Americans
With Disabilities Act
There are
many barriers for people with disabilities in finding and keeping jobs,
getting promotions, obtaining reasonable accommodations, and in other
aspects of the employment process. Qualified individuals with disabilities
are entitled to the same employment opportunities available to people
without disabilities.
Title I of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 prohibits private
employers, state and local governments, employment agencies and labor
unions from discriminating against qualified individuals with disabilities
in job application procedures, hiring, firing, advancement, compensation,
job training, and other terms, conditions, and privileges of employment.
The ADA applies to employers with 15 or more employees, including state
and local governments. It also applies to employment agencies and to labor
organizations.
An employer
is required to make a reasonable accommodation to the known disability of
a qualified applicant or employee if it would not impose an "undue
hardship" on the operation of the employer's business. Undue hardship
is an action requiring significant difficulty or expense when considered
in light of factors such as an employer's size, financial resources, and
the nature and structure of its operation.
An employer is not required to lower quality or production
standards to make an accommodation; nor is an employer obligated to
provide personal use items such as glasses or hearing aids.
AHEDD is sensitive to the needs of business
partners as well as consumers with disabilities in response to the spirit
and recommended practices within the ADA.
Businesses may sometimes need guidance in proper recruitment
procedures, addressing requests for accommodations, proper and effective
responses. AHEDD recognizes
that its service package, while a potential accommodation in some cases,
does not represent the full extent of accommodations which might be
feasible. Likewise, some
consumers with disabilities may not be clear on the employment elements of
the law. The ADA does not
represent an entitlement to employment or continued employment, but rather
a reasonable accommodation surrounding the performance of essential
duties. AHEDD’s role
is not to enforce the ADA, nor to judge behaviors of either party. AHEDD
does provide technical assistance and objective guidance to both of these
customers.
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Agency Affiliations &
Memberships
PA Department of Public
Welfare
PA Association for
Rehabilitation Facilities (PARF)
DE Association for
Rehabilitation Facilities (DELARF)
Governor’s
Committee Employment of People with Disabilities (GCEPD) – PA & DE
Philadelphia Committee For Employment of Persons with
Disabilities
Philadelphia Mayor’s Commission on Disability
Schuylkill Transition Council
Schuylkill Chamber of Commerce
Schuylkill Community Action Council
Schuylkill Women in Crisis (Board of Directors)
First Impressions Board of Directors
Anthracite Center for Independent Living
Schuylkill Youth Council
STS (Schuylkill Transportation System) Advisory
Council
Society for Human Resource Management – Cumberland
Valley Chapter
Franklin County Forum
Ticket
to Work Evaluation – Mathematica Policy Research
Job Placement Partners
- Delaware County
Montgomery County Job Developers Connection
Bucks County IU Transition Council
Chester County IU Transition Council
Delaware County IU Transition Council
Lehigh County IU Transition Council
Montgomery County IU Transition Council
Northampton County IU Transition Council
Berks County Transition Coordinating Council
Berks County Chamber of Commerce
Service Access and Management Providers' Group
West Shore Chamber of Commerce
Lebanon Valley Chamber of Commerce
Dauphin County Steering Committee
Lebanon County Human Services Council
Capital Area Regional Transition Council
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Pennsylvania
Business Leadership Network
The Pennsylvania Business Leadership Network (BLN)
is a statewide, employer-driven program designed for business leaders to
promote hiring practices that enable qualified people with disabilities
to enter and succeed in the workplace. The Pennsylvania Business
Leadership Network offers employers:
- access
to pertinent disability hiring information
- a
network of employers who share information on common disability
employment issues
- exposure
to qualified job applicants with disabilities
- opportunities
to provide training and work experience for job seekers with
disabilities
- improved
access to customers with disabilities
Business Leadership Networks have been established
in many states as part of a national initiative started by the Office of
Disability Employment Policy (ODEP).
The Pennsylvania Business Leadership Network is an
employer-driven program designed to engage employers in a leadership
role to communicate their human resources needs and to actively
participate in the community to ensure that providers serving
individuals with disabilities are able to meet those needs.
In Pennsylvania,
the Developmental Disabilities Council (PDDC) made funds available
for the development of a BLN starting January 2000. The PDDC selected
AHEDD, a private non-profit specialized human resource organization, to
coordinate the BLN in Pennsylvania. AHEDD works with the business
community within Pennsylvania to promote the ongoing implementation of
the Business Leadership Network.
