Ticket to Work Boot Camp:

Your EN Business Model & Partnerships for Success

Hosted/Facilitated by:

Laura Gleneck, NDI Technical Assistance Team

Presented by: Kevin Nickerson, NDI Technical Assistance Team &Karen Davidson, Senior Account Manager, Region 9, Operations Support Manager

April 17, 2012

DEI Projects at the state level and/or local level participating LWIBs are required to become Employment Networks under Social Security Administration’s Ticket to Work Program.

Training and Technical Assistance to DEI Projects in attaining Employment Network status and implementing effective EN operations is provided under U.S. DOLETA contract with NDI Consulting, Inc. and the National Disability Institute (NDI).

Evaluation of the impact of the DEI Projects implementation and outcomes as Employment Network will be provided under U.S. DOL ODEP contract with Social Dynamics.

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Upon completion of this training webinar, DEI grantees and participants and partners from the public workforce system will have the following: Information on how to establish a successful

Employment Network An understanding of the types of partnerships and

partnership strategies to utilize for the benefit of your Employment Network.

Establishing your Employment Network Business Model

Partnerships that will help you develop a successful EN

Logistics for the next Ticket to Work Boot Camp training

An Employment Network is a business, and like any other small business, careful planning and forethought will increase your chances of success

Your business model will set the stage for all subsequent steps you will take in developing your EN operations

Examples: Determining whether you will specialize in serving certain

disability groups, or serve all groups, if they are a good fit for the EN services you offer

What types of services you provide may be driven by an agency mission and/or the individuals within your One-Stop providing Ticket services

An Employment Network operates under contract with the Social Security Administration, and now requires you to be identified by your DUNS number

There are various EN Models that exist Nationally, and new models continue to emerge (i.e. NYS Administrative EN Model)

Basic EN Models of operation might include:◦Local level operation◦Collaborative operation◦State level operation

EN Business Model BasicsEN Business Model Basics

Examples of Employment Network Models:

Local level Strategy – A One-Stop/EN which has applied to become an EN based on a specific Workforce area, typically under the Workforce Investment Board’s (WIB) DUNS Number

Advantages:◦ All Ticket funds generated go to local EN◦ Design of EN business operations is up to the EN◦ One-Stops have the distinct advantage of having staff from partner agencies

that should be able to contribute to the Ticket holders success

Challenges:◦ Local EN responsible for all EN operations, including all service delivery

(Career Counseling, Job Development, Long-Term follow-up supports, etc.), marketing, billing and tracking of all Ticket Holders

◦ No shared resources, therefore local EN must fully staff all operations and provide equipment and supplies necessary to support EN activities

EN Business Model BasicsEN Business Model Basics

Local Level with Collaborative Agreement – Either a One-Stop or a partner agency is the EN of record and is partnering through a local written agreement. This increases the resources available to Ticket Holders that are served in this collaborative model as both the partner agency and One-Stop provide resources to the Ticket Holder.

The local agreement guides the services and contributions that both the One-Stop and community agency provide through the collaborative EN.Advantages:

◦ Sharing of resources◦ Increased access for Ticket Holders (more than one site)◦ Specific advantage when partnering with One-Stop Career Centers –

Access to a pool of Ticket holders who are already registered at the One-Stop, and would prefer to use a more “mainstream” job search approach

◦ Integrated Resource TeamsChallenges:

◦ Sharing of Ticket funds per written agreement◦ Coordination of services between two sites, where shared staff may be

utilized

EN Business Model BasicsEN Business Model Basics

State Department as EN – State Department of Labor, for example, becomes the EN of record, and lists the One-Stop sites in the RFQ that will be serving Ticket holders. One application covers all sites included in the RFQ, and each site operates under the State DUNS number.

