Native American Heritage Month
Date: December 2, 2024
Dear Colleague:
As the Tribal Consultation Official of the Social Security Administration (SSA), I am pleased to invite you to a meet and greet for the White House Tribal Nations Summit on Tuesday, December 10th at the Department of Interior (DOI).
Please join us from 10:00 a.m.– 12:00 p.m. in the Kiowa Room.
Directions to the conference room:
- Enter through the C St entrance and process through security
- Take the first elevator bank to the basement
- Proceed north on the basement level and go past the second elevator bank
- Turn left into the Bison Bistro
- Immediately turn right and then left (credit union will be on the right)
- Continue straight and the Kiowa Room will be on the right
SSA is hosting an Open House with the Director of the Office of Native American Partnerships (ONAP). Please stop by for a meet and greet, and feel free to provide recommendations, suggestions or ask questions about SSA’s strategy for improving service to Native Americans:
- ONAP is hopeful to receive a travel budget to attend business meetings with you in your Tribal homelands to learn of your unique barriers in receiving services from SSA. We agree it is critical to meet with you individually, to see your community firsthand, and build trust and respect so that we can partner on solutions that meet the needs of your people.
- We are learning more about how SSA will be able to implement Executive Order 14112, Reforming Federal Funding and Support to Better Embrace Our Trust Responsibilities and Promote the Next Era of Tribal Self-Determination.
- We recently published SSA’s accomplishments for Tribal Affairs and Tribal Consultation providing a national, regional and local progress report. We look forward to making progress on a strategy for the next Agency Tribal Action Plan based on your feedback.
We look forward to speaking with you at the Summit!
Sincerely,
Reneé Ferguson
Director of Native American Partnerships
Office of the Commissioner
Native American Heritage Month
Date: November 5, 2024
Dear Colleague:
November marks Native American Heritage Month, a time to honor the traditions, languages, and stories of Native American, Alaska Native, Native Hawaiian, and affiliated Island communities.
Social Security is committed to providing equitable and accessible service to all communities. Through our continued work with advocates and tribal representatives, we developed many resources and tools to better serve indigenous people. These include:
To further these efforts, we invite you to join our next National Disability Forum to be held on Wednesday, November 13, 2024, from 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. ET via Microsoft Teams. The forum will feature tribal community experts discussing ways to remove barriers to accessing Social Security programs and services. To participate, please register by Friday, November 8, 2024.
Please share this information with your members, colleagues, affiliates, and other interested parties.
Sincerely,
Reneé Ferguson, Director
Office of Native American Partnerships
Tribal Consultation Official
SSA.Tribal.Communications@ssa.gov
Registration for Events
Date: October 10, 2024
Dear Tribal Leader & Urban Indian Organization Leader:
On behalf of Martin O’Malley, Commissioner of Social Security, I am pleased to share updates to our activities and three opportunities that require registration for yourself or designated staff. Pursuant to the Presidential Memorandum on Tribal Consultation and Strengthening Nation-to-Nation Relationships, the Social Security Administration (SSA) is sharing opportunities to register to attend virtual Tribal Consultation.
- The September 13th Virtual Tribal Consultation Announcement is rescheduled for November 14, 2024, from 1:00 to 3:00 pm EST. This consultation will focus on the draft Tribal Action Plan for SSA including consultations, listening sessions, enhancing video connectivity, providing guides and training on SSA policy, recognition efforts for Native Languages and more.
- Please RSVP to AIAN.EC@ssa.gov and you will receive the Agenda and Framing Questions with your calendar invite.
Free Virtual National Policy Training
I encourage you to share this month’s FREE virtual training series focused on topics important to Tribal communities. The training will assist Tribal benefit coordinators, navigators, social workers, and other stakeholders who provide support to tribal members. Each session includes ample time for a Q&A discussion with SSA experts. This month’s training will focus on Navigating Social Security - Key Policy Changes, Exciting Updates, and Enhancements for Tribal communities with the following options:
Free Virtual Discussion for Services for Tribal Communities
The National Disability Forum (NDF) is hosting a two-part session on “Removing Barriers to Accessing Services in Tribal Communities – Part 2” offered on November 13, 2024. The NDF is a public forum that gives expert panelists, including experts from Tribal Nations, an opportunity to share their unique insights on topics of particular interest with SSA early in the development process and directly with policymakers.