The business community needs qualified workers to
fill its changing job requirements. Many employers today are unable to
find qualified job applicants through their normal channels of
recruitment. Employers participating in the Business Leadership Network
are responding to this need by exploring methods to more effectively
recruit, market and hire the talents of job applicants with
disabilities.
Employers are encouraged to talk with members of
the business community that have already been successful in hiring
employees with disabilities. This peer-to-peer interaction will assist
employers in learning more about where they can recruit job seekers with
a disability and more about the community resources that are available
to provide support.
Employer participation in the Pennsylvania BLN makes
good business sense. Participation will enhance your ability to fill job
openings with qualified employees and create a diverse workforce.
For more information, contact Ms. Stacy Kyle, Project Director at
(717) 763-0968, ext. 115 or via email stacy.kyle@blnofpa.org
.
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Benefits
Planning Assistance & Outreach Program (BPAO)
Persons with disabilities continue to experience
underemployment and unemployment at an unacceptable rate.
Beneath the surface of this issue there are complex
federal-welfare and long-term disability programs administered by the
Social Security Administration (SSA).
While intended to provide basic income and health care for
persons with disabilities, they have evolved as a major obstacle to
employment and subsequent economic progress.
Many beneficiaries do not understand the interactions of earned
income through employment and its impact on SSA cash benefits and health
care. As a result,
beneficiaries may avoid work, or be discouraged from pursuing their
maximum earning potential.
The Ticket to Work and Work Incentives Improvement
Act (TWWIIA) represents the culmination of efforts by and on behalf of
SSA to improve the employment of persons with disabilities through
coordinated networks of private and public providers which promote
confidentiality, choice, and outcomes.
This initiative includes the development and delivery of local
benefits counseling programs known as Benefits Planning Assistance &
Outreach (BPAO). The BPAO Providers operate under cooperative agreements with
SSA, and are provided certification training and ongoing technical
assistance to ensure quality service to beneficiaries and related
parties. For further
information: http://www.ssa.gov/work/Beneficiaries/activity.html#Pennsylvania
AHEDD is a private, non-profit agency specializing
in the employment of persons with disabilities.
Established in 1977 with a mission is to serve the community as a
catalyst in the employment and development of persons with a disability,
AHEDD provides community employment services through a network
throughout Pennsylvania and Delaware.
As a BPAO Provider, AHEDD conducts outreach throughout designated
communities (i.e. western PA) and provide benefits planning and
counseling to SSI and/or SSDI beneficiaries ages 14-64.
Using a regional network of Benefits Specialists, AHEDD
collaborates with public and private organizations, including the PA
Department of Welfare, Office of Vocational Rehabilitation and other
Employment Networks, SSA, and schools to promote and facilitate benefits
planning and counseling for beneficiaries.
The service model is accessible, individualized,
and user-friendly, featuring a variety of community locations to
maximize access by beneficiaries. At
the completion of the counseling session, beneficiaries receive an
individualized report highlighting key elements, earnings scenarios,
applicable work incentives, and potential areas for concern.
It is our contention that this delivery of SSA benefits
counseling will provide a foundation by which beneficiaries will develop
a proactive relationship with SSA, and be encouraged to seek and
maintain greater levels of earned income towards increased economic
self-sufficiency.
For further information, contact John Miller,
Project Director, at (717) 763-0968, ext 118, or john.miller@ahedd.org.
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Economic
Development For Employment of
Persons with Disabilities
Employment Incentives Project
The Ticket to Work and Work Incentives Improvement
Act (TTWWIIA) features an ambitious array of programs and strategies to
address the unemployment of persons with disabilities.
Under TTWWIIA, Congress mandated a GAO Report (Incentives to
Employ Workers With Disabilities Receive Limited Use and Have an Uncertain
Impact, GAO-03-39) to study the utilization of financial incentives
used by business in hiring persons with disabilities.
According to the report, information on the effectiveness of these
incentives is limited and inconclusive.
Data provided by the PA Department of Labor (March 2004) indicates
that among businesses using the Work Opportunities Tax Credit (WOTC), less
than 12% are for hiring persons with disabilities
AHEDD’s Project entitled the “Economic
Development for Employment of Persons with Disabilities” is designed to
incorporate the perspectives and values of the national agenda as
reflected within the TTWWIIA as well as Pennsylvania’s interests as
expressed by the Pennsylvania Developmental Disabilities Council.
Through its strategic initiatives, the Council serves as the prime
sponsor for the Employment Incentives Project, specifically “to increase
awareness and use of both federal and state work incentive programs
through Pennsylvania Chambers of Commerce."
AHEDD is a private, non-profit organization with a
mission to serve the community as a catalyst in the employment and
development of persons with disabilities.
