Partnership Plus
Working with an EN after VR Services Have Ended
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If you're an adult age 18 through 64 and receive Social Security disability benefits (SSDI/SSI) you're eligible to participate in the Ticket to Work (Ticket) program. Under the Ticket program, you can receive free services to help you prepare for, find or maintain employment. State Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) agencies and authorized service providers known as Employment Networks (EN) offer these types of services. Your State VR agency can be a good place to begin exploring your options. Many people gain skills and find work with help from a State VR agency. Others find their needs are better met by an EN. If your State VR agency helped you find work, after your VR case is closed, you can receive ongoing services from an EN – even when you're on the job.
Service providers and the services they may offer
After you have found work, an EN may help you:
- Get job accommodations
- Communicate with your employer
- Stay in touch with Social Security
- Stay organized
- Report earnings
- Find answers to your questions about how working can affect your benefits
Both ENs and State VR agencies offer a range of services to help you prepare for and find work. ENs also offer continuing support services that can help you remain employed or advance your career.
While ENs are all required to provide career planning and assistance with job search activities, some are better equipped to serve people with certain disabilities.
Specialized services offered by some ENs include benefits counseling, resume writing, interview skills and assistance requesting job accommodations. It's important to find an EN or State VR agency that offers services that meet your needs.
Partnership Plus
If you've found a job, your State VR agency may close your case approximately 90 days after you start working. When State VR services end, many people find that they need continuing support to help them keep their job and increase their earnings over time. That's why State VR agencies often partner with ENs that provide job retention services and other types of ongoing support. This arrangement, known as Partnership Plus, gives Ticket program participants continued access to individualized employment services, if needed. After State VR services have ended, you can assign your Ticket to an EN of your choice to receive these additional services. Partnership Plus sets you up for success by providing the support you need at each step toward financial self-sufficiency.
Someone in Your Corner
Entering or re-entering the workforce can be an adjustment. Having a resource to go to for answers to your questions can make this transition easier. For example, Ticket program participants must contact Social Security and report their earnings monthly. Some ENs help you stay organized and communicate with Social Security so you can try to avoid being overpaid and focus on advancing your career. ENs that offer benefits counseling are equipped to help you take better control of your finances. They will be able to inform you about rules called Work Incentives, which make it easier to enhance your job skills and gain experience. Working with an EN means having a resource in your corner to help you succeed.
Partnership Plus can extend the advantages of certain Work Incentives after a VR case is closed. For example, the law requires Social Security to periodically review your disability to determine whether you are still eligible for disability benefits. You will not have to undergo this process, called the medical Continuing Disability Review (CDR), as long as you are making timely progress toward your employment goals in the Ticket program.
ENs help you stay organized and communicate with Social Security so you can remain focused on advancing your career. Having a resource in your corner can make the adjustment to work easier.
Assigning your Ticket to an EN after your State VR agency closes your case is voluntary, and it extends the medical CDR protections of the Ticket program. To continue protection from the medical CDR, you need to assign your Ticket to an EN within 90 days of your State VR case being closed.
Finding the Right EN
Several resources are available to help you find an EN that is right for you. Your State VR counselor may be able to help. Read tips on choosing the right EN, and use the Find Help tool to connect with providers that offer the services you need. Representatives on the Ticket to Work Help Line can also send you a list of ENs. You may need to talk with several providers to find a good fit.
Questions?
Partnership Plus arrangements vary from state to state. Ask your State VR counselor how it can work for you! For more information about the Ticket program and Partnership Plus, call the Ticket to Work Help Line at 1-866-968-7842 or 1-866-833-2967 (TTY), Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. – 8 p.m. ET.
Partnership Plus arrangements vary from state to state. Ask your State VR counselor how it can work for you! For more information about the Ticket program and Partnership Plus, call the Ticket to Work Help Line at 1-866-968-7842 or 1-866-833-2967 (TTY), Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. – 8 p.m. ET.
Ticket to Work and Work Incentives will still be there for you after you have found a job.