- Review the NDF Save the Date page.
- Mark your calendar for November 13, 2024, from 1:00 pm to 3:00 pm EST.
We will continue to keep you informed with updates to our policies that affect Indian Country through our Dear Tribal Leader Letter. I encourage you to subscribe in order to receive notifications of new letters when they are published.
Sincerely,
Reneé Ferguson, Director
Office of Native American Partnerships
Office of the Commissioner
Social Security Administration
www.SSA.gov/people/aian
Invitation for Tribal Consultation
Date: September 13, 2024
Dear Tribal Leader:
On behalf of Martin O'Malley, Commissioner of Social Security, we invite you to attend a Tribal Consultation scheduled for October 15 and October 17, 2024, pursuant to the Presidential Memorandum on Tribal Consultation and Strengthening Nation-to-Nation Relationships. The Office of Native American Partnerships is hosting an additional Tribal Consultation virtually and we hope you are available to attend one of these two (2) dates/times: October 15th at 2:00 PM EST and October 17th at 10:00 AM EST.
ACTION: Please RSVP to AIAN.EC@ssa.gov and let us know which date (October 15th or October 17th) you plan to attend. You will receive the Framing Questions and Agenda documents as an attachment with your calendar invite.
Our Tribal Consultation Call to Action Plan expanded partnerships across federal agencies to Urban Indian Organizations sharing our objective to increase Video Service Delivery sites, promoting Native language initiatives, and providing free monthly training webinars on SSA programs and policies. We seek to learn the pros and cons of the proposed framing questions to provide direct input into SSA policies, procedures, and priorities and to assist in providing strong consultations, round table discussions, and listening sessions.
We value your participation and hope that you will be able to join us.
Note: The consultation is not for press purposes.
If you wish to provide comments in writing, by November 29, 2024, please send written comments to Social Security Administration at AIAN.EC@ssa.gov.
Sincerely,
Reneé Ferguson, Director
Office of Native American Partnerships
Office of the Commissioner
Social Security Administration
www.SSA.gov/people/aian
Invitation for Tribal Consultation
Date: August 29, 2024
Dear Tribal Leader:
On behalf of Martin O'Malley, Commissioner of Social Security, we invite you to attend a Tribal Consultation scheduled for September 17, 2024, pursuant to the Presidential Memorandum on Tribal Consultation and Strengthening Nation-to-Nation Relationships. The Office of Native American Partnerships are co-host with Alaska Native Health Board will conduct our first in-person Alaskan Tribal Consultation in Anchorage, AK with limited seating. Please RSVP to AIAN.EC@ssa.gov with your selection to attend in-person or via ZOOM. Once done, you will receive an invitation to attend. Please note there is limited in-person seating. Once in-person seats are full then all leaders will receive a ZOOM meeting invitation only.
Our Tribal Consultation Call to Action Plan expanded partnerships across federal agencies to Urban Indian Organizations sharing our objective to increase Video Service Delivery site, promoting Native language initiatives, and providing free monthly training webinars on SSA programs and policies. We seek to learn the pros and cons of the proposed framing questions to provide direct input into SSA policies, procedures, and priorities and to assist in providing strong consultations, round table discussions, and listening sessions. Additionally, we seek to strengthen our Equity Action Plan by identifying innovative service channels that SSA can consider in servicing your communities.
We value your participation and hope that you will be able to join us at the Alaska Disability Determination Services to address the critical state of disability claims processing in Alaska by engaging with the Hospital leadership and over 200 Tribal Leaders to work together on solutions. Once you RSVP, you will receive the details for agenda and framing questions for your review prior to the September 17th Tribal Consultation.
Note: The consultation is not for press purposes.
If you wish to provide comments in writing, by October 30, 2024, please send written comments to Social Security Administration at AIAN.EC@ssa.gov.