In the addition to the delivery of employment services and benefits
counseling under agreements with federal, state, county agencies and
schools, AHEDD is an integral participant and/or coordinator of a number
of statewide initiatives including the Business Leadership Network, the
Advisory Committee on Employment (PA Department of Public Welfare), and
the Governor’s Committee on Employment of Persons with Disabilities (PA
Department of Labor & Industry- Office of Vocational Rehabilitation).
AHEDD will work with representatives from business in
order to promote, educate, and assess the utilization or financial work
incentives as elements of economic development to promote the employment
and retention of persons with disabilities.
For further information, contact John J. Miller, Project Director
at (717) 763-0968, ext. 118 john.miller@ahedd.org.
or Penni Baker, Project Coordinator ( 717) 597-7665
penni.baker@ahedd.org
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Mission
& History
The mission of AHEDD is to serve the community as a
catalyst in the employment and development of persons with disabilities.
The agency was established in 1977 to serve as an alternative to
segregated training programs for persons with developmental disabilities.
Prior to incorporation as an independent, non-profit organization,
AHEDD was a demonstration project of the Pennsylvania Association for
Retarded Citizens (PARC), a statewide advocacy organization.
PARC was instrumental in spearheading the Right to Education
that ensured access to education for every individual with a
disability.
AHEDD’s initial employment approach in the 1970s
was a “work station in industry,” resembling today’s enclaves. By the early 1980s, AHEDD’s model evolved to the one
on one job coaching approach. During
this time, AHEDD routinely placed individuals who had been deemed “not
job ready.” It was not
until 1985-86 with the advent of Supported Employment that this employment
model was officially accepted throughout the vocational rehabilitation
system. Since then, AHEDD has provided Job Coaching &
Supported Employment through a field office network throughout PA and DE,
including urban and rural areas, to adults with all types of physical and
mental disabilities. In
1994, AHEDD developed a School to Work program in collaboration with local
schools in the transition of students with disabilities.
Initially sponsored by a federal grant, this effort has continued
through support by schools and the state vocational rehabilitation.
In 1980, AHEDD established an independent for-profit
company, Red Rose Services. This
custodial contracting firm based in Lancaster, PA later expanded to York,
PA and Wilmington, DE. The
compelling aspect of the Red Rose story was that not only did it provide
employment for persons with severe disabilities, but these employees were
owners and acquired equity as the business evolved and expanded.
During 1985-1987 AHEDD was selected by the Social
Security Administration (SSA) to serve in the Transitional Employment
Training Demonstration (TETD) administered by Mathematica Policy Research.
This project provided the impetus leading to specific work
incentives for persons receiving Supplemental Security Income.
In 2001, AHEDD was selected by SSA to serve in the Benefits
Planning Assistance & Outreach Program, providing benefits counseling
and education on work incentives to beneficiaries.
In addition, AHEDD has begun to serve as an Employment Network in
the Ticket to Work. AHEDD’s
work with SSA reflects the agency’s values that employment is a means to
increase financial independence and decreasing dependency on government
subsidies.
At its core, AHEDD has maintained a positive
relationship with the business community at its core.
Programs such as the Volunteer
Interview Network of Employers (VINE) were developed to give Human
Resource Personnel regular opportunity to interact with individuals with a
disability. In 2000,
AHEDD was selected to coordinate the PA Business Leadership Network, a
business to business program creating forums for business leaders to
promote the employment of persons with disabilities.
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Consumer
Services – Job Coaching
Job Coaching is a “work-first” strategy which has
proven successful for many individuals with disabilities. This is an emphasis on prompt and effective job matching,
with the majority of support directed after job placement. The process
typically includes: the development of a written plan of service;
individual-specific pre-employment activities; job matching and placement;
on-site training; and follow-along support for a defined period.
The service mix requires a collaborative approach among - at
minimum - the service agency, job-seeker (consumer), and sponsoring
organization.
Frequently individuals with disabilities who receive
prior vocational training have difficulty transferring their skills to the
workplace. In addition, some
individuals may continue to unsuccessful in the job search and in securing
a job. This may be
attributable to any number of factors, not the least of which is the
disabling condition, including transportation, poor resume, interpersonal
and communication skills. In
addition, many individuals who receive government subsidies may pursue
employment with reluctance, either unsure or unwilling to have existing
benefits reduced or eliminated in exchange for gainful employment.
An effective written plan will identify key individual barriers and
will attempt to establish corresponding strategies.
A good job match will account for the key needs and
interests of the job-seeker. Understandably, there are frequently areas of
negotiation in which the match may not hit all the target points.
