WISE Ticket to Work Webinar Expanding Your Job Search with Ticket to Work March 25, 2020 Speakers: Sarah Hyland (Moderator), Ray Cebula (Presenter) SARAH>> Good afternoon and welcome to today's Ticket to Work webinar, Expanding Your Job Search with Ticket to Work. My name is Sarah Hyland. I am a member of the Ticket to Work team and I will be your moderator for today's webinar. We're so glad that 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 on the path to financial independence through without. Each of us has our own path to follow and we hope you find some information today that will assist you 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. 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. When presenting with the options of joining the audio conference, choose listen only, which appears in 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 that speakers are turned up on your phone or your headphones and plugged in. If you are unable to connect the 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 on 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 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 links pod, and we will talk more about these pods in more details in just a little bit. If you need assistance navigating Adobe Connect and accessibility user guide, 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 after your screen, and it 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." If you are fluent in ASL and would like to have support for today's webinar, follow the link below that provides instructions to connect with an interpreter through the Federal Communications Commission, FCC, Video Relay Service, VRS. The ASL User Guide can be found in the web links pod under the title "ASL User Guide." We are here today to answer the questions that you may 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 the questions to our speaker during the Q&A portions of the webinar. We will be addressing questions at two different points throughout today's presentation, so go ahead and send in those questions, and we will do our best to get through as many of them as possible. If you are listening by phone and not logged into the webinar, you may ask questions by sending an e-mail to Ticket to Work. The e-mail address is webinars@chooseworks.ssa.gov. Another very helpful resource is available that we think you will find extremely helpful in connecting to the different resources mentioned today, and it's in the web links pod. You will find that at the bottom right-hand corner of your screen. This pod lists all of the links to the resources presented during today's webinar. To access any of these resources, simply 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 then be taken to the website requested. If you are listening by phone and are not logged into the webinar or don't have access to the web links pod, you can e-mail Ticket to Work at webinars@choosework.ssa.gov or 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 website 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 can be found in the web links pod on the bottom right-hand corner of your screen, and it will be titled "Wise Webinar Archives." We hope everyone has a great experience on the webinar today. However, if you do 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 the Ticket to Work e-mail address which again is webinars@choosework.ssa.gov. And as I mentioned earlier, my name is Sara Hyland. I'm a member of the Ticket to Work team and I am very excited to be here with you today as your moderator. We are delighted to have Ray Cebula with us here today. Ray 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 staff at 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. Thank you all again for joining us today. We have a very informative session planned, where our presenter will discuss Social Security's Ticket Program, your employment team, Section 503 for federal contractors, federal employment, Schedule A, and apprenticeship. We hope that at the close of today's webinar, you will be able to better understand the Ticket program, know your employment team, understand the Section 503 requirements for federal contractors, identity how Schedule A can help you in your job search, know an apprenticeship and if it's right for you, be able to find job search resources. 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, as well as plenty of other helpful information. Thanks for being here, Ray. RAY>> Okay, thank you, Sarah. Today, we are going to discuss a lot of really useful information. It is a very strange time for all of us, and I know out of the 120 participants, I see 119 are wondering what is happening with all of this while we're all stuck in our houses. We don't know yet. We have to wait and see and let that bill that was passed by the senate, work its way through congress and into the President's office for a signature. Then we will be able to tell you. I can assure you there's a team of us working almost 24/7 to get that information out to you. But there is a silver lining. A lot of what we're going to talk about today, you can work on now, you know, even if you're homebound because we are all stay at home. You know, I'm in a stay-at-home state now. I think just about everybody is. But you can start working on some of your steps to get things ready for your return to work to begin while we're hanging out. So, let's get started and try to make this a happy session rather than the session that it could otherwise be. The Social Security Disability Administration administers two different benefits programs. The first one, as you can see is SSDI. It's Social Security Disability Insurance, and it is an insurance program and works just like any other insurance. As you work and your FICA taxes are withheld, you are essentially paying premiums to become insured, and once you become insured, those premiums just make your benefits go up and up and up and up. There is a maximum of about $3,000 a month this year. But it is a program that was put together to protect all covered workers who pay FICA taxes in the event that they should need it because of disability. The SSI program, Supplemental Security Income, is a very different animal. It is a federal needs-based welfare benefit, so any type of income, any type of resources is going to affect your eligibility. This year, the federal benefits rate is $783 a month, and just about, as I said, any type of income could have an impact on that. That shouldn't worry you if you're going to work, because if you do go to work, the way income is counted is only going to end up giving you more money at the end of the month. Very important for you, the first thing you need to do is know what type of benefit you're receiving, so that's your first bit of homework while we're all stuck in our houses. Find out what type of benefits you have. If you don't know, get onto SocialSecurity.gov and set up a Social Security account. You will be well ahead of the game if you do that. Starting your journey to work, setting up my Social Security account could very well be the beginning of your journey to work. The choice to go to work is completely up to you. You know, nobody here, nobody in Social Security is telling you this is what you have to do. But we are here to convince you that not only is it safe, not only would you have more money in hand, but it's also much better for you, both physically and psychologically, to have a