Advantages:◦ Reduced administrative burden for local areas◦ Additional resources at the State level to market the program state-wide◦ Ongoing targeted marketing to Ticket Holders by the state and EN sites◦ One application required, local areas need not apply to become EN

Challenges:◦ Tracking of Ticket Holders at the State level would require dedicated staff

time◦ Tracking large volumes of Ticket Holders would require a coordinated

tracking system ◦ Payments to local areas would vary, potential distribution challenge◦ State would likely require an administration fee for time spent

EN Business Model Basics

Is your CCR registration up to date?◦ A requirement for all ENs and for federal contracting, the EN’s

DUNS number must be registered at www.CCR.gov (visit http://fedgov.dnb.com/webform for more information on DUNS numbers)

Which staff will be required to fulfill SSA’s EN Security and Suitability Requirements? ◦ Any staff member involved in your EN operations that is

receiving Personally Identifiable Information (PII) from Maximus, or who is providing PII to Maximus, will need to have security clearance in place

◦ Security and Suitability is also required to receive the Beneficiary Referral CD

◦ NOTE: For a Checklist which will help you through this process, contact Emily Malsch at emalsch@cess.net.

What kind of services will your EN offer? ◦ Note: SSA requires that ENs provide at least the following core

services to Ticket holders: Career Counseling Job Placement Long-Term Follow Up Supports

You will likely provide additional services through your One-Stop EN, for example, Resume development, interviewing skills, workshops, funds for training (where applicable), subsidized wages (youth programs), Incentives to Employers (OJT, WOTC)

Will you serve Ticket Holders pursuing self-employment? ◦ Note: There are additional rules associated with Self-Employment, such as

how SSA counts income (Net Earnings from Self-Employment vs. Wage Employment), and additional Work Incentives that apply

Will you serve Ticket Holders looking for full-time work, part-time work, or both? ◦ ENs will want to serve Ticket holders who are interested in work that will help

them achieve at least Substantial Gainful Activity (SGA) level work, which in 2012 is $1,010/month (non-blind), and $1,690/month (blind)

◦ In order to achieve any payments beyond the initial Phase 1 Milestones, Ticket holder must be achieving SGA level employment, but remember, the goal of the Ticket program, ultimately, is to assist beneficiaries in becoming self-sufficient

Per the new RFQ, Workforce ENs have the following options to consider for providing Long-Term Follow Up Supports, this in an important part of your EN Business Model you should consider:◦ EN will provide all agreed services for initial and ongoing follow-up supports

(quarterly follow-up required)◦ EN will provide agreed upon services for initial supports to assist in securing

employment (Phase 1), after which, Ticket holder will need to find another EN to assist with long term follow-up supports

◦ EN will partner with an agency for agreed upon services for both the initial AND long term follow-up supports

Which staff will assist with your EN efforts? While the DRC is the most likely staff person to be involved in serving Ticket

holders, it is likely that many other One-Stop staff will be involved to some degree

Here are some typical staffing needs you should consider:◦ 1. Ticket holder Assessment & Assignment of Tickets (who will screen, and

determine which Ticket holders you should serve, and submit the Individual Work Plan to Maximus)

◦ 2. Benefits Advisement and Planning ◦ 3. Job Development services for Ticket holders ◦ 4. Long-term follow-up supports for Ticket holders ◦ 5. Billing and Tracking of Ticket holders ◦ 6. Who will be the Signatory Authority? ◦ 7. Who will be the EN/Beneficiary Primary Contact, the EN staff member the Ticket

holder will contact for more information on your EN services? ◦ 8. Marketing and Outreach to Employers

How will you effectively identify potential Ticket Holders – Your Outreach methods? For example:◦Will registration for One-Stop services include a voluntary

question about disability status? ◦Will registration form include a question about SSA benefits?◦Will you use e-Data sharing? (A part of the e-Process)◦Will you use the Beneficiary Referral CD?◦Will you have training events that examine SSA Work Incentives

as a way to draw beneficiaries to your One-Stop?◦What media will you use to market your new EN services?

How will you market your EN to community service providers, and other referral sources?

Do you have a projected number of Ticket holders you expect to serve?