It is AHEDD’s contention that there is no perfect job match, and
that careers are built upon progressive work experience.
This is not to suggest that “any job will do” but rather that
at times all individuals – including persons with disabilities –
accept jobs which are transitional.
Another area in the job match involves the agency’s prior
knowledge, such as impact of disability, unsuccessful work attempts, drug
& alcohol abuse, and criminal background.
Ironically, industry personnel will sometimes contribute to
stereotyping about how individuals with certain disabilities would or
would not be successful in specific jobs.
It is highly recommended that Job Coaching staff conduct employment
checks with each consumer’s written permission.
This information should be properly documented and shared with
potential employers, again with permission from the consumer.
Agency knowledge of documented background represents a significant
point of job targeting, as to how prior performance might impact on a
potential job.
Job coaching includes but is not limited to on-site
training and intervention. There
is no one size fits all approach, as job coaching will involve the
expectations of the consumer and the employer, as well as job and
workplace dynamics. The
Job Coach is expected to complement not replace existing orientation,
training, and supervision from the employer.
The Job Coach should operate with clear objectives, regarding
skills, behaviors, or other accommodations needed.
Job Coaching should have an exit plan, as the job coach is not
intended to become a regular resource to the workplace.
Ideally, the job coach is unobtrusive, as his/her presence is not a
natural support. Frequently
job coaching includes off-site intervention, coordinating activities which
contribute to job retention.
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Consumer
Services – Supported Employment
The
Rehabilitation Act amendments of 1986 defines Supported Employment as
“Competitive work in an integrated work setting for individuals with the
most severe disabilities; for whom competitive employment has not
traditionally occurred; or for whom competitive employment has been
interrupted or intermittent as a result of a severe disability; and who,
because of the nature and severity of their disability, need intensive
supported employment services or extended services in order to perform
such work.”
“Competitive
work” refers to employment for wages consistent with earnings to persons
with no apparent disabilities with similar job duties.
“Integrated work” refers to a setting in which the Supported
Employment consumer has routine opportunities to interact with employees
and/or customers with no apparent disabilities, assuming that such
interaction is inherent within the context of the job.
An individual with the “most severe disability” refers to a
person who meets the order of selection criteria of the state vocational
rehabilitation and/or Medicaid eligibility for supported employment.
“Extended services” refers to individualized follow-along up to
the duration of employment.
Supported Employment is a “work-first” strategy
which has proven successful for many individuals with severe disabilities.
This is an emphasis on prompt and effective job matching, with the
majority of support directed after job placement.
The process typically includes: the development of a written plan
of service; individual-specific pre-employment activities; job matching
and placement; job coaching; and follow-along support for a defined or
indefinite period. The
service mix requires a collaborative approach among - at minimum - the
service agency, consumer, and sponsoring organization.
Typically
supported employment involves intensive job coaching and could include
100% on-site intervention for an extended period of time.
Historically the sponsorship of supported employment has influenced
this intervention. For
example, the transfer of financial responsibility from the state
vocational rehabilitation to the state Medicaid administrator has often
established 90 days on the job as the period of stabilization, and the
beginning of reduced intervention.
It should be noted that some individuals may need indefinite
intensive support. These
circumstances require proper authorization including - but not limited to
- the sponsor and the employer. The
analysis for ongoing intensive support should include the feasibility,
cost effectiveness and actual delivery process.
Once approved, this support might continue to be provided by the
supported employment provider, but could likewise involve another third
party or a designated employee of the consumer’s employer.
Follow-along
support is best provided as monthly proactive contacts with the consumer
as well as the employer to ensure that the employment relationship
continues to be successful. In
some cases, supported employment providers might not interact directly
with employers if this on-site intervention would contribute to
stigmatizing or otherwise attracting unnecessary attention to an
individual’s disability. Discretion is essential in all cases, as support should not
detract from the consumer’s job success and community integration.
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Consumer
Services – Employment Preparation & Work Assessments
AHEDD provides individualized employment services to
persons with disabilities in order to obtain and maintain employment.
Service plans are developed in a cooperative and comprehensive
manner in order to maximize input and accountability.
Service plans are typically developed on a short-term basis, i.e.
within 12-18 months, unless other stipulated (e.g. supported employment)
and are designed to assist consumers in maximizing independence through
work within a model of decreasing dependence, and increasing use of
natural supports.
-
Plan of Service
At the point of referral to AHEDD, staff will work with the
individual to develop and implement a Plan of Service.
