also e-mail Ticket to Work. The e-mail address again, is webinars@choosework.ssa.gov. or you can reference the confirmation e-mail that you received for 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 that we just talked about in the bottom right-hand corner of your screen, and it is titled "WISE Webinar Archives." 

We hope that 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 us an e-mail at webinars@choosework.ssa.gov. As I mentioned earlier, my name is Sarah Hyland, and I am a member of the Ticket to Work team. I'm excited to be with you here today as you moderator. We are delighted to have with us Ray Cebula and Sheriene Knox. 

Our first speaker, Ray Cebula, received his law degree from the Franklin Pierce Law Center. He spent 23 years working with Legal Services, providing direct representation to individuals with disabilities having legal issues with the SSA. He became part of Cornell University's Work Incentive Support Center in 2000, and in 2005 was brought on the staff of ILR's Yang Tan Institute on Employment and Disability, where he now serves as the program director of YTI Online, Cornell's Work Incentive Practitioner Credentialing Program. 

Since 2014, Sheriene Knox has served as the Ticket to Work manager for Operation for Job Ready Veterans, a Ticket program employment network. She has over 25 years of experience helping people with disabilities across the United States, veterans and non-veteran, find and keep employment that meets their interests and abilities. She is also a benefit specialist who believes in providing highly individualized services to those she serves; veterans, spouses, and caregivers. Sheriene is a graduate of Ball State University, Miller College of Business. 

Thanks again for joining us today. We have very informative discussion for our guest presenters and they will discuss the Ticket program features, the Ticket program service providers and work incentives, and how Ticket program service providers and Social Security work incentives can help veterans transition to the civilian workforce employment tools for veterans with disabilities. 

At the close of today's webinar, you will be able to better understand the Ticket program, be able to choose a service provider to help you meet your employment goals, and be able to identify resources to support your transition to civilian life. And with that, it's my pleasure to introduce Ray Cebula to start us off with the Ticket to Work program and support on your journey to work and plenty of other great information. Ray, handing it over to you. 

RAY>> Okay, thank you, Sarah. I just wanted to say hello to everybody, and welcome to our veterans, and thank you again for your service. We are going to be talking about a lot of programs today, and I've got to say that nothing in my career excited me more than the Ticket to Work Act and the ability to use the Social Security programs to help people become independent of benefits and get back into the workforce, so this is a privilege for me to speak with you today. 

We're dealing with two disability programs that are administered by the Social Security Administration. The first one is known as SSDI. It's Social Security Disability Insurance, and this is a program that is funded by your FICA deductions. If you are working and having taxes withheld, and part of those taxes are FICA, you are buying insurance for both retirement and for disability should you need that. And as you work more, not only do you get closer to that insurance status, but your benefits continue to increase. So, for those of you who are veterans and have some civilian work, you could be, potentially, eligible for both of your disability compensation and social security disability based on that civilian work. You're one of the prime groups in this country, and the only group that can receive both of those benefits. Now, there's a lot to be said about becoming insured, but just know that it depends on your age. The younger you are the earlier you become insured, and we can talk about that during another webinar. 

SSI is the alternative program and the second program run by social security, and it functions more like a federal welfare program. It is a needs-based program. People must have low income and low resources, and it's provided to people whose insurance status might have expired for disability purposes, who never worked enough to become insured, or do not have a work history, and it pays a federal benefit rate that is uniform across the country, and also comes with healthcare benefits. And I should have mentioned that at SSDI comes with a set of healthcare benefits as well. But those are the two programs that are available for folks. 

What can I say about starting this journey? The journey from benefits dependence to work is most certainly something that you can choose. There are many myths we're going to talk about, but it is certainly up to you. It's our job to make sure that you can make an informed choice about what is right for you, and we can take about the Ticket to Work as one of those avenues. 

The Ticket to Work program provides everybody who is age 18 through 64 with a ticket, and it is free and it is voluntary. And Sheriene will be talking to you a lot about how this ticket functions a little bit later on. But, again, this is your choice to use this ticket, and it can be used for education, career development, on-the-job support, training, anything that you can possibly imagine and can be provided by an employment network, such as Sheriene. It's a great program. You have a lot of choose from, and both SSDI and SSI recipients are eligible for that program. The one thing that I wanted to add about that was that for those people who aren't age 18, you must have gone through that age-58 review and been determined to be a disabled adult before that ticket is going to become available to you. 

Now, the ticket is connecting you with employment services through an employment network or your state VR agency. Now, notice they're free employment services. You know, if you decide that working is right for you, we can help you use that ticket to prepare for work, to find a job, to prepare resumes, to get some interview practice, and support you while you are working so that you're sure that you're going to succeed. It's a very amazing program. It's basically a free gift card, and you can take it and shop for employment networks and interview those employment networks and talk to state VR and make a decision as to who fit your needs best. 

Now, if you choose to participate, you'll receive services from an employment network or your state Rehabilitation Agency. All of these people have been vetted by Maximus and by Social Security, and they are all well versed in Social Security programs and what needs to be done to help people get to work. You may find an employment network that deals especially with people with blindness or especially with people with mental ill or specialty with veterans, and you're going to want to find one that matches your need and will be best able to meet your goal of getting to work. And, again, those services can include career counseling, preparing a resume. You know, it's been a long time since I had to prepare a resume, and I would need help to prepare one right now. Interview preparation and job placement, you know, these ENs are very good at knowing the market in their area, and they know where those jobs exist, and that can be invaluable help to get you quickly to work. 