Sincerely,
Reneé Ferguson, Director
Office of Native American Partnerships
Office of the Commissioner
Social Security Administration
www.SSA.gov/people/aian
Announcement Updates
Date: July 29, 2024
Dear Tribal Leader & Urban Indian Organization Leader:
On behalf of Martin O'Malley, Commissioner of Social Security, I am pleased to share updates to our activities. Pursuant to the Presidential Memorandum on Tribal Consultation and Strengthening Nation-to-Nation Relationships, the Social Security Administration is sharing opportunities to attend upcoming activities.
The Supplemental Security Income (SSI) program is turning 50! Since 1974, the SSI program has helped millions of elders, blind, and disabled individuals who have little or no income or resources. Watch our YouTube video or read more in our Press Release. Additionally, here are recent Press Releases you might find useful:
I encourage you to share this month's FREE virtual training series focused on topics important to Tribal communities. The training will assist Tribal Benefit Coordinators, navigators, social workers, and other stakeholders who provide support to tribal members. Each session includes ample time for a Q&A discussion with SSA experts. This month's training will focus on Social Security Overpayments with the following options:
- Register for Option 1 - Tuesday, July 30th (7:00 am Pacific / 8:00 am Mountain / 9:00 am Central / 10:00 am Eastern)
- Register for Option 2 - Wednesday, July 31st (10:30 am Pacific / 11:30 am Mountain / 12:30 pm Central / 1:30 pm Eastern)
August is just around the corner, and I am happy to share these upcoming activities:
- SSA staff is scheduled to provide onsite services at three Alaskan locations serving Tribal Members to assist with various services including Social Security card replacement, address updates, reporting changes, filing for benefits or any general SSA questions. Please share the Alaska Remote Services Flyer with Tribal members who need to walk-in for services (no appointment required). The dates and locations are:
- August 5th, 2024, from 11:00 A.M. - 2:00 P.M. at the Dillingham Senior Center.
- August 6th, 2024, from 11:00 A.M. - 4:00 P.M. at the Nome XYZ Senior Center.
- August 9th, 2024, from 11:00 A.M. - 4:00 P.M. at the Sitka Southeast Alaska Independent Living (SAIL).
- 26th Annual Retirement and Research Consortium meeting is set for August 7th - 9th in person in Washington DC or you may attend virtually. This free and public event showcases the latest in retirement and disability research from some of the nation's top scholars.
- The National Disability Forum (NDF) is hosting a two-part session on "Removing Barriers to Accessing Services in Tribal Communities" with the first part offered on August 29, 2024. The NDF is a public forum that gives expert panelists, including experts from Tribal Nations, an opportunity to share their unique insights on topics of particular interest with SSA early in the development process and directly with policymakers. Mark your calendar for August 29, 2024, from 1:00 pm to 3:00 pm EST and access the NDF homepage for the registration link after July 31st.
We will continue to keep you informed with updates to our policies that affect Indian Country through our Dear Tribal Leader Letter. I encourage you to subscribe in order to receive notifications of new letters when they are published.
Please share this invitation with other organizations that may be interested. We look forward to your valuable input. We will continue to keep you informed of opportunities for Indian Country.
Sincerely,
Reneé Ferguson, Director
Office of Native American Partnerships
Office of the Commissioner
Social Security Administration
www.SSA.gov/people/aian
Notice of Invitation
Date: July 1, 2024
Dear Tribal Leader & Urban Indian Organization Leader:
On behalf of Martin O'Malley, Commissioner of Social Security, I am pleased to share an invitation to participate. Pursuant to the Presidential Memorandum on Tribal Consultation and Strengthening Nation-to-Nation Relationships, the Social Security is inviting you to participate in one of our upcoming feedback sessions to help shape the Social Security Administration's FY 2025 Equity Action Plan. Your feedback is crucial to improving our services and outreach initiatives.
Event Dates:
- Thursday, July 11, from 1:00 p.m. - 2:00 p.m. ET
- Thursday, July 25, from 1:00 p.m. - 2:00 p.m. ET
- Thursday, August 15, from 1:00 p.m. - 2:00 p.m. ET
How to Participate:
- Register by the Monday before your chosen session.
- Submit your questions to OEA.NET.Post@ssa.gov by the Thursday before your chosen session.
Please share this invitation with other organizations that may be interested. We look forward to your valuable input. We will continue to keep you informed of opportunities for Indian Country.