network of friends, to have a network of coworkers. So, sit down and notice this little triangular sign here with two routes. Let's call this one pros and this one cons and make a list what's good about work, and think beyond your paycheck, and then what's bad about work. You know, I can list some things this morning. I was on my computer at 5:30; that was not so hot. But I got a lot of work done. I got a lot of information to give to you people the next time we talk. That's a good thing. So, make that list and come to the decision. And, again, consider beyond your paycheck. That paycheck's going to let you go out to dinner or at least go to a drive-by takeout stop. You know, it's going to let you go to the movies when they reopen. It's going to let you save a lot of money in the meantime. But it's all good. So, the Ticket to Work program, the sliding right into that, is a fantastic program. I really truly still belief in the Ticket to Work. When you make the decision to go to work, you have a ticket, you know, whether or not you have that physical piece of paper in your hand, you can certainly find out by calling the helpline whether or not you have a ticket, and most of you probably do. You can use that Ticket to get fee services and supports, education, training, placements, resume prep, you name it, you can get it through the Ticket to Work free. Again, I like to say that this is a three-way contract. Social Security is letting you go to these providers and getting services free. Your job is to begin your journey to work and take it seriously. The people that are providing you with support will get paid as you make progress by the Social Security Administration, so everybody in that triangle has responsibilities. The services and supports available through the Ticket are truly extraordinary and truly varied. You can search on the computer to go to the Choose Work blog. The Choose Work website are in your web link pod, to find out how many people are out there to help you. You can start building what we like to call your employment team, you know, because it is a team effort to get you the work. And at any time you have questions, you know, by all means you know someone is waiting to answer those questions. So, what about this Ticket? You all received a hard paper copy of it. It's free, and notice, it's voluntary. If your con list is longer than your pro list, maybe you're not ready to start this journey. I'm not telling you to never look at it again, but maybe it's not your time. That's okay. We'll wait. We'll be here, and we will be there to provide you with the free services and supports you need to be a successful worker with a disability. Career development, for people between the ages of 18 and 64 who receive a cash benefit from Social Security and want to work are our target audience. That's a lot of people. And we, I mean all of us who are involved in this, have been helping hundreds of thousands of people try to make this journey to work, so we just want you to know what the program is about and how it can help, and hopefully make a decision that works could be a good thing for you. The Ticket to Work, again, connects you with free employment services. And notice this, it helps decide if work is right for you. Maybe your list of cons is a little bit longer than your list of pros but you still want to work. Well, have a discussion with one of the service providers, and maybe they can help you make that pro list longer. Maybe if you haven't had work experience in the past, it's going to be a change. But there are lots of good things that come with work, other than a paycheck. Preparing for work, you may have to prepare yourself to do your former job in a different way. You may need to have re-education or education and training. You may need help finding a job. And once you find that job, are you able to do it without continued support? If you need those supports, we are here to give you those supports while you're on the job. So, just getting a job is not going to terminate your services. We want you to succeed at work before we let you be or you tell us to go away. How does the Ticket program work? You know, you can choose to receive services from lots of folks. The Employment Networks, they're out there everywhere. There's an Employment Necessary work that does serve your area, either in person, or, right now, everyone is getting virtual services. There are some that cover the entire United States, some that cover a few Zip Codes around you. They're great places to go. They provide you with amazing services, even if you're just wondering what's going to happen. What will happen to my benefits in health care if I return to work? That's a question everybody naturally asks. That can be answered for you, and some examples can be thrown out. They can help you determine what type of jobs you may be interested in, what type of jobs you may want to do. State vocational Rehabilitation is out there. You know, there's an agency in every state. You have to remember that if you do have blindness, there may be a separate agency in your state that will help you, but they're both providing the same type of things. It's your choice. I'm not telling you to go to one or the other. I'm telling you to talk to both of them and make up your mind who you like to work with better. And the workforce ENs, those are the people who they used to be called One Stops. They're now the American Job Centers. And they're going to be able to provide you with lots of services as well, that we're going to be able to talk about in a while. But lots of great access to computers, lots of great access to job banks, things like that. Employment networks, we talked a little bit about them. They come in all sizes, shapes, and forms. It could be Ray's Job Shop or it could be some enormous organization, and it depends on who you want to work with. And you should consider that Ticket to Work like a shopping pass for a mall. It's a gift card, and you have the mall and you've got those big stores on each end of the mall, and those are usually the safe VR agencies. And then you've got all those stores on the sides that are a little bit smaller, and those are the ENs, and then you've got the tiny ENs with the kiosks in the middle. Well, you can take your Ticket and sit down with any one of them that serves someone in your situation and decide who you want to work with. That's perfectly permissible. You need an EN that's going to meet your needs, that's going to be able to serve your type of disability and provide you the supports that you are going to need, and you are basically interviewing them. The one-stop centers, the workforce ENs, work a little differently. They can provide you with all of these services. But if you don't have a computer at home and you need somebody to help you put a resume together, they're great. If you need to get on a computer and search a job bank for job openings -- and believe it or not, despite what's going on right now, there are still plays hiring. All of the essential businesses that still open are hiring, because everybody needs those places, so there are still jobs available. So, one-stop centers the workforce ENs, those American Job Centers -- I'm going to call them all three things, I'm sure-- have banks that will let you look and see what's available. So, there's all kinds of help, all kinds of help from start to end. Now, the ENs and, and when we say ENs now, I'm talking