Find a Mentor and Build a Foundation for Success

Our "News and Views" blog series, Help for Young People Considering their Future, is written for young people with disabilities moving from school into the workforce. Most people benefit from career guidance at certain times in their lives. If you get Social Security disability benefits, you may be able to get free career counseling and other employment support through Social Security's Ticket to Work program!

This issue in our Youth-in-Transition blog series may help you think about:

• The benefits of connecting with a mentor
• Finding guidance and planning a career with help from Ticket to Work.

Mentors: What to Look for and Where to Find Them

It's no surprise that young people benefit from caring relationships with positive role models. Mentoring can be formal or informal, but it usually includes an empathetic, consistent and long-lasting relationship, often with a mix of role modeling, teaching and advising.

When looking for a good mentor, consider that successful programs:

• Have clearly defined goals and expectations
• Have mentors with relevant experience helping others, and who are committed to 12+ months of participation
• Include activities that facilitate relationship building
• Involve parents and families
• Provide some structure to find the best fit between mentors and mentees
• Provide mentor and mentee training before and after mentors are matched with youth
• Have in-depth and reliable mentor screening practices to protect children
• Provide consistent oversight, training and support, including early problem detection, to ensure that needs of mentees are being met and concerns are being addressed effectively
• You can find a wealth of information on quality mentoring and youth programs through these resources:
• Interagency Working Group on Youth Program (IWGYP) www.Youth.gov
• United We Serve http://www.serve.gov/mentor/search
• National Mentoring Resource Center http://www.nationalmentoringresourcecenter.org/ offers a list of mentoring programs and evaluates and compares their effectiveness
• A Ticket to Work program provider may be able to connect you to people who can help you explore your continuing education and career options or find a business mentor

Planning a Career: Start Your Journey with Ticket to Work

Ticket to Work is a free and voluntary program that supports career development for people with disabilities who want to work. Through the Ticket program, you can get free employment support services to help you decide if work is right for you, improve your qualifications, find a job or advance in your career. Recipients of Social Security disability benefits age 18 through 64 are eligible.

If you choose to participate, you can use services such as career counseling, vocational rehabilitation, training, help navigating a job hunt, job coaching, advice about reasonable disability accommodations, and support that continues after you have found a job. Authorized Ticket to Work providers known as Employment Networks (ENs) or state Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) agencies are among the providers who offer these services. The provider you choose will serve as an important part of the “employment team” that helps you on your journey to financial independence. The Ticket program offers a range of services to set you up for success in the workforce.

Check back with News and Views to read the next installment of Help for Young People Considering Their Future, which will focus on getting involved in volunteer work! To find a benefits counselor or a list of providers who can help you explore your employment options, use the “Find Help” Tool on this site. You can also call the Ticket to Work Help Line at 1-866-968-7842 (V) or 1-866-833-2967 (TTY).

Notes and Sources: 

• To learn about others who weighed the risks and rewards of job hunting and have useful stories to share, read or watch Ticket to Work Success Stories at www.choosework.net/success-stories.
• This piece stems from the following sources (excerpts may be included):
•  
  • Interagency Working Group on Youth Programs (IWGYP) www.Youth.gov
  • National Mentoring Resource Center http://www.nationalmentoringresourcecenter.org/
  • United We Serve: Become a Mentor www.serve.gov/mentor/search
  • Youth.gov: Successful Relationship and Programs www.youth.gov/youth-topics/mentoring/best-practices-mentoring-relationships-and-programs

Planning Your Future Begins with Looking in the Mirror

With the school year ending, you may be thinking about what your future holds. This post is part one of our "News and Views" blog series Help for Young People Considering Their Future. It offers resources for young people with disabilities who will soon move from school to the workforce. If this describes you, you have come to the right place to get started! This series will help you make informed decisions about your future. This is a good time to start thinking about:

• The types of activities you find fulfilling
• How work may affect your Social Security disability benefits
• The advantages of finding a mentor and planning a career with support
• Getting involved in volunteer work, internships and work-based experiences

If you are 18 or older and get Social Security disability benefits, you can get free career guidance and other employment supports through Social Security's Ticket to Work program!

"So, what are you going to do next?"

There's a good chance you've heard this question! There's a lot to consider as you bring your future into focus, particularly if you have a disability. You may be one of the lucky people who knew from an early age what you wanted to do. For the rest of us, thinking about life after school and the "real world" is daunting.

With the right help and accommodations, millions of workers with disabilities have had successful careers. Here are some reasons they gave for why the benefits of pursuing work outweigh the risks:

• "I felt a purpose, joy, and the confidence to learn new things."
• "I am self-sufficient because I work. The money I make gives me the freedom to enjoy life."
• "Work connects me to others..."

Planning your future begins with a look in the mirror

Making decisions about your future is exciting, but it can also be overwhelming. It is best to approach career planning as a process rather than as a single decision. Think of it as a journey in which you will experience many influencing factors. The most satisfying journeys include others who offer encouragement and guidance along the way.

• To engage a professional who can help you, begin with a Ticket to Work guidance counselor. A guidance counselor can help you identify what motivates you and help you explore your personal qualities, interests, skills and support needs.
• When you're ready to look for work, Ticket to Work providers can also help. Transition planning prepares you to set goals, plan future activities, and identify relevant and fruitful training or work experiences.