Sincerely,
Reneé Ferguson, Director
Office of Native American Partnerships
Office of the Commissioner
Social Security Administration
www.SSA.gov/people/aian
Announcement of Survivor Benefits Training
Date: June 14, 2024
Dear Tribal Leader & Urban Indian Organization Leader:
On behalf of Martin O'Malley, Commissioner of Social Security, I am pleased to announce an upcoming training opportunity and the development of the Dear Tribal Leader Letter (DTLL) webpage. Pursuant to the Presidential Memorandum on Tribal Consultation and Strengthening Nation-to-Nation Relationships, SSA is announcing our upcoming free virtual Survivor's Benefits Training and our published DTLL webpage.
Survivors' benefits are paid to the surviving spouse and dependents of a deceased worker. Beneficiaries include widows, widowers (and divorced widows and widowers, if they were married at least 10 years), and children who qualify. A surviving spouse, surviving divorced spouse, or an unmarried child may be eligible for monthly survivor benefits based on the deceased worker's earnings. The earliest a widow or widower can start receiving Social Security Survivors benefits is based on age and family status.
The policies and processes are complicated and vary depending on the situation. This is why you will want a member of your team (Benefits Specialist or Social Worker) to join us for a free informative training session on Survivors Benefits. We offer two training options.
- Register for Option 1 - Tuesday, June 25th (7:00 am Pacific / 8:00 am Mountain / 9:00 am Central / 10:00 am Eastern)
- Register for Option 2 - Wednesday, June 26th (10:30 am Pacific / 11:30 am Mountain / 12:30 pm Central / 1:30 pm Eastern)
These trainings provide information to assist Tribal Benefit Coordinators, Navigators, Social Workers, and other stakeholders who provide support to tribal members. Additionally, each month you will find up-to-date training information on our Training on SSA programs page.
We established a Dear Tribal Leader Letter webpage to keep Tribal Leaders informed as well as those invested (subscribers) in receiving up-to-date information for Tribal members. On this webpage, you will find previous letters archived per fiscal year. We encourage you subscribe to receive notifications of new communications.
We will continue to provide updates to our policies and upcoming training that affect Indian Country. We look forward to meeting you throughout our travel activities to Tribal communities to continue building trust and understanding your unique needs.
Sincerely,
Reneé Ferguson, Director
Office of Native American Partnerships
Office of the Commissioner
Social Security Administration
www.SSA.gov/people/aian
Announcement for SSA Updates
Date: June 4, 2024
Dear Tribal Leader & Urban Indian Organization Leader:
On behalf of Martin O'Malley, Commissioner of Social Security, I am pleased to share our agency's updates to policies, pursuant to the Presidential Memorandum on Tribal Consultation and Strengthening Nation-to-Nation Relationships. In alignments with the Fiscal Year 2024 Tribal Consultation Call To Action Plan, the Office of Native American Partnerships continues to improve outreach with Tribal Leaders and Urban Indian Organization Leaders by sharing up-to-date information about the programs offered by the Social Security Administration (SSA).
To be inclusive of opportunity deadlines, here are some updates:
We are sharing the following key Press Releases:
In summary, please review the following Blog postings:
I acknowledge that keeping track of these changes that affect Tribal Members receiving Supplemental Security Income (SSI) can be challenging. If you can, please assist in communicating these up-to-date information and reporting responsibilities in applying for or receiving SSI benefits. Additionally, informing SSA of any changes that may affect payments is critical, especially changes in income, resources, or living situation, no later than 10 days after the end of the month in which the change occurred.
Visit our SSI Wage Reporting page to learn more and to sign up for monthly SSI wage reporting email or text reminders.
For information about the SSI claims development process, visit our Supplemental Security Income Eligibility Requirements webpage.
Sincerely,
Reneé Ferguson, Acting Director
Office of Native American Partnerships
Office of the Commissioner
Social Security Administration
www.SSA.gov/people/aian
Notice of Financial Opportunity
Date: April 15, 2024
Dear Tribal Leader & Urban Indian Organization Leader:
On behalf of Martin O'Malley, Commissioner of Social Security, I am pleased to identify flexibilities under Executive Order 14112 in providing a simplified Notice of Financial Opportunity. Pursuant to the Presidential Memorandum on Tribal Consultation and Strengthening Nation-to-Nation Relationships, the Social Security is marketing the application process to Tribal communities for the Interventional Cooperative Agreement Program (ICAP), due on Monday, June 3rd, 2024.