This Plan of Service is an individualized written
rehabilitation plan developed with the active and informed
participation of the individual. It
is intended to document relevant background data, such as education,
previous vocational training, work experience and references. It also includes the individual’s current income, family
and other support systems, transportation, and disability as a barrier
to employment. AHEDD’s
Plan of Service documents the employment goals of the consumer in
reference to job description, hours per week, hourly wage, geographic
area, and other elements, as well as delineates the strategy to
achieve those goals.
-
Community
Based Work Assessment (CBWA).
Some participants have little to no job experience to draw upon
when considering their employment options.
A CBWA can provide the consumer with an opportunity to identify
his/her skills and interests within the context of a setting in the
community. These settings are coordinated by AHEDD, and while
hosted within business, do not constitute paid employment.
Assessments are generally sponsored by third parties other than
the employer, therefore the actual results of the assessment, e.g.
reports, are the property of these sponsors.
By their nature, assessments are brief with a
defined time frame and purpose. AHEDD abides by the regulations of the
U.S. Department of Labor for Non-Paid Vocational Training Sites AHEDD
carries Special Risk Accident Policy, which covers a participant who is
participating in, attending or preparing for vocational activities while
on the premises of, designated by AHEDD. This policy is intended to
provide insurance coverage to individuals who are participating in
non-paid Community Based Work Assessments. A copy of this policy can be
made available by contacting AHEDD's Central Office.
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School to Work
The
successful transition of students with disabilities from school to work
and full community participation is a major policy initiative within
several federal agencies including the U.S. Department of Education and
the U.S. Department of Labor. In
recent years, school to work transition has also become a growing emphasis
for the Social Security Administration (SSA).
Nationwide, there are over 6 million youth served under the
Individuals With Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), 13% of the student
population. During the 1980’s, only 10% of the school population was
identified as such, and the increase has been attributed to an increasing
proportion of children identified as learning disabled.
In Pennsylvania, (1996-1997), there were over 222,000 students with
disabilities, slightly more than 12% of the school population.
The inclusion of students with disabilities in
employment-related transition programs reflects an understanding of the
difficult time which many have in finding a place in the workforce after
high school. A follow-up
conducted on behalf of the U.S. Department of Education (National
Longitudinal Transition Study, 1995) indicates that after three years of
exiting school, only 55% of students with disabilities are employed.
These individuals have an average annual compensation of $5,524.
Nearly 17% of students with disabilities were pursuing academic
postsecondary education, and 15% involved in vocational training.
Community-based learning is
an essential component of career education for many students in special
education. Through job shadowing, and skill enhancement and identifying
activities planned and implemented by AHEDD, students learn about
themselves, employer expectations, and career opportunities. Work experiences for youth with disabilities during high
school helps them acquire jobs at higher wages after they graduate. Also,
students who participate in occupational education and special education
in integrated settings are more likely to be competitively employed than
students who have not participated in such activities. (Blackorby &
Wagner, 1996; Colley & Jamison, 1998; Luecking & Fabian, 2000;
Rogan, 1997)
AHEDD values individualized services and goals to
promote a successful transition from high school to adult life as
identified in each student’s Individual Education Plan (IEP). AHEDD works with the IEP team to develop a comprehensive plan
and develops an individual program to assist students with overcoming
employment barriers, and to determine services needed to best support the
student’s IEP goals. In
addition, AHEDD has implemented programs for groups of students
concentrating on employability and task related skills, exposure to
various vocations, through job-shadowing and presentations by local
employers. We are committed
to assisting students achieve their goals of greater independence and
self-sufficiency in their community.
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Ticket to Work
– Employment Network
Despite
successful progress in a variety of areas of community life, persons with
disabilities continue to experience underemployment and unemployment at
far greater rates than their non-disabled peers.
Advocates and policy makers continue to debate traditional
barriers: transportation, discrimination, and training.
Beneath the surface of the employment issue, there are complex
federal-welfare and long-term disability insurance programs that are
administered by the Social Security Administration (SSA).
While intended to provide basic income and health care for persons
with disabilities, they have evolved as a formidable obstacle to work and
financial independence.
The
Ticket to Work and Work Incentives Improvement Act is federal legislation
which addresses the fundamental barriers to employment encountered by
persons with disabilities who receive Supplemental Security Income (SSI)
and/or Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI).
While it is common knowledge that many individuals receiving either
or both of these benefits will require this support into retirement age,
it is recognized that some individuals can successfully return to work
with proper information, guidance, and individualized support.