Now, why the Ticket to Work, why use it? You know, earning a living from employment is not something everybody can do, but it may be your choice. You may want to do that. You know, once you understand that the services exist and are of no charge, and that there are continued supports available, there's always a fear. There are street myths. You know, we call is "Benny lore" is out on the street talking. But the reward of work and earning income far outweigh the risks, and we're here to help dispel those myths and minimize the risks. And there truly aren't many risks. This is a fabulous program when coupled with the work incentives. 

If you take the time to learn about these employment services and supports, I think you're going to be very surprised that what you may believe about returning to work while receiving social security is all false, and working towards independence can be a goal that is gradually attained. You can move along at your own speed. You know, there will be a plan. You have to keep current with that plan, but this can be made as comfortable as possible for you, because we want you to succeed in that transition. 

Why choose work? The veterans who are receiving SSI or Social Security Disability programs, the ticket allows you to these services to transfer those skills. Now, we know that while you're in the military you're gaining a certain skillset, and I can't wait for Sheriene to talk about this. But the transition of military skills into civilian skills can be a bit daunting. Sheriene is going to tell you how that's possible, and it is possible. The transition from military life to civilian workplace and civilian life can be hard, but it is doable, and we are here to provide you with the support that you need as far as benefits management, as far as getting employment services, and as far as supporting you on that new job until you can do that independently. 

So, who can help? Lots of people. You know, I like to steal Hillary's Clinton's little adage to raise a child. Well, it takes a village to make a worker, and we have a village waiting to help you. There are several agencies and types of services that can help you do this. The employment networks are wonderful. They will help you every step of the way. The workforce ENs are out there. They're going to help you as well, and the state VR agencies. You know, many veterans that I talk with tend to be reluctant to talk to their state VR agency. Well, there's nothing wrong with somebody who is receiving help from the VR and disability compensation for a service-connected disability, so reach out to the state VR agencies. We're trying to build a worker, and that may very well take resources from several different agencies. If you are residing in a state, you are eligible for that state's VR service. So, it's a mix of people and agencies that are going to help you make this transition to independence, and it's important to use them all. 

Now, what is an EN? An EN is a private organization, such as Sheriene, or a public organization, such as your state VR agency, that has an agreement with Social Security to provide free services to people who are eligible for the Ticket program, and we know that's age 18 to 64 and receiving a cash benefit, and who want to go to work. You know, there are many state public workforce systems, such as the American Job Centers -- it used to be called One-stop Centers -- who are also workforce ENs and part of this program. So, there are a great number of ENs, and our friends at Maximus are making sure they're doing their job on behalf of people, and the ENs out there that I'm familiar with and work with and know people there are exceptional. They really, really are exceptional. And, yes, we want to be independent, but it's possible that we might need some help to get there, and the ENs are there to help. 

Some of the services that ENs can provide, you know, they can be national. They can be local. They may provide service to a few Zip Codes in your state. They might take care of areas such as New England or the entire country. You know, there are all kind of networks. It's up to you to do some investigation, and we'll tell you how to do that. You know, what types of services do you need? Are you able? Is it best for you to just make contact by phone or e-mail? You know, maybe we just need some interviewing skills. Maybe just some resume preparation and someone who knows where the jobs are in your area. So, there's not a lot of in-person work that's necessary. And if you're comfortable doing that, then that's a good choice for you. Or would you rather sit down with somebody and talk and have that interview practice done person to person, face to face? Both methods work. Both are available, and the choice is yours. 

Your biggest choice is whether or not the EN that you're talking to can provide you with the services, has the skills to do that, and has a track record. How many people have you placed who are in my situation? You have every right to interview every EN that serves your area, and then make an informed choice about who you're going to give your ticket to. 

Now, how can this help? You're getting valuable services at no charge, and these people in agencies are dedicated to help you work your way to financial independence. You know, by identifying a work goal, by writing and reviewing those resumes, and just saying you spent four years in the Marines doesn't tell us enough. We need to know what you did. You have lots of skills, and how do we translate that into civilian work? Preparing for interviews, you know, again, it's been so long since I've had an interview, I would need those skills. You have to be prepared. You have to know about the companies. You need to ask questions. ENs can help you get that all done so that you're comfortable with that interview process. 

Requesting reasonable accommodations, you know, it's your business and your decision to disclose whether you have a disability. And if you need accommodations, certainly, you need to disclose that. When it's done, how it's done is always a question. It depends on the individual circumstances. Well, the EN can help you talk about that. Do we need to reveal the disability and the need for accommodations during that initial interview or can we wait until we get an offer? It's all going to depend upon the circumstances. 

And receive benefits counseling, you know, this is where I come in and where I spend most of my time. But benefits counseling allows you to sit down with a person who will discuss all of your benefits with you, and discuss the impact of work, and the plan that's put together will ensure that you are better off working by using Social Security work incentives and by just doing some simple math. And they will also develop a plan that should be consistent with the employment network's plan. Many of these benefits planners are in employment networks and will coordinate their efforts. Again, another village member to help you out. 

The workforce networks and veterans, you know, the Public Workforce System, you know, their EN, it's a state, federal, and local offices that support people with their work goals. That's their reason to exist. So, there are all kinds of agencies out there that can do this. In addition to career planning and job supports, many of these workforce ENs offer training for veterans and have staff who understand how to bridge the skills. Again, a big issue here, what do those military skills translate into in the civilian workplace? We need to convince you that that is possible, and I'm here to tell you that it is. And Sheriene is going to explain that more. 