ICAP allows us to enter into cooperative agreements with non-federal entities to conduct interventional research supporting our programs. Interventional research evaluates the efficacy of specific treatments or preventative measures, such as new service models or policy alternatives, to achieve specific outcomes. The research and interventions funded by ICAP will target five priority research areas:
- Eliminating the structural barriers for people with disabilities in the labor market, particularly for people of color and other underserved communities, that increase the likelihood of people receiving or applying for Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) or Supplemental Security Income (SSI);
- Increasing employment and self-sufficiency of individuals with disabilities, including people in underserved communities;
- Coordinating planning between private and public human services agencies to improve the administration and effectiveness of the SSDI, SSI, and related programs;
- Assisting claimants in underserved communities to apply for or appeal decisions on claims for SSDI benefits and SSI; and
- Conducting outreach to people with disabilities who are potentially eligible to receive SSI.
To learn more about ICAP funding opportunity and how to apply, please register to attend our information session on Thursday, April 25, 2024, from 2:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. ET. Registration closes Monday, April 22, 2024.
We will continue to keep you informed of funding opportunities and updates to our policies that affect Indian Country. Together, we look forward to meeting you throughout our travel activities to continue building trust and understanding your unique needs.
Sincerely,
Reneé Ferguson, Acting Director
Office of Native American Partnerships
Office of the Commissioner
Social Security Administration
www.SSA.gov/people/aian
Announcement for SSA Press Releases
Date: April 11, 2024
Dear Tribal Leader & Urban Indian Organization Leader:
On behalf of Martin O'Malley, Commissioner of Social Security, I am pleased to share our agency's updates to policies, pursuant to the Presidential Memorandum on Tribal Consultation and Strengthening Nation-to-Nation Relationships. In alignments with the Fiscal Year 2024 Tribal Consultation Call To Action Plan, the Office of Native American Partnerships continues to improve outreach with Tribal Leaders and Urban Indian Organization Leaders by sharing the most recent Social Security Administration Press Releases.
We summarized the following Press Releases
To receive the latest Social Security Administration information, feel free to subscribe for updates.
Thank you for your time and we look forward to crossing paths with you in my upcoming travels to Albuquerque, NM for the Native American Training Institute Veterans Symposium on April 19-20th.
Sincerely,
Reneé Ferguson, Acting Director
Office of Native American Partnerships
Office of the Commissioner
Social Security Administration
www.SSA.gov/people/aian
Announcement for Anti-Fraud Efforts
Date: March 7, 2024
Dear Tribal Leader & Urban Indian Organization Leader:
The Inspector General for the Social Security Administration (SSA) has designated March 7, 2024, as National "Slam the Scam" Day—an outreach campaign to raise public awareness of Social Security scams and other government imposter scams. This is part of National Consumer Protection Week, March 3 - 9, 2024. We are asking you to share information about "Slam the Scam" Day with your Tribal members, friends, and family.
In 2023, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) received over 228,282 complaints of government imposter scams, with Social Security as the most frequently impersonated agency. Over 14% said they lost money to a scammer — a total of more than $126.5 million for Social Security scams. To prevent further losses, we urge everyone to use caution when receiving calls from someone claiming to be from a government agency and recognize the basic signs of a scam to stop fraudulent activity.
Be aware of the following please:
- Scammers pretend to be from an organization you know to gain your trust.
- Scammers say there is a problem or a prize.
- Scammers pressure you to act immediately.
- Scammers tell you to pay in a specific way.
Remind your Tribal members, friends, and family to take the following actions:
- Hang up on suspicious calls from "government officials" who are calling about a problem with your Social Security number or account.
- NEVER make payments with gift cards, wire transfers, or by mailing cash.
- Report Social Security scams to oig.ssa.gov/report.
- Report other scams to ReportFraud.ftc.gov.