about awe three, VR, EN workforce. You know, what are they going to be able to do? You know, they are designed and there to put a plan together to get you on a path to financial independence through work, and they can help you identify your work goals. If you're not sure about what you want to do, well, what are you interested in? What kind of hobbies do you have? More than one person has turned a hobby into a career. Look at Etsy. Do you have a hobby where you're handy and you can make things? Hey, you can set up your own business and EN can help you, help you write your resume and review it. We've all had experiences that can fill up a resume. We're going to talk about some of those later on. But you need to get that resume into shape and into a format that's current. Prepare for interviews. If you haven't been on an interview in a while, you need to know the new rules, and one of them that I am hearing about all the time is that you need to have your questions ready when that employer asks you, do you have any questions for us. You need to be ready to do it, you know, so that you can show you know something about this job, you know something about this company. The ENs can help you with that. Reasonable accommodations, you know, this is a little tricky, because you don't have to disclose that you have a disability until after you're offered a job. The ENs can help you decide when it's appropriate to do that, how you may go about asking so you're not going to upset anything, and what is it that you need to ask for to get this job done, and receiving benefits counseling. You know, benefits counseling is basically put together a time line. You go to work, you earn money, how does it affect your benefits? Well, it depends on the program you're in, SSI or SSDI. But that planner will tell you when things are going to happen, when your SSI should drop because of earned income, and how much more money you're going to see even though your benefits dropped. And it's much better than just going to work and wondering. If you know what's going to happen, you're being proactive, and that's coming from a position of power. If you sit back and go to work and don't know what's going to happen, you have to react, and that means you've given your power to somebody else, and we want to keep that power to ourselves. State VR agencies, big, big agencies, you know, they help lots and lots of people. Anyone who is on SSI or SSDI is presumptively eligible. And, yes, I know there is order of selection and they run out of money at times. But they are there to help everybody, and you can apply and get services. They're going to be the shop that's going to get you tuition if you need an Associate's degree, if you need a Bachelor's degree, if you need some heavy duty durable medical equipment. That's where we're likely to see that type of thing happening, along with what they do best, rehabilitate you, get you into shape so that you can function on the workplace. And, once again, just a reminder, that the blind and visually impaired may have a separate agency if your state, so you're going to want to know that. Lots of work incentives. You know, Social Security does a real good job of building work incentives, and these work incentives can be used incredibly creatively to your benefit. Another reason to go to an EN or a benefits planner to make sure that you're using every work incentive you can use, and you can use these to get training. I want to be a plumber. I have to go to school. I have to do an apprenticeship with a plumber, and whatever the state requires me to get that license. Well, we can get you that schooling. We can set up help set up that apprenticeship. Improve the skills you already. You know, I know an artist who is in a residential hospital in New York City. Amazingly creative gentlemen, and he's doing this stuff. And when I met him, I thought to myself, my God, you're all ready to open up a shop on Etsy, on a website, to set this up. Let's get somebody to talk to to set up a business. He didn't need to have his skills improve. He was a genius. Pursue your education. Again, if I want to be a plumber, I've got to do that. If I want to be a teaching assistance, I need to go to school. You know, so there are different paths for different careers, but that type of education, any type can be had. Try different jobs. There are some VR agencies that are going to allow you to do job experimentation. You know, we're going to talk about apprenticeships. I did some when I was in college. I certainly found out what I didn't want to do, which is just as important as finding out what you did want to do. So, we can try different things if you're not sure about what a job entails. Start a career. You know, that's the best thing about this. We don't stop at getting you a job and say, good luck, Joe. There are times where we can take people who have skills, get them a job, get them used to working, and next thing you know, they've opened up their own business. That's all possible. And what are you doing every time you do this and move up a step on the stairway to work? Gain confidence. If you don't think you can do it, all you got to do is try. You know, you might stub your toe. But let me tell you, I still stub my toe after all of these years. But every time you do that, another lesson is learned. You gain more confidence to get up that stairway. So, let's go to some of the specific things that we need to talk about. And Section 503 for federal contractors is one of the provisions that might provide you with an edge for federal employment. It's been around for a long time, as you can see, the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. Now, I can barely count that high, but it looks like it's coming up on its 50th-year anniversary in a couple of years. It helps to create opportunities for people with disabilities to find jobs. We're going to talk about it from a federal perspective. It strictly prohibits federal contractors and their subcontractors from discriminating against people with disabilities, and it requires affirmative action in recruiting, hiring, training, promoting, and retaining people with disabilities. Because you asked for a reasonable accommodation doesn't mean you should be fired. It means you should be granted a reasonable accommodation because that agency, that federal contractor is retaining you on that workforce. So, this is a pretty powerful act, and it's gotten better. And this slide is going to tell us a little bit about how it's gotten better. It allows you -- and this is your choice -- to identify yourself as a person with a disability before the job is being offered. Now, you might think, why would I do that? Well, under 503, you move up a few notches. If you think about veteran's preference, you know, if you're a veteran, you have a federal preference for hiring. If you self-identify, if it's the right thing for you to do before you're offered the job, you also get a preference by these federal employers and federal contractors, along with their subcontractors. Every five years, you're going to get an invitation from your employer, and I get one from Cornell every five year, to identify myself as a person with a disability if I want to. But you will have that opportunity. It is helpful to the employer, but, again, it is your choice. Notice this next bullet. It established a seven percent goal for hiring and retaining workers with disabilities. Seven percent