State vocational rehab, again, another supporter. You are eligible to contact your state VR agency despite any help you may be getting from the VA and, you know, looking into both costs, there's nothing wrong with that. It's just another villager helping you. A wide variety of service to people with disabilities who want to return to work, you know, who want to enter new lines of work, who maybe, because of their disability, have to learn how to do the same job a little differently, or to enter the workforce for the first time. Some veterans join the military right after school, and when they come back, are entering the civilian workforce for the first time, and it's a big step. 

You know, some states have separate agencies who help people who are disables and help people who are blind and visually impaired. Today, I'm in Seattle. There is a vocational rehabilitation agency that helps people. There is a commission for the blind that helps blind and visually impaired people, so there are two separate agencies here. So, you're going to want to know which agency is best. And who can help you find that? That employment network can help you find that. 

How can working with a state VR agency help you? They're big agencies. You know, they are funded by the states. They're funded by the federal government, and they can help you with vocational rehabilitation, training, education. You know, if you look at a small EN, you know, Ray's Job shop, if you're looking for a two-year degree, Ray's Job Shop is probably not the place to talk to because I may not have the resources to provide you with that. I can help you get loans. I can help you apply for financial aid. But if you go to the state VR agencies, they're more likely to help you pay tuition. So, there's nothing wrong with an EN sending you to state VR to get your education paid for rather than you taking out loans for it. 

And they can help you with other types of training. You know, technical training, you know, plumbing, you know, all of those electricians, all of those jobs that you don't necessarily need a college degree for but are providing people with help that they need and providing some really good salaries. So, we want not only to look at education but training in the technical arts. 

Similar to EN, state VR agencies can also use benefits counselors if they have certified staff. I'm going to say most, at this point, do. Some of the agencies that are funded by Social Security are VR agencies, so there's an in-house cadre of benefits planners that you can work with immediately. Other states have built those cadres. So I'm thinking that more than not state VR agencies have benefits plans. If not, you can all access one, and we'll talk about accessing all of these services in a bit. 

Now, the Ticket to Work and Work Incentives, here we go, and I'm going to start getting excited now. This is good stuff. The Ticket to Work program and Work Incentives are independent, but can be used together. Work Incentives, the work incentives that social security allows people to use do a couple of things. Either they're reducing your accountable inform so that your SSI is higher or reducing your accountable income so that you're not working to the extent and your accountable income is lower enough to keep that SSDI benefit. Now, that is a real good benefit, and there are over two dozen, you know, which help people with disabilities work and still receive maybe a little bit of cash. The cash is where most impacting. But keep your health benefits while you're doing all of this, and with some of these work incentives, keep your health benefits for a very long time, and these work incentives are really, really phenomenal things. 

So, here we have the myths again, and debunking these myths. I just told you that these work incentives are phenomenal things, and now I have to go into all of this myth-busting stuff. But I'm going to talk to you about what the street says and what that Benny lore is, and just dispel all of those myths. If I go to work, I will automatically lose my Medicare or Medicaid. Well, I'm going to false here. Absolutely false. Right now, the way Medicare and Medicaid has been expanded or extended, if you lose your cash benefits because of earned income, you can hold onto these benefits for years. In fact, the Medicaid program or the Medicare program, you can effectively hold onto them forever. You know, at some point, you may be earning too much to get them free, be if you're earning too much to get them free, when you do pay premiums for these programs, they are incredibly reasonable. So, you don't have to worry about work causing a loss of health care. 

Eventually if you work and are working enough, you may be provided with employer health care as well, and there are people like benefits planner or the state health insurance that can help you decide what package of health care is going to meet your needs and do you need to continue with public health care at all. But, you know, the goal here is independence, and that means from all of these benefits. But are you going to lose health care because you start working together? No, not at all. 

Well, there again, I got it right. I got it right. As long as you keep getting payments, if you have a payment from social security, you keep getting your benefits. And afterward, if you lose benefits because of earnings -- remember these are work incentives -- you can still continue. I'm going to give you just a couple figures; Medicare for at least seven-and-a-half years after your trial work period. State buy-in programs, some will help you pay for some of those Medicare premiums. Others will let you buy into the Medicaid program on a sliding fee scale based on your income. There's not much to worry about, not at all. 

Myth two, if I use any Ticket to go to work, Social Security is going to conduct a medical review and I'll lose my benefits. Well, that's not true either. You know, that's not true either. Social Security does do medical reviews, and they are very important for the Social Security program because they maintain the integrity of the program. However, you're not going to receive a medical continuing disability review simply because you return to work. 

If you are receiving services from either your VR agency or an employment network and you have an individual work plan and you're making progress, your medical reviews are suspended, so they're not going to happen, and that's a very critical help, because social security is not in the business of pulling the rug out from under you when you're trying to become independent. It's just not going to happen. You know, so once you have that plan developed, you are protected from medical reviews, and the only thing you need to worry about is getting the skills and learning to become a worker. You know, Social Security does not want to stop your efforts. They want you to succeed. 

Myth number three, if I my Social Security payments stop because I go to work and then I have to stop working because of my disability, I have to reapply for benefits. You know, in my past, when I used to help people on benefits, you know, it could take a very long time, and that is a fear that people have, justifiably so. If I have to stop work because of my disability what if I have to wait for years again, what am I going to do? Well, I said it's not true, and it's not true because of the Ticket to Work Act. 

Expedited Reinstatement, or EXR, was developed as part of the Ticket to Work Act to provide you with a post-termination safety net. Now, when we talk about safety nets, if you go to a benefits planner, you'll hear about all of these safety nets. There aren't many programs, and I'm not sure there is another program that provides you with a safety net after you have been terminated because you went to work. So, if you are working and you have an exacerbation after you've been terminated because of work, social security is protecting you for five years or 60 months. If that exacerbation prevents you from working, you can call Social Security, go to a local office, and request EXR, Expedited Reinstatement. 