As
part of this federal initiative, SSA is reinventing its return to work
strategy by recruiting organizations to serve as “Employment
Networks (EN).” Under this arrangement ENs are invited to provide
employment services to any beneficiary whom it believes can achieve the
goal of full employment. An
EN is not paid by SSA until the ticket user earns enough income to
terminate federal cash benefits.
In order to increase retention, SSA will make this payment
available to the EN for up to 60 months.
SSA uses a Program Manager as an intermediary to facilitate the
relationships between beneficiaries and EN.
As an economic policy, this strategy is budget neutral.
Among the operational concerns are: the complexity of the SSA
programs for both providers and beneficiaries; the high degree of
financial risk given the goal and elongated payment structure; lack of
providers; and need for education of beneficiaries about the program.
AHEDD is a specialized human resource organization with
a mission to serve the community as a catalyst in the employment and
development of persons with disabilities.
The non-profit organization based in Camp Hill, PA operates through
a network of field office throughout PA and DE.
Using a core group of Employment Network Coordinators, AHEDD will
demonstrate an effective and financially self-sustaining program.
For further information, contact John Miller, Project Director at
(717) 763-0968, ext. 118 john.miller@ahedd.org
or Alyssa Brenneman, Employment Coordinator at (412) 381-3313 alyssa.brenneman@ahedd.org
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Systems
Change – Personnel & Leadership
The employment industry for persons with disabilities
contains a myriad of public and private organizations striving to maximize
the independence of its customers by facilitating effective and
long-lasting employment.
As an organization operating within this industry,
AHEDD recognizes that its own workforce is the single greatest asset which
is used to achieve its mission. There
are challenges to recruiting and maintaining a quality workforce.
As a decentralized regional organization, AHEDD is relatively thin
within each community where it operates.
This places a great emphasis on maintaining staff complements to
ensure case load management and continuity when experiencing turnover.
The agency tracks turnover and associated variables on a quarterly
basis, reporting through a Personnel Committee to the Board, which
continues to maintain a high degree of interest in this matter.
The most prevalent position for the agency is Employment
Specialist, and at the start of the FY 04-05, 40% of these staff had 4 or
more years experience with AHEDD.
By participating in a number of unique projects
throughout its areas of operations, AHEDD has been able to develop career
enhancing opportunities for selected staff.
Most recently, AHEDD has begun an executive development program in
order to identify and develop staff for continuing leadership roles and
agency succession planning.
During the last few years, AHEDD has expanded from
mostly large urban and cities to deliver services in smaller communities
and rural areas. A
basic strategy has been to operate without offices, but rather with staff
working from home offices or community locations.
Customer data, service notes, as well as personnel information,
such as time records are facilitated electronically through a web-based
data system, AHEDD Information Management System (AIMS).
For nearly ten years, AHEDD has featured a quarterly
commission program to provide a significant portion of compensation
through a team based “pay for performance.”
Each year this program is adjusted for goals and priorities of the
agency as well as key sponsors. Currently
this program represents approximately 12% of program staff compensation.
AHEDD continues to enhance this program which is expected to
continue become a greater component of the compensation.
AHEDD has begun FY 04-05 with 75 employees including
58 fulltime and 17 part-time. This
is a 15% increase over 2 years, and 34% over a 4 year period.
Regionally, 44% of AHEDD’s workforce in based in Central PA; 25%
in the Philadelphia area, 15% in Western PA; 13% in Northeast PA; and 3%
in DE. Over 15% of
AHEDD’s workforce are minorities, and in addition, over 15% are persons
with disabilities.
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The
Ticket to Work and Work Incentives Improvement Act
The
Ticket to Work and Work Incentives Improvement Act (TTWWIIA) of 1999
represents a profound shift in public policy in which individuals
historically had been determined “unable to work” by virtue of their
disability. It is targeted to
working aged persons with disabilities who receive or qualify for
Supplemental Security Income (SSI) and/or Social Security Disability
Insurance (SSDI). While
these programs provide essential income and health care supports, they
have ironically emerged as significant barriers to employment and economic
development.
Lack of information, fear, and misconceptions are
common among beneficiaries. Most
beneficiaries do not know the real impact of earned income on their SSA
benefits. In response, SSA
has developed agreements under the Benefits Planning Assistance &
Outreach (BPAO) Program. BPAO
Staff have been trained and certified as benefits specialists and provide
individualized counseling to any individual 14-64 who is receiving SSA
benefits and has interest in employment.
There are diverse work incentives readily available which go
unused. Furthermore, by
having limited understanding of their responsibilities rules, many
beneficiaries subject themselves to overpayments when making efforts to
return to work. The BPAO
Program represents a bold step by SSA to collaborate with local
organizations.
