Ticket to Work and Work Incentives Improvement Advisory Panel Teleconference

October 9, 2003

Carol Brenner, Designated Federal Officer, called the meeting to order at approximately 4:05 p.m. and turned the meeting over to Chair, Sarah Wiggins Mitchell.

Presiding: Sarah Wiggins Mitchell, Chair
Welcome, Introductions and Review of Agenda

Attendees

Advisory Panel Members

Sarah Wiggins Mitchell, Chair, Libby Child, Katie Beckett, Berthy De La Rosa-Aponte, Stephen Start, Torrey Westrom, Thomas Golden, Bryon MacDonald, Jerome Kleckley, and David Miller.

Advisory Panel Staff

Marie Strahan, Executive Director, Bernard Wixon, Lisa Ekman.

Designated Federal Officer

Carol Brenner

Recommendations for the Employment Network Summit

Presenter

Stephen Start

Action: Ensure that all recommendations are printed in bold face type to set them apart from discussion.

Recommendation 1: Modification of the EN Payment System to move more of the payment into the first 12 months of employment; increase the total payout for SSI to equal the total payout for SSDI; and equalize the payout for milestones and outcome between SSI and SSDI.
Moved, seconded, and approved.

Recommendation 2: Modify the EN Payment System to provide an incentive for the utilization of creative approaches that may place more up front risk on SSA but, if successful, can significantly increase program participation and therefore long-term saving to SSA.

Moved, seconded and approved with the following amendments:

• Use term work incentives when referring to IRWEs and other options.
• Remove "while some may come just to get the money" from Section C.
• Change "incenting" to "incentivizing".
• Move last paragraph as discussed
• Revise introduction paragraph to indicate that some activity already occurring.
• Include in recommendation the notion of promoting and supporting such a model
• Change "micro business" to "micro enterprise".

Recommendation 3: Regarding the long-term requirement for follow-up with pay stubs.
Moved, seconded, and approved with minor editorials.

Recommendation 4: Marketing ENs.
Moved, seconded and approved with the following changes:

• Update language to reflect the fact that the marketing contract has been awarded.
• Include recommendation that the Panel review the current marketing plan and create an opportunity for a dialogue with the contractor to provide input.

Recommendation 5: To be re-worked in accordance with Recommendation 4.
Moved, seconded and approved as amended.

Recommendation 6: The Panel, in partnership with SSA, serves as the catalyst for convening an initial meeting of key stakeholders to discuss a national level training and communication event or conference.
Moved, seconded and approved.

The recommendation to address working relations between VR and ENs has been referred to a phone-working group.

It was moved, seconded, and approved to convert this report into an Advice Report to be submitted to the SSA Commissioner, Congress, and the White House.

Vocational Rehabilitation Advice Letter

Presenter: Thomas Golden

It was moved, seconded, and approved as amended to reflect the following changes:

• Incorporate an executive summary.
• Boldface recommendations to set them apart from discussion.
• Reference the process evaluation.
• Incorporate actual language from Transmittal 17 and delete references to the two state vocational rehabilitation agencies
• Incorporate a specific reference to Beverly Stafford’s testimony.

It was moved, seconded, and approved to draft a letter for review at the November meeting that addresses the two recommendations emerging from the PDIE teleconference:

• Allowing state vocational rehabilitation agency cost reimbursement program to carry on as a parallel program with the TTW program.
• SSA should conduct an outcome evaluation of the cost reimbursement program

Other Items

Reauthorization of the BPAO
Presented by Thomas Golden

Action: To request from SSA a presentation on the findings of the evaluation.

CMA Early Intervention Demonstration
Presented by Thomas Golden

Action: Invite Joe Razes and Steve Lusky to present at the November meeting.

Post Entitlement Work Group Update and Request for Panel Review
Presented by Bryon MacDonald

The meeting adjourned at approximately 6:15 p.m.