Now, it's the 20th of November, so it will likely process today, and begin to receive payments as early as January. If it were a little earlier in November, I would say it's possible that it would happen in December. But these benefits start up really quickly, and the percentage, the success percentage of people who apply for this is overwhelming, so it is possible to walk back in and not have to file an application if your disability, the ones that existed before or something significantly related to it, stops that work effort. To learn more about EXR, take a look at the web links. And if you look at what is EXR, it's going to talk to you about this, a very, very important safety net. 

So, we've got to learn more about all of these other work incentives. There are a lot of programs out there that are going to be available to help you, so we want to discuss, again, the truth about common myths. Look at the web links pod and look at debunking three myths to give you more information than I was able to in a short time. Learn more about Choose Work's website. Social Security Choose Work website, Social Security has always had a really good website, but the Choose Work website is very good at providing you with a lot of information, so you're going to look at Choose Work in the web links pod, and look at the blog series. You know, this is full of success stories, and I've had the honor to meet some of the people who have had their stories, who have shown their stories, and they're fabulous stories about people who have used the Ticket to Work and have succeeded. And it's great to hear people succeed and see people succeed, so, take a look. If you're doubting us, take a look and listen to the people who this worked for. 

Review Social Security's Red Book for information. The Red Book is kind of a shorthand version of everything work related, and all of the work incentives are described in that Red Book, and it is also in the web links pod at Red Book. And that is going to allow me to turn this over to Sheriene. And now I'm going to listen and learn a whole lot of stuff with you. So, Sheriene, take it away. 

SHERIENE>> Hi, Ray. Thank you. And, yes, this is Sheriene Knox, and I work with Operation Job Ready Veteran. First, I'd like to thank Maximus and Social Security for having me present today. Two topics that are nearest and dearest to my heart are veterans and the Ticket to Work program, and also to our veterans for keeping our freedom intact for all of us. 

I'm going to start out by saying, you know, as Ray had mentioned, I'm an Employment Network, and some employment networks provide services virtually or in person. I work with people all over the United States. I know some provide quality services virtually? Yes, you can. I would say about 98 percent of the people I work with I work with virtually. So, if you're concerned that you might not get the same quality of services working with an employment network that's virtual, as Ray said, explore and talk to employment networks out there, and see what's best for you. 

Along with all these regular Ticket to Work services that Ray had mentioned before, such as helping you with interview coaching, which can help you to decide how to answer questions; for example, if you haven't worked in 15 years, I talk with several people and they're like, I can't become employed. Just last week, I helped a lady who has not worked in 15 years. So, it depends on the situation and how you explain things during an interview, so talk about your cause and where your heart lies. I think that goes a long way when you interview, also in helping you to decide if you need to disclose your disability or not. Again, that's something you can talk with your employment network on an individual basis. 

And also, the employment networks are really great because they're highly individualized, and that's what I love about the Ticket to Work program. You don't sit in a class and hear, "Well, if this is your life and this is what's happened, this is how you explain it." Instead, you talk one to one with an employment network. You talk about your specific situation, and then provide guidance how to specifically speak to that during interviews. 

Also looking at resumes. But one thing I think is extremely important is the ongoing employment support. What that means is that after someone becomes employed, that employment network can continue to provide services and help the person. So, it isn't that you get a job and you say, hey, have a great life and you'll be done. There's continued employment supports in that you can help with reemployment. You can help monitor benefits. There's many things to continue with that relationship, so I just wanted to add those things as well. 

So, what we're going to do now is look at translating your military experience to the civilian workplace. I work with veteran who is feel like, you know, I've been in a leadership role, I have great time management, but they don't feel like the skills that they learned while in the military is anything special. But you'd be surprised. There is a lot of determination. There's a lot of self-management, a lot of organization, a lot of flexibility that you learn in the military service that civilians don't always learn or don't put to good use, and so those are things to talk to an employer about while you're interviewing, because you have many more skills than you believe that you have. Trust me. 

So, Social Security, they've got many resources to help veterans transition to civilian work life. There's answers to questions about benefits eligibility. You can also look for an employment network that has a veteran VA work incentive specialist a well, because I'm sure you're probably wondering will my VA be effective. So, you want to find a network that is familiar with whether you're receiving the Veterans Disability Compensation or if you're receiving the VA Disability Pension. And if you are receiving 100 percent total disability individual unemployment rating, can you work? So, those are things that I think are specific for you to ask an employment network when you're looking for someone that is working with a veteran, to help you, because that is an important phase in your life as well. 

There is also the Journey to Success Publication series with guidance on employment tools for your path to work, and, of course, the Department of Veterans Affairs and the Department of Defense have these cool links. So, I'm going to be referring to the web links pod several times while I'm talking, and so for this section, be sure to visit the Social Security Veterans Benefit that's in the web links pod. There's some great information and great resources there. I think you'll be surprised at how useful you will find information that you weren't sure that was out there. 

So, at this point, I believe we're going to move on to some questions. 

SARAH>> Thank you so much, Sheriene, for kicking us off with Veterans Ticket to Work, and, of course, Ray, all your great information. I have some questions for both of you, so I'm going to start that right now. Ray, this question is for you. Three years ago, I completed my eight-month trial work program over a period of two years. Am I still eligible to enter the Ticket to Work Program? 