Like any business, you should consider goals for your EN, including the total number of beneficiaries you expect to serve, in any given year

One way to do this is to first determine how many Ticket holders reside in your service area, by accessing the Maximus web-site here:

https://yourtickettowork.com/web/ttw/en-beneficiary-distribution

Our EN serves primarily Tompkins County, New York Total Beneficiaries = 3007 Our Goal – To serve between ½ and 1% of all Ticket eligible

beneficiaries in our primary service area 3007 X .01 = 30.07

Based on this information, our goal is to achieve an average caseload of about 30 Ticket holders at any given time

Remember, in any given month, you may have to un-assign a Ticket (for a variety of reasons), a ticket may terminate due to receiving all possible payments, etc.

NOTE: If you are serving a much larger area, you may have to adjust based on available staffing

Revenue projections for the Ticket program can be very tricky, based on the number of variables associated with each Ticket holder, and how the payment structure works

You also have to consider that only part of the total Ticket payments available, will be received each year, for each Ticket holder

Sometimes past performance is the best indicator of future revenue potential

Tracking Ticket revenue can help you in subsequent years, in addressing revenue projections

Have you considered how you will track Ticket Holders for purposes of billing and case management?

Organizing your Ticket holder data is an important administrative task every EN has to develop

There are currently two different tracking tools that Maximus has been provided by ENs that can be adopted for use, if your EN doesn’t want to create a system from scratch:◦ Ticket Data Manager (NY, Challenge Workforce Solutions)◦ EN Ticket Tracker (Iowa)◦ NOTE: These tools will be provided on a future training, and reviewed

in detail.

Who will maintain Ticket Holder files, and what information will they contain?

At a minimum, your paper file will need to contain the Ticket holders signed IWP◦ There are other documents you may want in a Ticket holders file,

although not required, such as: Wage Data Benefits information 18-Month Prior Earnings Worksheet Billing submissions Pertinent medical documentation

Lastly, each year every EN must complete an Annual Performance Outcome Report (APOR), which is why managing data is important, to make this task fairly easy

You should consider, in advance, who will be completing the APOR, and examine the information that is collected in this report, so you are prepared

Developing your internal operations prior to accepting Ticket holders for services will allow you to provide better customer service to all customers involved (i.e. internal staff, Ticket holders, businesses)

While you can plan in advance for many of the components of your EN operations, you will continue to streamline your business operations as you mature as an EN, don’t expect to have everything go smoothly from day one, even with excellent planning

Addressing EN operations internally first will provide you a platform to then market to Ticket holders, and other key stakeholders

There is no teacher like experience, therefore, you should connect with other successful ENs whenever possible to learn from, and to collaborate with, in order to continually improve services you offer

An EN Business Model Checklist & Planning Guide has been developed to assist you in taking next steps in your planning process, available at the conclusion of today’s webinar

Karen Davidson, Senior Account Manager

Ticket to Work Operations Support Manager

Set goals & performance benchmarks Break them down monthly Set them for individual staff members Motivate staff to take ownership of the

program

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Know SSA Ticket rules, Work IncentivesSSA Red Book – www.socialsecurity.gov/redbook/ (Pub. No. 64-030)

Know enough to guide Ticketholders through effect of work on disability & medical benefits

WIPA support good, but need in-house knowledge, too.

Know enough to navigate SSA billing process

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Tired of “sticky notes” from Ticket phone calls?

Handy form to track new Ticket calls Use this form for initial data entry to database Track monthly calls and who referred them for

marketing purposes and staff work flow.

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Track clients, services provided, employment outcomes, other pertinent data

Include fields needed for Annual Performance Outcome Report required by SSA

Track staff progress & Ticket program goals, save staff time

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TICKET TO WORK DATA BASE

FIELDS EXPLANATION Last Name First Name Soc. Sec. # Street Address City County State Zip Home Phone No. Cell Phone No. Email Address Site Office location most convenient for client visit1st Contact Date Date client first contacted office/phone or in person SSI/SSDI SSI, SSDI, or SSDI/SSI if on both Cash Amount Total amount of monthly cash benefits Impairment Nature of their disability Age Birthdate M/F Ethnicity A – Asian B – Black C – Caucasion H – Hispanic HSS – Hispanic, Spanish Speaking only/limited English O – Other VET Military Veteran? Yes or No Referred By Who referred them to our office, name of agency, friend, etc. If they saw our flyer, indicate where. If they called from list of ENs, put Maximus) Staff Rep Job Developer assigned to them Status Interested, Assigned, Employed, Closed, Nonpar (Assigned but not participating), Unassigned, Inactive - Change status as situation changes.

