"Ticket to Work Changed My Life": New Success Story Featuring Lori

After a lifetime of struggling with anxiety and depression, and having received Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) benefits for five years, Lori decided she was ready to work again. As an SSDI beneficiary, she learned she was eligible for Social Security's Ticket to Work program, which supports career development for adults with disabilities who want to work.

"Even though I had not worked full time in a long time, I believed I still had plenty to offer," said Lori. "I just had no idea how to go about getting a job, or whether I could handle the 'working world' again. If I'm being honest, I was really afraid. As much as I needed more money, I just could not afford to lose my monthly cash or health benefits."

Lori learned about the Ticket to Work program from a friend who saw an online posting. She began working with Employment Options, a Ticket to Work Employment Network (EN), in 2010. Lori now manages marketing and communications for the same EN that helped her transition from receiving benefits to working.

"Getting this job through Ticket to Work made all the difference in the world," said Lori. "Having their help on the technical benefits side, that I had trouble understanding, freed me up to just be able to work and do my job well. I wouldn't have been able to stay focused if I hadn't had them to reach out to. My anxiety would've taken over, and I'd be right back where I started: scared and unable to work.

"Being able to work has helped me manage my anxiety in many ways. It's kept me focused each day. And being able to help others like me gives me a great reason to get out of bed in the morning and do something I love." 

For more on how Lori found work, read her full story.

Visit our website for more inspiring stories about people who reached their employment goals through the Ticket to Work program.