RAY>> Yes. If you have finished eight months of your trial work period, there still very well could be some months left, and it's not too late to get both some benefits counseling and to find any help. The next safety net, that extended period of eligibility that you're going to enter changes the rules a bit, so it's actually a great time to get connected with an EN and a benefits plan and to learn what the new rules that you'll be dealing with are. So, I'm going to say, yeah, use that ticket now. 

SARAH>> Okay, great. Thanks, Ray. The next question is, again, for you, Ray. Are the service providers available to those on SSA who are not a veteran?

RAY>> Yes, absolutely. Today's program focusses on veterans, but these work incentives, these services are all available to anybody who's receiving social security benefits under SSI or SSDI. 

SARAH>> Okay, thank you. Sheriene, the next question is for you. Once I have my assigned ticket, what is the first step or next step that I take? 

SHERIENE>> Well, once your ticket is assigned and you've chosen an employment network to work with, the next step would be that with the employment network, both of you would develop what's called an "individual work plan." And what that entails is what your goals are, what kind of vocational goals do you have, if there's any accommodations that are needed. It's about you. It's about what's the right environment for you to return to work that would provide you with the most successful experience that you have. So, you get to know the employment network person.  They get to know you, so you start building a relationship. 

After both of you sign that individual work plan, or it's called IWP in short, then your ticket or you can be officially assigned to work with that employment network. Shortly thereafter, you should start looking at a resume and either reviewing it or developing a resume, if you don't have one, and also to start the interview coaching, but also to take a look at see what resources are you aware of that are out there to look for employment. For example, I'm not sure if many people are aware that Indeed also has an Indeed veterans section, and they have employers there who are specifically looking to hire veterans. So, there are some other job databases like, Indeed, that has just a big section for veterans that most people are not aware of, but hopefully an employment network can make you aware of that. 

SARAH>> Thank you. The next question I have, I am actually going to ask both of you, to have your input with your expertise. Can a Ticket to Work service provider help me with making my military experience relevant in my resume? And, Ray, I'm going to have you start off, and then, Sheriene, if you have anything to add, please do. 

RAY>> I am going to say, yes, clearly, they can do that, and particularly someone like Sheriene who focused on veterans, and with that is something that I think is a very necessary step for a veteran to take. 

SHERIENE>> And I agree with Ray. The issue about identifying or highlighting your military experience is to use what's called a military translator. And if you Google "military translator," what will come up is your rank or the type of job that you did in the military, and it will share with you some types of jobs that you're qualified to do, but it also provides you with the civilian language that is needed to put on a resume. Most people, I think, forget that I would say most HR managers are not veterans, and so with the veterans coming into the civilian workforce, it's important to write your resume and to highlight your skills and abilities and experience in terms that a civilian can understand. 

SARAH>> Thank you both for the thorough answers to the questions that were sent in by our participants. We do have more questions for you, which we will address later in the webinar. But we're going to stop here and keep moving forward with the information you have to share. Before we move on, I would like to remind everybody that accessible materials from today's webinar are available either the web links pod or in your confirmation e-mail for today's webinar, or by e-mailing Ticket to Work at webinars@choosework.ssa.gov. Now, Sheriene, I'm going to turn things back over to you to go over some information on many tools and resources. Thanks, Sheriene. 

SHERIENE>> Thank you. And everybody hold onto your hats, because there is a lot information out there, and a lot of references are going to be made to the web links pod. So, you know, Ticket to Work is part of your journey. But there's also some things that you can find for yourself, employment tools that are specifically geared for veterans with disabilities. And so, in preparing for employment, you know, what are some of the questions that you may ask. You know, how do I keep my disability from holding me back and finding a job? What kind of career do I want? Do I have the kind of education and training that I need? I get all kinds of questions, like I'm not sure if I can return to work or I have post-traumatic stress disorder and I'm afraid that my work environment might not be conducive of my post-traumatic stress disorder. 

So, when you're thinking of all those questions and you're looking for an employment network, write those down. Those would be good questions, when you're looking for the right employment network, that they would answer for you, and that way I believe you can make a better match. But, also, Social Security, they have many, many resources that can accommodate your needs to reduce the barriers to employment. And the resources available, I mean, there's counseling and career services. Like I said, if you're unsure, if you've been in the military for many years and you've come out of the service, and I hear people say, you know, I took care of armaments or something like that, that there's not a civilian job for, that's okay. You still have many, many skills that trance late into civilian jobs, but you probably don't know what those are. Those resources can help you determine the skills that I have, what kind of civilian job does that match? And, again, that's the military translator. 

But the resources can help you get the education and training that you need, and so, one of the first ones I want to talk about is the Job Accommodations Network, or JAN. This is the leading source of free, expert, and confidential guidance on workplace accommodations, that is true. If you go onto that website, there are many ways to look things up. The site lists accommodations related to disabilities. There's also an employer section. And I went through that and found that very fascinating and extremely helpful. 

What I like the most was that you can put in a specific disability, such as PTSD, and when you do that, it will take you to a page and it will give you information, but not only what PTSD is, but also, what to consider and suggested accommodations. So, it's very user-friendly, and I encourage people to go on there and to take a look because there may be some suggested accommodations that you may not have thought of that you're thinking, wow, okay, I can request this accommodation, which is reasonable, and that will just increase my success in the workplace and make me happy at the job that I do. 

Another one for employment resources is called I can Connect, which is the Federal Communications equipment, and they fund the equipment and training for adaptive communications technology if you have combined hearing and loss. And so you can find the link to the I can connect in the web links pod. And then also, the Agency on Community Living, ACL, they have programs that support people with disabilities to live independently. So, if you're looking to live on your own, live independently, definitely check out that website in the web links at ACL.gov, and see what options and opportunities are there for you. 