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TICKET TO WORK DATA BASE, continued

FIELDS EXPLANATION Employment Goal From the IWP Last Contact Date of the last contact made with the client Comments Put any helpful info. here not covered elsewhere Assigned Date of Assignment – Same date as IWP Assessment Date assessment was completed Activity Job Search, GED Classes, AA Degree, etc: Current Employer If more than one job, put current employer Job Title Industry Use Industry types from TTW Annual Performance Outcome Report 1st Day/1st Job If someone changes jobs, retain this date to help track payments Pay/Hr. Convert all pay to hourly Hrs/Wk No. of hours expected to work each week Est Monthly Estimated monthly pay – Weekly pay times 4.3333 Med. Coverage (1) Group Ins., Medicare, Medicaid, VA Coverage, etc. Med. Coverage (2) If covered by more than one, list 2nd one here. TWP? Yes or No. Yes means they qualify for the trial work period #Mos How many trial work period months they have left Placement Notes. Info. on employment, next milestone due, changes in job, hours, etc.

BPQY has wealth of information about client’s case

Clients sign both BPQY releases SSA-3288 when they sign Individual Work Plan (IWP)

To get BPQY, fax release forms to SSA field office, ask them to fax BPQY back to you (takes 2-5 days)

Handbook Website: www.ssa.gov/disabilityresearch/.../BPQY_Handbook%209-16-09.doc

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XX

YOUR AGENCY NAME AND ADDRESS HERE

I am planning to go to work and need this information for benefits planning.

Please send me a Benefits Planning Query.

XX

.IRS Earnings Information/Non-certified yearly totals of earnings

Signed Consent Form for Release of BPQY to an Authorized Third Party

Signature is valid up to five years from date signed

Thisrelease allows you to get IRS data

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Thisrelease isforallotherSSAdata

What if clients don’t give you their pay stubs? Get Employer Release of Information Form

signed up front, same time as IWP. Use this form to fax to employer, request

earnings information, but don’t divulge any information relating to their disability or Ticket to Work

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AUTHORIZATION TO RELEASE INFORMATION I, _______________________________________________, authorize my employer to release any and all pertinent employment information (start date, salary, ending date, etc.) as well as current address and phone number to any Your Agency Name staff person who calls/faxes to verify employment. I understand this information is required to assist in keeping accurate data regarding job services. By signing below, I give my consent to the Release of Information and will receive a copy of it upon request. This authorization shall be valid for five years from the date signed. _______________________________________ ______________________ Signature Date

Simple list of functions to do on all cases Check them off as you go Before fine-tuning list for your agency needs,

establish flow-chart of Ticket functions.

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Use Maximus resources: ◦EN Training Modules, Forms, and Manuals◦Ticket Training Tuesdays◦www.yourtickettowork.com

Conduct regular staff training SSA/EN Monthly Teleconferences

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“Free ad” on EN Directory at www.yourtickettowork.com Text box shows up directly below EN NameSay anything useful, up to 270 charactersTo get ad, use BPA Change Form at www.yourtickettowork.com.

Attract Ticketholders most suited to your program

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Incorporate info about your Ticket program on your organization’s website.

Consider using an online interest form Add a link to your Ticket website to the service

provider directory. To add website, use BPA Change Form located in

the forms sections at www.yourtickettowork.com

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Does your Agency or Ticket program name give away too much info, breach client confidentiality or mislead people as to what you do?

What first impression does a potential client get when they see your name?

You can set up a “Doing Business As” and attach a name to your Ticket program. To add DBA, use the BPA Change form located in the forms section at www.yourtickettowork.com.