Some individuals who could work to significant income
levels are concerned that their disability may later force them to reduce
work or stop working completely. As
a result, a new incentive “Expedited Reinstatement” enables a person
who terminates from SSA due to work to have a five year window of
automatic reinstatement if his/her disability of record prevents or limits
their employment. This
incentive is so new that there is little data on its utilization.
It represents a major safety net for beneficiaries considering
return to work. Loss of
Health Care has been an obstacle for many beneficiaries.
As a result, SSA has extended Medicare eligibility for SSDI
beneficiaries. In partnership
with CMS (Center for Medicare & Medicaid Services), the PA Department
of Public Welfare has implemented the Medical Assistance for Workers With
Disabilities (MAWD), which expands Medicaid eligibility for persons who
work.
Finally, many beneficiaries, advocates, and SSA have
felt that there are not sufficient programs or agencies which will
deliberately focus on facilitating employment for SSA beneficiaries.
As a result, SSA has initiated the Ticket to Work – Employment
Network Program. This
program is still in its infancy, having just begun in PA in November 2003.
SSA beneficiaries receive a “ticket to work.”
Like other work incentives, the “ticket to work” is a voluntary
option for an SSA beneficiary.
By choosing to use the ticket, one is expected to return to work in
the near future, earning substantial gainful activity and/or to terminate
from federal cash benefits. If
one chooses to use his/her ticket, one seeks an Employment Network (EN)
and jointly develops a plan. If a beneficiary is not satisfied
with the services of the Employment Network selected, one simply informs
the SSA Program Manager (Maximus) and ends the relationship.
This is a new work incentive – one among an array available to
beneficiaries.
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Facility
Based Training for Persons with Disabilities
Throughout its history AHEDD has advocated that
facility based training, i.e. sheltered workshops, should not be the
preferred nor primary community option in lieu of gainful employment.
In short, vocational training is a process which should result in
competitive employment. “Competitive
work” refers to employment for wages at or above the minimum wage
consistent with earnings to persons with no apparent disabilities with
similar job duties. Generally
competitive employment occurs in an integrated work setting, one which
includes routine opportunities to interact with employees and/or customers
with no apparent disabilities, assuming that such interaction is inherent
within the context of the job.
The
General Accounting Office (GAO) has reported that the U.S. Labor
Department (DOL) continues to ineffectively manage the special minimum
wage program for persons with disabilities.
A September 2001 report of special minimum wage certificates issued
by the department's Wage and Hour Division (WHD) estimates that 5,600
employers, nationwide, paid special minimum wages to about 424,000 workers
with disabilities. Section 14(c) of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA)
authorizes DOL/WHD to issue special minimum wages certificates to
employers of persons with physical or mental disabilities.
GAO
estimates that 74% of workers who are paid special minimum wages by work
centers have mental retardation or another developmental disability as
their primary disabling condition; 46% have multiple disabilities. More
than half of the workers employed under Section 14(c) certificates earn
$2.50 an hour or less. In
addition, 86% of 14(c) workers are employed on a part-time basis.
Although the goal of work centers is to prepare workers for
employment in non-sheltered setting, there is relatively little movement
from these programs. According to the GAO, only 5% of 14(c) workers left
work centers to take jobs in the community earning either at or above the
minimum wage or at a special sub-minimum wage.
More than half of 14(c) workers have been employed by a work center
for five years or more; and some individuals have been in such centers for
over twenty years.
With the advent of Supported Employment in 1985,
public policy reflected the realization that vocational rehabilitation for
many persons with severe disabilities did not need to begin with, nor even
include segregated vocational training.
A 1996 amendment to the Rehabilitation Act has prevented state
vocational rehabilitation agencies from claiming a successful closure
within a sheltered workshop. The
1999 Olmstead decision interpreted Title II of the Americans with
Disabilities Act (ADA) and its implementing regulation, requiring States
to administer services, programs, and activities "in the most
integrated setting appropriate to the needs of qualified individuals with
disabilities." Many
have suggested that this decision will have future bearing on sheltered
workshop programs.
Understandably
many individuals remain in these programs for a number of reasons,
including: a sense of safety; predicable and convenient work schedule and
transportation; bonding with staff and fellow trainees; and a sense of
accomplishment in available assignments. Nevertheless, the New Freedom Initiative seeks integration,
equality of opportunity and economic self-sufficiency for people with
disabilities.
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Medicaid
Buy-In & Medicaid
Infrastructure Grant
Many
Americans with disabilities want to work but are discouraged from doing so
by barriers in the current system of benefits and supports.