is a great start and we hope that there go up. But if you think about one employer, if their hiring a hundred people, seven of them have got to be people with disabilities. Given your circumstances, you need to make a decision for yourself that identifying yourself as a person with a disability during your interview might actually get you one of those seven spots. And if you are a contractor, you have to have a plan to do this and you have to report, basically, to show that you're meeting or do your best to meet that seven-percent goal. Now, Angel is one of our success stories. And if you go down in the web links pod you'll see Angel's success story. And you might want to take a look at that, because these success stories are all wonderful to watch, always wonderful. He suffered a neck and back injury while he was with the Air Force, and he has two tours of duty overseas, and he was willing to identify as an individual with a disability, and it became helpful to him during the hiring process. He had a Ticket to Work program service provider, and what he got from that provider was free benefits counseling, so he knew exactly what was going to happen and when it was going to happen, to his benefit. And those counselors make sure you're going to end up to the good. He had information about the work incentive so he could begin to self-manage. You know, it's not my goal to keep you on my caseload forever. It's my goal how to teach you to take care of this yourself. So, if you're familiar with the work incentives, know how they work, it just takes a couple of small inexpensive tools for you to begin to self-manage, and that's a very important skill. And he knew about the reasonable accommodation that is were going to help him succeed. So, given everything he knew, he was able to get himself a job. And here is his quote. "Being back at work has had a positive impact in so many areas of life," Angel reflects. "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 his life. Now, if I were to give you a list of things that come with the job, other than a paycheck, I would just tell you to look at slide 32. Confidence, able to show your children what happens when you work and you persevere and overcome adversities. Those are wonderful things that he got from going to work. Now we're going to move on to the next one, federal employment under Schedule A. Let me give my slides going. You know, if you're a person with a disability, you can apply and compete for any job for which you're eligible and meet the qualifications. Now we all know that if you apply for a job, you have to be able to do it. There may be some training that involved, and there usually is in any job, but you have to be able to do the essential parts to any job. So that's what the requirements of this are. But you also, if you do meet the qualifications for that job, may be eligible for special hiring authority. Another bump; right, another bump up, and it gives you a little extra credit if they're scoring you on a hundred. It refers to special hiring authority that gives federal agencies an optional way to hire people with disabilities. Now that optional way may be either to -- if they set a bar, and I'm making this up, but if they say we're basing applications on a hundred points and you have self-disclosed that you have a disability, maybe you get 15 point right off the bat, so now you just have to fill up 85 percent. It allows you to compete on an even level for people who do not have disabilities. And applying under Schedule A gives you an exception to that traditional process where you're just competing against everybody else who is just waiting to have their name to be called in that. And you can apply for a job if you are a person with an intellectual disability, a severe disability or a psychiatric disability, and we're going to talk about how you can prove that in a few minutes. Well, I guess right now, as a matter of fact. I knew it was coming. I didn't know it was coming that fast. To be eligible, you have to have proof of disability, and it's generally a letter from your provider, from your medical provider, and it has to indicate you have an intellectual disability, so a diagnosis of severe physical disability, again, a diagnosis for a psychiatric disability. That's all we're looking at. You can get that from your doctor, any licensed medical professional. So, if you go to a clinic, you may not see a doctor very often, yet you see a nurse practitioner, then you tend to see the doctors when you feel better, when you get that annual physical. Those practitioners are licensed medical professionals. A licensed vocational rehabilitation specialist, if you're working with your state VR agency or you're working with an EN, that person you're working with might be licensed in the state you live in, you know, a state, federal, or local agency that issues to provide a disability benefit. So, if you receive either SSI or SSDI, you're in. You're in. And a sample Schedule A letter or letters can be found in your web pods link. I do love that web pod link much better than reading those things to you. How do you know where the jobs are? I am guilty of perusing this website every once in a while, set up and set up as part of a job. Visit USAjobs.gov. You're going to find a lot of jobs, a lot of jobs. In the job announcement, if you look for this job is open to section, if it's open to individuals with disabilities, it's going to have that little icon. And notice we changed that icon. It's not somebody sitting in a chair anymore, it's somebody pushing a chair, and that push is power, and it's forward movement, and we like this symbol better. But those are the jobs you should be looking for. There may also be other jobs in there that you would be qualified for, you know, despite your disability and not need that extra bump. Look at those too if they're of interest to you. There's also a way that you can filter on that website, and if you filter, if you pick the filter that says "Individuals with Disabilities," you're going to get just those with the icon. So, you might want to start there, but always give a look to the rest of them. Okay, Selective Placement Program Coordinator or SPPC, and I have trouble with those letters, so you're going to have bear with me, they're there to help agencies recruit, hire and accommodate people with disabilities. I think we all know that the average accommodation is about $500, so it's not like it's going to break the bank for a lot of these guys. But some employers tend to be afraid of those words. That selective placement program coordinator is going to be able to help that employer by knowing ahead of time how much these accommodations cost, what's reasonable in that business's situation, and how they can get someone with a disability hired and make those accommodations. So, if you are a person with a disability and interested in a job, contact the agency's SPPC. Now, you can use that link, which is going to be the SPPC directly in your web link pod. The thing that I got tell you is, I can't promise you that every agency out there has one. Most of them should. But if they don't, you should be able to work directly with your employer to get all of these made, all of these accommodations that you need. Figure it out. And there are other places that can help in the event that that employer does not have an SPPC. So, if you're interested in Schedule A employment, get that letter, your