What I really find fascinating is that what's also funded by the Agency on Community Living is Assistive Technology Programs, or ATPs. These are state programs, and they offer people with disability a chance to test out adaptive technology before buying it to see if it's right for you. That is a really great resource. That way you know before spending a lot of money that you can try out the resource and see if it's the right fit for you. 

And also, there's Benefits.gov and list of resources for housing, transportation, veteran services, financial support, you name it. It has a lot of great information on it as well. So, both of those can also be found in the web links pod, and I highly suggest that you take the time to check out these resources, because they really are something special. 

So, finding your employment destination, resources for the programs for, well, internships. Some have internships possible. Some feel if I do an internship before can commit to employment, that might be the better route to go. Or places they have job placement, employment networks provide job placement services. The job search, again, we talked a little about, you know, job database networks, Indeed USA, there's just a myriad of job databases out there. 

There are some if you're looking at starting your own business, you're looking at business loans or startup programs. So, I do talk to some veterans who are like, you know, I think I would like to have my own business. So, these are definite resources to take a look at and to see who can offer that for you to make that come true. 

Another area is Vets.gov, and it's easy access to the VA and the Department of Labor. It has a lot of great information on it as well. And the Vocational Rehabilitation & Employment, the VR&E, they also have services for veterans with disabilities. And resources help transitioning members and veterans with service-connected disability and employment challenges to prepare, find, and keep suitable employment. So, they're really a great resource and very knowledgeable folks, and, again, you can find the vets.gov link, and the BenefitsVA.gov rehabilitation in the web links pod as well. 

Another is the Department of Labor, American Job Centers or the Career One Stop or some are called Work One, and these are local job centers that people go to for job search and employment training. And you may have heard the term "vet reps," and many of these job centers and Career One Stop may have veteran reps that are there that you can speak to. They have connections with employers that are local. They may also be able to provide you with some training resources depending on what you would like to do. So, you can check out what they offer and what's available to you, also in the web links pod at mynextmove.org or at the American Job Centers. And, again, these are local centers that you can go to. 

Hire Heroes, that's a service, and that's offered by the USO Transition 360 Alliance. They do job counseling, career planning, training to transitioning veterans and their families, networking opportunities. And I really feel it's important for veterans to find a transition program. There are some out there. There are some very good ones out there. But when I speak with veterans in Ticket to Work program, I will ask them have they attended some type of transitioning program from military to civilian life. And I would say the ones that tell me that they have, that they feel more ready; that they understand more what to expect or what they're going to experience in transitioning to civilian life, and that's not just through work but also through housing and other areas of your life. So, both of those -- well, I already said that the DOL, American Job Centers and the Career One Stop can be found in the web links pod, but also the Hire Heroes can be found there as well, so definitely take a look there. 

So, we talked about a whole lot of resources and then some, and there are many, many more that are out there, but we, as Ray said, have a short period of time here. But I want to talk to you about a couple success stories, and these are posted on the Choose Work website, and the first one is Angel's story, and he's a veteran, and he had neck and back injuries after two tours of duty with the Air Force. And specifically what he states in his success story with a service provider, what he received and what he felt were very important was free benefits counseling in understanding how his VA benefits and in understanding the benefits that Ray spoke about, and how they intertwine and how they affect etch other. 

Also, Ray mentioned work incentives, and so Angel's employment network provided that information to him as well. And he also said, you know, he really gained a lot of confidence to transition to the workplace. So, an employment network can also be your biggest fan and your biggest cheerleader and the person who can believe that you can accomplish your goals. Also, again, helped him to succeed by recommending to receive some reasonable accommodations. 

And this is a quote from Angel, and I'd like to read it real quick, because I found it very profound. "Being back at work has had a positive impact in so many areas of my life. I've been able to show my children the rewards that can go with perseverance and resilience. The job has helped me build confidence, maintain good mental health, and regain a sense of accomplishment, all vital for the next chapter in our lives." So, again, I found that very, very profound, because he's looking forward into the next chapter of his life. 

So, another success story for a veteran is Robert, and he's a veteran in the United States Army, and ended up with a spinal cord injury after a surgery mishap. And what he identified that his Ticket to Work service provider helped him most with or what he felt was vital was that they helped him explore his interests and skills. They listened to what have you done before, what are you interested in doing and what are your skills, and how can we look for employment that is something that you can do but also enjoy. And we spoke about the individual work plan that was developed, and became a volunteer peer counselor. That was something in his individual work plan that he identified. And, ultimately, he was offered a position as a national service officer with the National Paralyzed Veterans of America. 

So, I want to read his quote here too, because this touched my heart. "I never imagined I would get a job like the one I've had as a National Service Officer. It's rewarding to advocate for someone else. So many vets don't get the help they need because they don't know where to begin or how to go about the process. Ticket to Work helped me go to work where my heart is." And I think employment networks, we don't want to just put someone in a job. The individual work plan is that we discuss with you what your interests, what your abilities are, what you definitely don't want to do, and we help to obtain a vocational goal, a career goal for you to work toward. So, I think that's very important; that the Ticket to Work program is highly individualized. It's about you. It's about what you need. It's about what you want. And together, that's a journey that you and your employment network can make for you to become employed. 

So, now we have some additional employment resources. There's the Institute for Veterans and Military Families, and the IVMF, they help you, after you leave the military, with transitioning services. They support post-military careers. They've got military skillsets and training, and assist you in finding programs and resources, and answer your questions too. So, the Institute for Veterans and Military Families is good not just as a resource but also for the transitioning needs that you may have that I had mentioned earlier that was very important. And they have over 70 programs. I don't know if you're aware of that, to guide you to be successful, whether you're talking about education, work, and life, and they've got a variety of topics here too; preparation for career and employment. 