The Ticket to Work and Work Incentives Improvement Act of 1999
seeks to address many of these barriers.
This Act expands Medicare and Medicaid coverage for certain
categories of employed individuals with disabilities because people with
disabilities have continually identified the loss of health care coverage
as one of the major obstacles that they face as they return to work.
The Act also provides improvements in employment supports from
other federal agencies. Most
importantly, the Act is a commitment to people with disabilities that they
can and should be productive members of the country’s workforce.
The Act
provides states the option to offer Medicaid buy-ins to employed people
with disabilities through two optional eligibility groups. The first optional group is for individuals from age 16
through 64 who would meet the eligibility requirements for the
Supplemental Security Income program but for higher earnings or resources. The second optional group, referred to as the Medical
Improvement Group, is for people who, at one time, were eligible under the
first optional group but who are determined to have medically improved at
a regularly scheduled continuing disability review (CDR).
Medicaid
Infrastructure Grants (MIG) were created to provide financial assistance
to states to facilitate the competitive employment of people with
disabilities through (a) Medicaid buy-in opportunities under the Medicaid
state plan, (b) significant improvements to Medicaid services that support
people with disabilities in their competitive employment efforts, and (c)
providing comprehensive coordinated approaches across programs to removing
barriers to employment for individuals with a disability.
Key elements
of the MIG in PA include:
- Coordination
of the Advisory Committee for Employment (ACE);
- Demonstrations
projects for a one-stop model through the Career Link System in
Pittsburgh and Schuylkill County;
- Major
marketing campaign for the Medical Assistance for Workers with
Disabilities (MAWD);
- Administered
mini-grants to local grass roots organizations as a means of promoting
MAWD;
- Study
on a backup model for personal attendant services;
- Coordinate
direct mailings of the “Customer Guide to the Ticket to Work” and
MAWD information kits to working-aged Social Security beneficiaries
with disabilities in PA.
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Business
Development – Job Development
As a component of Community Employment Services (e.g.
Job Coaching and Supported Employment), AHEDD regularly canvasses the
business community to identify employment for program participants.
AHEDD strives to develop a partnership with business
by eliciting needs and interests from business representatives.
As a Specialized Human Resource Organization, AHEDD provides
Employment Services to individuals with a disability.
All individuals are prescreened and in many cases are assessed to
predetermine ability to perform or succeed in skilled positions.
AHEDD provides assistance to ensure a smooth transition by
providing on site training (job coaching), assistance with the completion
of paperwork and follow up with the employer, and with the individual, the
employee. Follow up allows AHEDD to continue to assess the situation
and offer assistance, where and when needed, to aid in the success.
AHEDD is performance based and focuses on retention
Tax Credits are available and AHEDD can assist in
obtaining necessary
paperwork.
Job Development is a method of securing employment
and should be tailored to meet the needs employer, as well as the
abilities of the individual. Once
a determination of an individual’s interests and abilities, taking into
consideration transportation needs, has been made, job development should
be conducted at such companies that may fit the individual.
Discussion of the employer’s need for employees and the types of
positions available is important in the initial contact with a company. Creating positions may come later or may be discussed with
examples of various local businesses’ experience.
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Performance,
Accountability & Quality
Organizational
goals are set, as well as goals for individual offices, that are designed
to set standards of performance for the organization.
With many providers contracting services based on performance, it
is necessary for activity to be achieved in order to satisfy the funding
source.
Through the
Plan of Service, individual goals and objectives are established for
participants. These goals and
objectives are designed to assist AHEDD in achieving quality activity
within the realm of the contract and needs of the participant.
AHEDD establishes and monitors organizational
objectives including:
Employment Services:
-
New Persons Served
FY
03-04
Goal-
674
FY
03-04
YTD-
763
FY
04-05 Goal-
709
-
New Persons Placed
FY
03-04
Goal-
491
FY
03-04
YTD-
404
FY
04-05 Goal-
523
-
Avg. Monthly Earnings
FY
03-04
Goal-
$664
FY
03-04
YTD-
$752.90
FY
04-05 Goal-
$692
-
% Retention for 90 days
FY
03-04
Goal-
80%
FY
03-04
YTD-
73.85%
FY
04-05 Goal-
80%
Benefits
Counseling:
FY
03-04
Goal-
500
FY
03-04
YTD-
521
FY
04-05 Goal-
500
Personnel:
FY
03-04
Goal-
20%
FY
03-04
YTD-
20%
FY
04-05 Goal-
18%
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