award letter from Social Security, your most recent medical review finding that says you're still disabled, a printout from your My Social Security account that indicates that you receive SSDI or SSI based on disability. All of that is readily available. If you don't have benefits right now, talk to your doctor. Talk to the person at the clinic who could get a nurse practitioner who is licensed in your state to do that. Talk to state VR or your Employment Network and see if there are licensed rehab folks on their staff. There certainly should be. And, again, if there is an SPPC in that agency, work with that person. The other thing that you could always do is call the Ticket to Work Helpline. I'm going to give you that number. It's 866-968-7842, or if you're a TTY user, 866-833-2967, and they can help you find a list of service providers in your area. And the Find Help tool, you know, I can't tell you how many times I'm in there trying to help for somebody. Choosework.ssa.gov/findhelp, all of those are in your web link pod as well, but those are important so I wanted to make sure that I voiced those. And now we're going to move to Jesus who is in a very different situation. And I shouldn't have gone on that way, but I messed that up. Jesus was born with spina bifida, spent most of his childhood using a wheelchair or crutches. With his Ticket to Work Program Employment Network, he got benefits counseling, received work incentive information, and developed an individual work plan, an IWP. And that was a plan that starts out with, we're going to get you some training. We're going to get you a job test. We're going to get you some equipment that you need. We're going to get you a placement. And he received all of the supports he needed to transition into his career, including writing resumes and getting job leads. And those are some of the questions you want to ask your EN if you're talking to them or interviewing them. How many people in my situation have you actually placed in jobs, and are they still working? Because they should have a good idea about where the jobs are in your area. So, Jesus qualified for Schedule A. He has a severe physical disability and has allowed the employer to avoid that long, tedious, horrible hiring process. And they hired him. Here is his quote. "Work has helped me expand my social circles, and my support network as well. I am very happy knowing that I can be independent, achieve the goals I set for myself, and I'm more confident every day. The Ticket to Work program, the help I received through it, helped me find my way to work at my own pace, and I'm grateful for that." Notice it helped him go to work at his own pace. He had a plan that was comfortable for him to work with, and, again, you want some more pros with work, look up hire. Knowing that I can be independent, achieve the goals I set for myself, and I'm more confident every day. Not a bad story. So, go into the web pod link and hear more about Jesus' success story. Now, the last type of job experience we're going to talk about are apprenticeship, and these can be wide and varied, so we're only going to talk about a couple types. It's a nationally recognized training program that combines work, learning, and training both on and off the job. So, you're doing a job, you're learning how to do it, and there may be some homework involved to do a little bit of learning off the job as well. It takes that whole what is work, what is this job, those thoughts that you have, that theory about what's going to happen and mixes it with real experience. So, if you have any questions about your ability to do a certain job, an apprenticeship is right up your alley, because you will do that job. You may discover what types of accommodations you need during that apprenticeship. That's all good. That's all good. You know, the apprenticeship, by nature, is not a permanent position. But think about what it's allowing you to gain. They are real jobs with paid salaries, so what you're going to need to do is just work with the benefits planner, find out what that salary is going to do to your benefits. An experienced worker who does that job regularly will be your mentor. And opportunities may very well exist to advance in your chosen career during that internship. You know, these are really good ways to test whether or not you can do a job, whether you or not you like the job that you thought you wanted. The educational benefits, they can be very specific because you are learning a job. But one job gives you skills that can be transferable to many other jobs, and that's a good thing. You know, just think about -- if we go back a slide and think about this baker. That baker may need to make 24 dozen muffins every day. That requires organization. That requires learning when you need to make more mix, because you can't make 24 dozen mixes and let them sit there all day. How long does it take to bake a muffin? So, your organizational productivity is coming into play. An organization and productivity are transferrable to lots of the other jobs. You can use this as a pathway to college. Why not? When you apply for college, they want to know what you've been up to. You've had apprenticeships in a couple of different things, you know, that's why you want to take this particular major to get a degree, to forward that, to turn that job into a career. Progress into higher education or earn a credential. Even the credential that you'll get at the end of one of these apprenticeships is going to be something that you can use to show an employer that you did some work and succeeded, and that's going to be very, very important. Okay, Sarah, I'm ready for some questions. I'm ready for a break. SARAH>> Great. Thank you, Ray. Thanks for kicking us off with Ticket to Work program apprenticeships and so much more. We appreciate it. We're going go ahead and pause here and take a few moments to address some of the questions we've been receiving on all these topics. The first question I have for you, Ray, is, how are employment networks held accountable? Is there any legal assistance available? RAY>> Yeah, there is. You know, employment networks are held accountable from the very beginning, and there's assistance available to you from the very beginning. It is okay for an employment network to discriminate, and I'm going to tell you how they can discriminate. If I am an employment network that has expertise in working with people with mental health issues and you come in and say, I've had spina bifida my entire life, I may not accept your case, because I don't know, really, how to help you. I don't work with people with physical disabilities, and I don't think you really want to work with that person anyway, so there's that. Then we get into that individual work plan that has to be developed. That's a negotiation. These employment networks or state VR, can't tell you, well, you're going to flip burgers at McDonalds, and in order to do that, these are the tests we have to take. This is a discussion. What do you want to do? You know, your goal is what runs this, and if there are steps in there that you think are moving too fast, just like Jesus did, slow it down so it's your own pace. Those plans are approved. They have to have certain elements in them, and one of those elements is access to the protection in advocacy people, and it's the Protection and Advocacy for Beneficiaries of Social Security, you know, the PABSS program. If you