They've got entrepreneurship in small business. So, for those of you interested in starting your own business, this sounds like it would be a great resource to check into. And to let you know about community programs and community support. And the Institute for Veterans and Military Families, the web link for that can be found in the web links pod as well. 

Another one is the USA Jobs, which is, as it says, a unique hiring path for veterans. They have a section as well, and you look on there in the veterans' area, and they've got some preferences that employers are looking for. Some veterans are separated under honorable conditions, preference over non-veteran applicants. So, being a veteran and identifying as such will give you a preference in the employment arena. And they also look at U.S. Armed Forces Active Duty. So, definitely look at the USA Jobs, because there's employers there who specifically understand the unique and wonderful skills that veterans have and how they can put that to use in the employment setting, and they just welcome veterans with open arms, and these are very supportive companies, and they're advocating to work with veterans, and they want to work with veterans. So, definitely check out USA Jobs, and that is also in the web links portal pod. And, next, I guess we're ready for some questions. 

SARAH>> Thank you so much Sheriene. We are going to move on with some question, like she said. I am going to ask the first question to Sheriene. How do I search for an EN with veteran experience in my area? 

SHERIENE>> You can go to the Choose Work website and you can look at the different experience. The Choose Work website will let you take a look in a geographic area if you prefer to work one on one face to face, or you can look for those -- there's information for each one, and it does talk about whether they have experience working with veterans. And so, the Choose Work website, the "Find Help" search tool is where you would need to go to find employment networks that are available. 

SARAH>> Thank you, and I have another question for Sheriene. What happens if I start work but I find that I cannot continue to use my disability? 

SHERIENE>> Well, in terms of the Ticket to Work program, we would take a look and see is it the work environment specifically that you're working now that is the reason that you can cannot continue because of your disability. Perhaps you need a more supportive work environment or different work environment. You would be surprised all the different environments that are out there that someone may not be successful in one but they're successful in another, and also to talk about is there any accommodation. 

So, when I help someone find employment and it's just not the right fit for them, for whatever reason, we talk about these things, and what I ask is, okay, how can we make a better choice the second time? You know, what did we learn from this? Because you can always learn something from trying out a job that wasn't the right fit, and so I tell those that I'm working with, you know, we're smarter this next time. We know more questions to ask, we know what we're looking for, and we know what we're not looking for. But as far as the Ticket to Work program, you need to be actively looking for employment and working towards a goal of self-sufficiency to stay in the program. So, I hope that answer that had question. 

SARAH>> It definitely did. Thank you, Sheriene. I have a question for Ray. Can I use one work incentive or can I use a combination of ones that I'm eligible for? 

RAY>> Okay, that's a great question. All of the work incentives that are available, depending upon the program you're in, different work incentives for SSDI and different work incentives for SSI. I like to think use your work incentives early and often. You know, they can all be taken advantage of, depending upon your situation. You know, the Title II program is set up so that you go through certain phases. And the trial work period allows for certain work incentives. The extended period of eligibility allows for different work incentives. But, most certainly, you use every one that's available to you. 

SARAH>> Thank you, Ray. I have another question for you. If I am working with one EN and I am not satisfied, can I change to another EN? 

RAY>> You sure can. Remember, we said at the beginning, this was free and voluntary; that your ticket can be assigned to one EN, and if you're not happy with how things are going, you can unassign that ticket. Now, unassigning that ticket does not mean you just go look for another EN. It means that you contact the EN you're working with, explain this isn't work out and contact Maximus and say you want your tickets unassigned. You have a 90-day period where that continuing disability review protection will stay with you so that you can find another EN. Now, 90 days sounds great, but, remember, you have to have that ticket assigned, so you need to find another new EN. You need to sit down, work with them, and put a plan together, and that can take some time, so you don't want to sit and wait. You want to act right away. But, yes, that ticket can be reassigned. 

SARAH>> Thanks, Ray. I have another question for you. If I am unable to make contact with an EN, what do you recommend for the next step? 

RAY>> Well, if you're unable to make contact with somebody, you know, I would contact the helpline, the Social Security helpline to see if they can help you make contact, and I would also contact Maximus to make so they can make sure that EN is still in operation. I seriously don't think you're going to have much problem making contact. 

The other option that you have, other than those people to talk to you, you might want to contact a benefits planner that's close to you that you might be to visit with personally with what's going on and why won't this EN return my call. I have not experienced many people in that situation. Most ENs that working together are very, very responsive. But those are the three options I think you have to look for. 

SARAH>> Thanks, Ray. The next couple of questions are for Sheriene about disability. I have a physical disability that is very apparent. Can a potential employer ask questions about how it will affect my work? 

SHERIENE>> Most generally when I work with someone that has an apparent physical disability, during the interview I will share with -- you know, employers are concerned about whether a person can do all of the expected duties. I suggest that rather than waiting for an employer to ask, I would talk about it myself, and to reassure the employer that, you know, what are the main duties? Give me ten duties that I would be required to do on an average day, and just say, you know, that's not a problem. I have the skill and I have the ability to do that. Employers will ask all kind of questions, and, unfortunately, some of them are not appropriate. So, I can't say whether an employer will ask about it or not, and so I say just be prepared or, again, talk about what are the daily duties of the job, and then share with the employer, because you might need an accommodation for some of those, but also go in with suggested accommodations. 