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Use Press Release to promote program tolocal news media.◦Launching or expanding Ticket program◦ Include a “success story” of a client’s improved

life or enjoyment of work; news media love a “feel good” story.

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Does your staff know what to say when a person makes that first call about his/her Ticket?

It helps to have a script or talking points, so the caller’s first point of contact answers their questions:◦Benefits of signing up for Ticket program◦Services that your agency provides

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You want to establish a good relationship with local SSA field offices. Ways to do that:◦Get to know local managers and staff ◦Do in-service trainings for local field office staff◦Give staff your marketing brochures to add to

their list of providers in the area.◦Share your accomplishments & success

stories.◦Ask for a telephone directory of Claims Reps.

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Do all service providers (who are not ENs) in your area know about your Ticket program?

Offer to be guest-speaker at in-service events Make sure they know you can co-enroll

participants who may be completing training or receiving other services from them.

Network with your local VR agency to establish a Partnership Plus arrangement for retention and follow-along services.

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Get to know your local Work Incentives Planning & Assistance (WIPA) agency.◦Call them, introduce yourself, invite them to visit

your office or visit theirs.◦Collaborate on outreach events and community

functions◦Refer consumers to them as needed for

more in-depth work incentive planning◦Let them know you’re actively taking tickets and

what services you provide.

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Great marketing tool CD has all the SSA disability beneficiaries in

your requested region, with age and history: if worked ever, last 5 years, last 18 months.

Data for targeted marketing, such as age group.

To sign up for this monthly CD, instructions can be found in the forms section of www.yourtickettowork.com.

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Ticket is performance-based, must documentearnings to bill for EN payments.

Paystubs are primary (best) earnings evidence.

Fax all client paystubs to local SSA monthly◦Fax to local SSA first, then bill for Ticket

payments◦This also helps avoid overpayments to

Ticketholders

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What if client won’t provide paystubs? Sign up for The Work Number – Social Services

www.theworknumber.com/SocialServices/index.asp

Can verify employment & earnings from participating employers◦Has helped ENs get thousands of dollars in

revenue◦There is a small charge for the Express Service◦SS# Search is also available

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Track Milestones, months of Trial Work Period, Substantial Gainful Activity, and Outcomes to ensure you bill for all revenue earned.

Handy one page chart for each Ticket client..

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Dept. of Treasury system provides online verification of direct deposits (EN payments).

Save time sorting out payments, esp. if deposit account receives funds from other programs.

You get email notification of direct deposit withweb access to each deposit with details.

Sign up at http://www.ipp.gov

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Handy chart to quickly calculate weekly hours & pay to reach Trial Work Level for Phase 1 Milestones, and Substantial Gainful Activity to reach Phase 2 Milestones

Useful in discussing employment goals & planning schedule for billing purposes.

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Track your billing and payment activity. This goes out approx. every week by email,

usually on Friday. Notifies you current status of each case.

You should automatically receive this report once you submit your first payment request.

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National Employment Network Association. Indispensable peer-to-peer support, industry

voice for providers to government agencies. Sign up for listserve for free or to become a

member, visit www.nenaticket.com Interactive community – The only interactive

site for ENs in the U.S. www.community.nenaticket.com

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All Employment Networks will need to use their DUNS # instead of their EIN # on all forms and communication with Maximus & SSA.

All ENs must be registered with CCR at www.ccr.gov. Keep your registration current – they do expire every year.

Changes in your bank must be made at the CCR site in order to receive your direct deposits from SSA

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Today we covered the following:Information on how to establish a successful Employment NetworkPartnerships and partnership strategies that will benefit your Employment Network.

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If you have a comment or question you can :

A: Submit it to the host in writing via the Chat or Q&A Box to the right, or…

B: Click on the “raise hand” icon to have your line un-muted and ask your question/make your comment.

Karen DavidsonSenior Account ManagerWorkforce Team, Operation Support Manager(831) 747-1548karenedavidson@maximus.com

Kevin NickersonProgram AssociateNDI Technical Assistance Team(607) 272-7570 Ext. 136knickerson@ndi-inc.org

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