look for an agency in your state that's called Disability Rights New Hampshire, Disability Rights Oklahoma, you will find them. They can help you negotiate that plan, or if that employment network is not following the plan or changing your career path without your willingness to do that, they can step in and help you do that. And I think the ultimate way that they're held accountable is if they start giving you job tasks and pointing you to jobs that you don't want, you can always pick another one. You know, we're going to talk about that later. We're not trying to shove a job down your throat. We want you to find a job that you want, and you can always just go to somebody else for help. SARAH>> Ray, thank you for that answer. The next question that I have for you is, can you speak about executives or manage year positions, please. RAY>> Sure. Sure. My guess is that you have a -- you know, walking into a managerial or executive position is not an easy thing do. You know, we all have to start out doing some grunt work. You know, I did not start out as the director of the program that I run at Cornell. I started out as an instructor in that program. So, you may have past experience that will allow to present yourself in such a way that you could get one of those jobs. But these apprenticeships are wonderful things, because when you talk to somebody about what your goals are, you know, I want to be a manager. I think I can do that well. I don't want to be the baker. I want to tell 12 bakers what to do. But, you know, the best person to do that is somebody who knows how to bake, somebody who's done the job. So, if you do the job, you are then moving up into a position to help or tell other people how to do it. And I think when you do that, my personal belief is that if you've done the grunt work, the bakers that you're managing are going to have much more respect for you. But that path is not something to be set aside, because you don't have those skills now. That path, that job goal is there. We just may have to put a few more steps in the plan. SARAH>> Okay, Ray, I have another question for you. Can my state VR agency or EN help me go to school or get necessary training for work? RAY>> Yep. That's the short answer. Both of them can. I'm going to say, if you're going to school, which is a very expensive proposition these days that you may be working with your state VR agency more than a local EN. It's more likely that the state VR agency would actually pay the tuition, whereas an EN could help you write for grants, write for student loans, write for scholarships. But most ENs are not going to have that kind of funding available. So, depending on where you want to go to school, what you want to go to school for, it can be done. The question is whether it's going to be through an EN or VR. SARAH>> All right. Thank you. To go off of that, what are the options if the nearest VR provider is 200 miles away me? RAY>> Yeah, you know, we're living those options right now. All of this can be done virtually, you know. And just to let you know, from my own personal experience, when I started with Cornell, I started from my home in Boston. I am now living in New Mexico. I go to Cornell two or three days a year. You can do things virtually and do them very, very well. You know, the state agencies, the state's ER office may be 200 miles away has to be equipped to serve anybody in the state. So, if you live -- I'm trying to think of a state that that's big. If you live here in Santa Fe and your VR agency is in Las Cruces, which is six hours away, so that's about 200 miles, you can work together, because the state agency could potentially just connect with you via Skype, connect with you via Zoom, collect information over the phone, and connect you with some local providers that can provide any direct services or training, you know, so you wouldn't be traveling to Las Cruces to go to school. You'd be traveling to downtown Santa Fe. All of this can work virtually. Benefits planning works virtually. The employment networks work virtually with very little trouble. It may feel funny at first, but I can assure you after 16 years of doing it, it feels perfectly normal. SARAH>> Okay. Thank you, Ray. And we have been getting a lot of questions about something that we went over. I'm going to go back to the slide so everybody can see it, about where they can get a Schedule A, get the letter from. RAY>> Yeah. SARAH>> So, I'm just going to read through that quickly, and then we'll go back to one more question. You can get this letter from your doctor, a licensed medical professional, a licensed vocational rehabilitation specialist, or any federal, state, or local agency that issues or provides disability benefits. RAY>> Right. SARAH>> And of course -- go ahead. RAY>> Yeah, and I know exactly what I said. I said one of those people might be in your employment network, and I misspoke, so I apologize for that. Employment networks cannot provide Schedule A letters. It's kind of a conflict, so we don't let them do that. But, you know, those ENs I like a lot, and they keep coming where they shouldn't. So, please forgive me. Your doctor, a licensed medical professional, a licensed vocational rehabilitation specialist, and any federal, state, or local agency that issues or provides disability benefits. Your EN cannot do that. But your EN can certainly direct you to somebody who can. SARAH>> Great. Thank you. And just as a reminder, you can find that information and a sample Schedule A letter in the web links pod. All right. And one final question I have for you, Ray, and then we will move onto more information is, how do I know if I qualify under Schedule A? RAY>> Well, you need to have that disability, so you need to have a severe intellectual mental health issue or physical issue. If you are on Social Security benefits, you do have that. If the state is providing you with some type of benefits, you do have that. The other question is, what job are you looking at, because you need to be able to do that job. You have to be qualified. Yes, there may be reasonable accommodations that need to be made, but you have to be qualified for the job. So, those are the two big steps to qualify for Schedule A and pretty much avoid a hiring process. And, you know, where we have all of these federal rules that are requiring seven percent, you're actually helping employers and agencies meet those goals. So, I think if you are qualified for that job, or you believe you are, and may need an accommodation to get it done, and you have that letter documenting your disability, you should be fine. SARAH>> All right, Ray, that was our last question for now. We are going to go ahead and keep moving through, and we will have more questions for you in a bit. Before we move on, I would like to remind everyone that accessibility materials for today's webinar are available either in 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. And I'm going to turn it back over to Ray, who is going to share some more information on the next step on the path of employment, and even more resources. Thanks, Ray. RAY>> Okay. Sarah, I just wanted to let you know if you can hear me, I'm going to try to get -- I'm still moving. Can you hear me all right? SARAH>> We can hear you all right, and your slides are moving, so you are good to go. RAY>> Okay. Because somehow somebody said it disconnected me. SARAH>> No, you're all good. No worries. Thanks, Ray. RAY>> A