What will work mean for my disability benefits?

Most people with disabilities find they benefit from the income and well-being that accompany paid employment. Some rely on a low, fixed income because they aren't aware of rules that can protect their Social Security disability benefits. These rules are called work incentives. It may have taken you and your family years to get the health care and services you rely on and it can be tempting to avoid working if you're afraid of losing these supports. These fears are understandable, but don’t let them discourage you from trying work.

You can work and still get Social Security disability benefits. Rules called Work Incentives can make it easier for people who get Social Security disability benefits to gain work experience by allowing them to:

• Keep Medicare or Medicaid coverage while working
• Work while getting cash benefits for a time during their transition to work
• Get their benefits back if they can’t keep working
• Keep more of their work income and build up their savings

Because everyone's situation differs, it's a good idea to consult a qualified professional known as a benefits counselor. A benefits counselor can help you understand how work will affect your benefits. To find one, use the Find Help tool on this site or call the Ticket to Work Help Line at the number below. You can learn about Work Incentives by registering for a free Work Incentives Seminar Event (WISE) online and by reading Social Security's Red Book.

Check back with News and Views for the next installment of Help for Young People Considering Their Future, which will cover the benefits of finding a mentor and career planning with support. If you have questions about Ticket to Work, please call the Ticket to Work Help Line at 1-866-968-7842 (V) or 1-866-833-2967 (TTY) or visit our website at www.choosework.net.

Notes and Sources:

• To learn about others who weighed the risks and rewards of job hunting and have useful stories to share, read or watch Ticket to Work Success Stories at www.choosework.net/success-stories.
• This piece stems from the following sources (excerpts may be included):
•  
  • "CAREERS: The Graphic Guide to Finding the Perfect Job for You", published by Dorling Kindersley Limited/Penguin Random House – First American Edition, 2015
  • Department of Labor: ODEP Disability Statistics
  • "New Editions, Inc."

By Guest Blogger Melanie Whetzel
Lead Consultant on the Cognitive/Neurological team at Job Accommodation Network

In July, we commemorated the 26th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). The ADA improves the lives of people with disabilities by protecting and ensuring their equal access employment, public entities, transportation, public accommodations, commercial facilities, telecommunications and more. It helps people with disabilities compete for employment and receive the accommodations and protection they need to work.  

Do you need reasonable accommodations in the workplace due to a disability? Do you know what steps to take to get the process started? Disclosure is the first and sometimes the most difficult step. Just thinking about this may sometimes cause anxiety and stress.

Disclosure is sharing personal information about your disability. It’s important for you to provide information about the nature of your disability, the limitations involved, and how it affects your ability to learn and/or perform the job effectively. Your employer has a right to know if you are asking for accommodations because of a disability. Ideally, you will disclose your disability and ask for accommodations before performance problems begin, or at least before they become too serious.

Let’s look at three main reasons why you may choose to disclose your disability to your employer:

1. To ask for job accommodations. As an example, a bus garage employee with a reading disability missed instructions and important announcements that were sent by email. He asked for screen reading software.
2. To receive benefits or privileges of employment. The ADA requires employers to provide accommodations so employees with disabilities can enjoy the benefits and privileges of employment equal to those enjoyed by people without disabilities working in similar roles. Benefits and privileges of employment include access to cafeterias, lounges, gymnasiums, auditoriums, transportation, and parties or other social functions. They also include employer-sponsored training. For example, an employee with Down syndrome signed up for a nutrition class but had trouble understanding the information presented. His employer asked the instructor to offer pictures of the types of food she recommended employees eat. The employee was able to use these pictures when making food choices.
3. To explain an unusual circumstance. For example, someone with temperature sensitivities due to multiple sclerosis may need to explain to his employer why it would be helpful to work from home while the office air conditioner is being repaired.

Disclosure can be quite simple. You can tell your employer you need to talk about an adjustment or change that is essential because of a medical condition. You may request an accommodation in plain language. You do not have to mention the ADA or use the phrase “reasonable accommodation.” It can be as easy as saying to your supervisor, “I need to talk to you about my difficulty writing notes by hand due to my medical condition.”

If you have questions about disclosure or want to discuss an accommodation situation, contact a Job Accommodation Network (JAN) consultant online or call 1-800-526-7234 (Voice) or 1-877-781-9403 (TTY).

About Ticket to Work

Social Security’s Ticket to Work program supports career development for people ages 18 through 64 who receive Social Security disability benefits (SSI or SSDI) and want to work. The Ticket program is free and voluntary. It helps people with disabilities move toward financial independence and connects them with the services and support they need to succeed in the workforce.

Learn more

To learn more about Ticket Work, contact the Ticket to Work Help Line at 1-866-968-7842 (Voice) or 1-866-833-2967 (TTY) Monday to Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. ET. Ask a representative to send you a list of service providers or find providers on your own with the Ticket to Work Find Help tool.

About the Author

Melanie joined the JAN staff as a consultant on the Cognitive / Neurological Team in February 2008. She has a fourteen year history of teaching and advocating for students with disabilities in the public school system. As a member of the Cognitive / Neurological Team, Melanie specializes in learning disabilities, mental impairments, developmental disabilities, autism spectrum disorders, and brain injuries. She became a certified brain injury specialist in December 2014.