We ask that you please read and share our Scam Awareness Toolkit and Scam Alert infographic. And for additional resources and activities, please visit FTC's National Consumer Protection Week. Together, we will remain vigilant against government imposter scams and help protect your Tribal members, friends, and family from fraud.
Sincerely,
Richard O. Litsey, Director
Renee Ferguson, Deputy Director
Office of Native American Partnerships
Office of the Commissioner
Social Security Administration
Announcement for Staff to Register for Our Free National Training Series
Date: March 1, 2024
Dear Tribal Leader & Urban Indian Organization Leader:
On behalf of Martin O'Malley, Commissioner of Social Security, we are pleased to share our agency's Tribal Action Plan and upcoming training opportunities, pursuant to the Presidential Memorandum on Tribal Consultation and Strengthening Nation-to-Nation Relationships. The Office of Native American Partnerships published the Fiscal Year 2024 Tribal Consultation Call To Action Plan to build upon accomplishments in 2023 to provide consultation, increase technology, provide training, promote Native Language Revitalization efforts at SSA, establish an Advisory Committee and recruit Native students.
Our office has a deep commitment to respond to the concerns we heard while traveling to Tribal communities in 2023. We learned there is a dire need for free training on our programs and services to those who are Social Workers, Tribal Benefit Coordinators, Navigators, and others that serve critical support roles to the American Indian Alaska Native people. We truly appreciate the important work that you do and are pleased to announce our series of free trainings beginning in March 2024. Please encourage your staff to sign up through the following registration link.
Our training series follows our published Tribal Benefits Coordinator Guide with lessons that build upon the prior session starting with SSA Benefits 101 in March. In April, we will offer additional focus on the Tribal General Welfare Act and guidance for an Assistance Based on Need Programs to seek exclusions for Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits. In May, we address the role of Appointed Representatives versus Power of Attorney. We strive to keep an open dialogue regarding SSA policies and procedures, in addition to providing policy experts to answer critical questions regarding SSA claims processing.
As a former Social Worker, Dr. Kilolo Kijakazi, Principal Senior Advisor to the Commissioner, will join us to kick off this free training series. She has great respect for the critical support role your staff provides to bring awareness of eligibility of benefits to Tribal members. Together, we look forward to meeting you throughout our travel activities to continue building trust and understanding your unique needs.
Sincerely,
Richard O. Litsey & Renee Ferguson
Director & Deputy Director
Office of Native American Partnerships
Office of the Commissioner
Social Security Administration
Announcement of Fiscal Year 2024 Plan
Date: January 31, 2024
Dear Tribal Leader:
On behalf of Martin O'Malley, Commissioner of Social Security, we are pleased to share our agency's Tribal Action Plan and upcoming training opportunities, pursuant to the Presidential Memorandum on Tribal Consultation and Strengthening Nation-to-Nation Relationships. The Office of Native American Partnerships has finalized and published the Fiscal Year 2024 Tribal Consultation Call To Action Plan as well as posted our upcoming Tribal Benefits Coordinator Training opportunities.
Our Tribal Consultation Call to Action Plan for Fiscal Year 2024 builds on our accomplishments in 2023 while continuing to keep a robust engagement schedule to meet our following initiatives to:
- Provide Tribal Consultation with Tribal Leaders & Urban Indian Organizations
- Increase the Use of Technology to Connect SSA with Tribal Communities
- Provide SSA Program Training to Tribal Government Employees
- Promote Recognition of Native Language Revitalization Efforts at SSA
- Establish the Commissioner's Tribal Advisory Committee; and
- Recruit Native Students and Invest in their Retention.
Our office has a deep commitment to educate those around us, so I am happy to announce our second set of training sessions in March 2024 available using the following registration link. Our training opportunities are centered around the Tribal Benefits Coordinator Guide with a focus on SSA Benefits 101, Awareness of the Tribal General Welfare Act and guidance for an Assistance Based on Need Program to seek exclusions for Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits. We strive to keep an open dialogue regarding SSA policies and procedures, in addition to providing Policy experts to answer critical questions from those who are in roles that support Tribal members through their claims processing.
I look forward to meeting you throughout our travel activities to continue building trust and understanding your unique needs.
Sincerely,
Richard O. Litsey
Director of Native American Partnerships
Office of the Commissioner
Social Security Administration