For example, I worked with an individual who was using a wheelchair, and there were some reference books that needed to be used, and the shelf was up too high, and so it required moving the shelf down. But then in doing so, it made the area of the desk too crowded. And so taking a look at there were three desks in the area, and how could those desks be moved to, one, allow enough room for someone using a wheelchair to go through the aisle ways but also have the reference books in place? And so providing that with an employer, providing them solutions to what they may see as a barrier or an issue, just to let them know it's not an issue. It's a very easy reasonable accommodation. So, again, I just suggest that talk about what the daily duties are and go in with some potential reasonable accommodation ideas yourself. 

SARAH>> Thanks, Sheriene. Speaking of job accommodations, our next questions is, where can I find a list of job accommodations for my disability? 

SHERIENE>> I would go to the JAN network. We talked about that. JAN is the Job Accommodations Network. Again, you can find that in the web links pod. And you go on the site and you can look up different disabilities. They've got a list of A-to-Z disabilities. But, also, you can go in and you can put your own disability in, and it will take you to a link that, again, will let you know what are some potential accommodations, and that's where you can go to find some suggestions for employers or, better yet, when you're interviewing, that's the work area or the work space that you're going to be in, and you see on the JAN network there's a particular accommodation, let's say lighting, then when you go to the interview, you can say, "Is this going to be the area in which I would work," and that would help you to determine if that lighting is what's needed for you to be most successful. So, definitely go to the JAN network. 

SARAH>> Okay. And a follow up to that, can I appeal if an employer declines to provide a specific accommodation if the offered option doesn't adequately address my needs? 

SHERIENE>> I guess that kind of depends on what you mean by "appeal." Employers are required to provide a reasonable accommodation. If an employer, in fact, can approve that it is too costly for the company, then they would not have to provide an accommodation. However, I can tell you with my 25-plus years of experience, there's never been an accommodation that has been turned down for being unreasonable. That's another thing that you can talk to your employment network about, is that, you know, I'm going to be going into this atmosphere, and this is what I'm going to need. Do you think that's a reasonable accommodation? 

So, an employment network is also someone that you can talk to and discuss these things, someone that is aware of the job market and what employers are usually willing to do, and I think that's probably the most help in having an employment network and someone to talk to about those thing as well. 

SARAH>> Thank you, Sheriene. Ray, the next question is for you. As a [indiscernible], I would like to work with veterans, but I need more education in this area. Are there resources where I can learn more? 

RAY>> You know, there are resources out there, and I would look to that program at Syracuse.edu to see if there's something is coming up quickly that might be available to the civilian population to learn about some of these veterans' programs. They are confusing and they are sometimes hidden. You might also want to talk with the National Veterans Law Project. If you Google that, you'll find it's a small program in Washington, and they offer a lot of webinars and continuing education and credentialing programs for people who want to work with veterans and potentially represent them. But you won't be representing them, but you'll still get the skills you need to talk to other veterans about what is available. And, yeah, I think those are the best places to go right now. Most certainly, I'm going to talk to Sheriene. That's where I'm going to go for some help. 

SHERIENE>> Bless your heart. 

RAY>> No, seriously, she knows her stuff, you know, and so I would talk to local employment networks who know about veterans, and I would wait and look for new courses. I know you need continuing education. There are webinars out there that deal with veterans' issues, and I don't think it's going to be too hard to find them. 

SARAH>> Okay. Thank you, Ray. The next question is, again, for you. Does employment include work from home opportunities? 

RAY>> Oh, absolutely. I've been working at home now for 20 years. There are more and more employer who understand that working from home is not time to do your laundry; that people who work from home tend to be actually more productive because they don't have the topic of conversations of people knocking on their doors. And there are many jobs. I am sitting in a hotel room in Seattle. If I have a cell phone and a computer, I can do my job from anywhere. And there are many, many jobs like that. So, I would not hesitate to explore those options, whether or not it's an option to explore during your initial interview with an employer is a question. You may want to get that job first before you start talking about that. But I have also posted jobs on my own newsletter that say, you know, working at home, working at a distance is acceptable. You know, so many job advertisements will tell you that right away. 

SARAH>> All right. Well, unfortunately, we are all out of time for questions for today's webinar. Thank you for sending all of your questions. We hope we provided answers to your questions about the Ticket program. Thank you again for being with us today, Ray and Sheriene, and sharing your expertise. It was a pleasure. 

RAY>> Thank you. 

SHERIENE>> Thank you. 

SARAH>> Okay. If you would like to know more about our monthly WISE webinars, we encourage you to subscribe in order to find out about our upcoming topics and be amongst the first to register. To learn so much more about the Ticket program, employment service providers, and other topics. Please subscribe to the Choose Work blog. You will get weekly updates sent directly to your inbox. Both of these links can be found in the web links pod under WISE Webinar Subscription and Choose Work blog subscription. 

Social Security's Ticket to Work program has a number of service providers and other resources ready to help you get start. To get a list of providers in your area or to get answers to questions that you may have about the ticket program and other work incentives, you can contact the Ticket to Work helpline at 1-866-968-7842, or for TTY, 1-866-833-2967 Monday through Friday 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Eastern Time. Or you can visit the Ticket to Work website at choosework.ssa.gov anytime. You can also find us on social media or subscribe to blogs and e-mail updates by visiting chooseworks.ssa.gov/contact. This link appears in the web link pod under Ticket to Work contact information. 

Please join us for our next webinar, Ticket to Work: College Preparation for Students with Disabilities, which will be held on Wednesday, December 18, 2019, from 3:00 to 4:30 p.m. Eastern Time. Registration is open, and we are looking 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. 

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