little bit of panic there. SARAH>> No worries. RAY>> All right, taking the next steps to the path to employment, you know, every step matters. Every step counts. Every step is an accomplishment, and I think you have to look at it that way. Look what I just did, you know, another step is done. Resources are going to be all important to you. And we talked about the American Job Centers, those that used to be One Stop. You can find those at www.careeronestop.org. It's also in your web link pod. And there's going to be a lot. They have a lot of local jobs. You know, again help with resume prep. You know, you may not think you need an EN. You may be able to do this by yourself, but you need access. We all need to get that resume updated and make it look like it's supposed to look in 2020. Not like the one I gave to Cornell in 2005. They're different now. USA Jobs, USAJobs.gov is going to find all of those jobs, all of those federal jobs that are out there. And, again, using that little filter to find those that are particularly marked as available to people with disabilities is going to help. And as I confessed earlier, I've looked at that, and I've been tempted. There are lots of very interesting jobs. And federal agency websites, you know, here is an example of one USA.gov/federal-agencies. That's going to give you all of those. But if you go onto ssa.gov, there's a link that says "Careers with Social Security," so you might want to just check out an agency. That's not a bad thing. U.S. Department of Labor for the apprenticeship program. If you're feeling you'd like to get some experience, try a job out, go into that web pod link or web link pod and look for US DOL apprenticeship, and the Apprenticeships Finder Tool under Finder Tool in your web pod link -- I'm never going to get that right -- web link pod. So, there are lots of resources that you can look through. No obligation. No one is watching you. Just take some time and sift through and see if something interests you. Need help finding a job? Check out the new find a job page at chooseworks.ssa.gov/find-a-job. You know, you'll be able to get started on your job search, connect with the Ticket to Work program, and find a service provider that might be able to help you locate more jobs. The more resources that you bring to bear, the bigger your team, which could be an employment network, it could be VR, it could be a benefits planner, it could be that program, that PABSS program we talked about, all of those people can be part of your team to support your effort to work. And we want to get services from every place we can to make this a good experience for you, and a successful one. Now, how do you start? This is really a fantastic thing, because there's no wrong door. If you open the wrong door, then you're not ready for that door, that door is going to tell you, no, that's the door across the hall. So, you will never be turned away. You will just be directed to where you need to be. Choosework@ssa.gov/findhelp, you can do a search by putting in your Zip Code or you can do a more directed search. What kind of services do these people offer? What disabilities types do they serve? What language do they provide services in? You know, if your primary language is Spanish, and you feel like you'll get better services from somebody who also speaks Spanish, that's going to be important to you. And there are many language availabilities out there. What provider type are they? Are they an employment network? Is it a workforce employment network? Is the state VR agency? Is it the WIPA program, those are the benefits planners; or is it the PABSS program, that's the legal wing that will provide you with free services any time you come into need of getting up to next step to go to work? And, of course, the Ticket to Work helpline is all available to you. One more time, these people are important, they're great guy guides, 866-968-7842, and TTY users, 866-833-2967. All right, and we are into questions again, Sarah. SARAH>> Time again for questions, Ray. Thank you. The first question that I have for you is, if I apply for a job using schedule A, am I guaranteed to get the job? RAY>> Oh, no. You know, you're never guaranteed anything, because I don't know if you're completely qualified to do the job that you're looking for. And this is the choice of the employer. The employer has to make this choice correctly, you know. And if you do meet all of the qualifications for that job, you should be high up on the list. But none of these things that we've talked about guarantees that you will get the job. It's just giving the employer an easier way to hire you, or giving the employer the opportunity to give you more points. But there's no guarantees here. SARAH>> Thank you, Ray. I have another question for you. I am planning to relocate to a different state. Will state agencies work together or will I need to start fresh after my move? RAY>> Isn't that always the question. You know, they should be able to work together. And if you're moving, like I just did from Massachusetts to New Mexico, clearly, I'm not going to continue with Mass Rehab. There should be a transition from Mass Rehab to New Mexico rehab. And hopefully somebody here in New Mexico is available to pick up that plan. Certainly, I'm going to have to go through the New Mexico application process, but I think it might be a little easier if I'm already involved and have made some progress. If you're working with some of the other providers we've talked about, particularly the employment networks. It may very well be that you wouldn't have to change. If I move three quarters of the way across the country, but I just talked to my tax preparer back in Massachusetts today because I've worked with her for 35 years and didn't want to give her up. So, if I don't want to give up my EN in Massachusetts and that EN is willing to work remotely with me, everything is going to be fine, and you continue do to do it that way. So, it depends upon the provider. State rehab agencies are funded to provide services in that state. The ENs are allowed to provide services wherever they have told Social Security that they are willing to do so. SARAH>> All right. Thanks, Ray. And the next question that I have from the audience is, do I have to tell my employer or potential employer that I have a disability? RAY>> Absolutely not. That is your choice. Whether or not you want to self-identify for 503 purposes or for Schedule A purposes is your choice. You know, the only time you would have to identify would be is if you were asking for a reasonable accommodation. But you don't have to identify for reasonable accommodation purposes until after you've been offered the job. SARAH>> Even after employment? Even after employment, do you have to disclose that, Ray? RAY>> Not at all, no. Remember, we talked about that five-year questionnaire you might get from your employer. It says, you know, do you identify as a person with disabilities? You just check off no. It's voluntary. You never have to let anybody know you have a disability or that you receive benefits. That it is up to you. And I think the ENs and the PABSS, because they have a legal background, are the best people to talk to about should I, when should I, or do I really have to identify as a person with a disability. It's up to you. SARAH>> All right. Thank you, Ray. The next question that I have for you is, what does Section 503 mean to Social Security disability beneficiaries? RAY>> Well, you know, Section 503 doesn't mean anything specific, other than that you qualified for 503 protection, you know, that you do have an extra bump up if you disclose your disability and you're looking for a job. The 503 generally applies to people with disabilities. You know, potentially, there are more jobs out there that you could get because of 503. But it's not because you're receiving Social Security benefits, it's because you have a disability. SARAH>> Okay. I'm going to switch gears a little bit here. 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? RAY>> Oh, yes. They can help you get rid of that first statement that you're going to lose your benefits if you go back to work, because that's just not true. That's the street talking, and those are the urban myths that we have been fighting for years. That's just not going to happen. I can promise you that. You know, can an EN help you? Yeah, an EN -- let's go back to Jesus. Jesus wanted to progress at his own level of comfort. Your EN can build a plan to allow you to do that as well. A benefits planner can determine what working at ten hours a week at $11 an hour is going to do to your benefits. And then they can make another determination. What happens at 15 hours, and what happens at 20 hours, and what happens when Mr. Wal-Mart says, it's Christmas time, I'd really like to give you another five hours through inventory in January? None of these people are one-shot deals. You can always go back and ask for a tune up, you know, so you will know, okay, I'm willing to take this chance sure. But you've convinced me that it's safe, so I'm going to work ten hours a week. And once you get a taste of it, if you like it, move up to 15. When you get a raise, call your benefits planner back and do some new numbers. We can make that happen at your pace and at your comfort level. There's no doubt about that. SARAH>> Thank you, Ray. Next question I have for you is, do service providers report my work and wages to Social Security for me? RAY>> Do your employers do that? No. Not necessarily. You know, they report to the IRS, and the IRS will eventually tell Social Security, and we don't want that to happen. You have to report. Your benefits planner or employment network, or, potentially, your VR worker could help you report. But it is your responsibility to report to Social Security. You can do that several ways, you know. One way, going into the office and having a letter and your pay stubs ready is not available right now, so we can do it over telephone by calling the general Social Security 1-800 number. If you do have a My Social Security account, many of you would be able to use that method of reporting income. There's a telephone app that certain people, it's still limited, but certain people can use to report income. You know, but ultimately, it's the worker's responsibility to report income, and it has to be reported. My March earnings have to be reported by April 10th. And I generally cheat. You know, I tell my clients April 6th so they'll do it early. The earlier the better. SARAH>> Definitely. That's a good way to make sure it gets done, Ray. Okay, the next question I have for you is, once I identify a service provider, how long does the process take? Will service providers continue to follow up with me even after I have a job? RAY>> Yeah. You know, the service providers, again, how long it's going state VR depends upon funding. You know, sometimes it takes a little longer. But sometimes the applications go through. But the building of the plan takes a while. Also, with the ENs, when you choose your EN, the building of the plan can take a little bit of time, because, remember, both of you are building this. It's not their responsibility to build a plan for you. Now, once you get to work, it's the EN's job to make sure you can stay at work. Remember, we said that ENs can help you maintain your employment. You know, the VR has a rule where after 90 days of working at a certain level, they will close your case. Fortunately, in 2008, we changed the Ticket to Work a bit so that you could then take your Ticket to an EN and say I need more supports, can you take my Ticket and provide me with on-the-job support? So that is perfectly permissible and very, very great benefit of using that Ticket. SARAH>> Thank you, Ray. I have one final question for you before we, unfortunately, have to wrap up. 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? RAY>> You call that 1-800 number, the helpline. They will tell you if you have a ticket. If you haven't used one before, you most likely do. You have to be age 18 to age 64, and if you are 18, you have to have been determined to be a disabled adult. Most certainly calling that helpline is going to let you find out right away whether you have a ticket, and that is going to get you started. The Choose worksite and the Find Help tool is the next step. You know you have a Ticket. Now you have to find the supports you need. The WIPA programs are available to you if you are ready to go to work, so the benefits planning can be done so that you can find out what's going to happen to those benefits as work continues. And the employment network, as I just said, can stay with you through your training, through your job search, and beyond to keep you into place. So, there is help out there, and the helpline is the first stop. Choose Works Find Help is the second stop. SARAH>> Ray, thank you, and will be going over that information with the helpline just in a moment here again, so thank you for bringing that up. And I will read that again for the group. We are out of time for questions for today's webinar. Thank you all for sending in your questions. We hope we've provided you with answers to your questions on the Ticket program. And, Ray, thank you again for being with us here today. RAY>> You're welcome. SARAH>> 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, 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 weblinks 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 started. 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. And that's Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Eastern Time. You can also always visit the Ticket to Work website as chooseworks.ssa.gov. 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 weblinks pod under Ticket to Work contact information. And please join us for our next WISE webinar, which covers Achieving Financial Independence with Ticket to Work and the Able Act, which will be held on Wednesday April 22nd, 2020, from 3:00 to 4:30 p.m. Eastern Time. The registration for that event is open, and we look forward to having you attend. If you would like to register online, go to choosework.ssa.gov/wise, and you can call 1-866-968-7842, or for TTY, 1-866-833-2967. And your feedback is very important to us. It helps us plan for future webinars, so please provide your feedback and tell us what you think about today's webinar by taking our survey. To take the survey, you can follow the link that will pop up after the webinar, or visit the Ticket to work website to complete the survey. I want to thank you all again for being here today to learn about the Ticket program. Please take the opportunity to reach out to any of the shared resources that were discussed today and take the next steps in your career path. And this concludes today's webinar. I hope everyone has a wonderful evening. Thank you.