Disability Employment Initiatives Project

Disability Employment Initiative Project

dei

To improve educational, training, and employment opportunities and outcomes for adults with disabilities who are unemployed, underemployed, and/or receiving Social Security disability benefits, the Department of Labor, Licensing & Consumer Affairs administers the Disability Employment Initiative (DEI) Project.

Funded and administered by the United States Department of Labor’s Employment and Training Administration and the Office of Disability Employment Policy.

The Department of Labor, Licensing & Consumer Affairs provides seamless Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) services and accessibility for everyone served in the One-Stop Employment Center.

In addition the Disability Employment Initiative Project can provide guidance in the employment process and use of the One-Stop center resources for individuals with a disability whether or not they are an SSD/SSI beneficiary.

ticket

Ticket to Work is a voluntary Social Security Administration program that provides several work incentives to Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) and Supplemental Security Insurance (SSI) beneficiaries. These incentives assist beneficiaries seeking to work, without fear of immediately losing their benefits.

As a New York State certified Employment Network (EN), the Suffolk County One-Stop can guide job seekers through the Ticket to Work program.

Eligibility
Benefits counseling
Plan To Achieve Self-Support (PASS)
Impairment-Related Work Expenses (IRWE)
Medicaid/Medicare information
Trial Work Period
Extended Period of Eligibility (EPE)
Expedited Reinstatement
Substantial Gainful Activity (SGA)

Goals

The goals of the Ticket to Work Program are to:

Offer beneficiaries with disabilities expanded choices when seeking service and supports to enter, re-enter, and/or maintain employment;

Increase the financial independence and self-sufficiency of beneficiaries with disabilities; and

Reduce and, whenever possible, eliminate reliance on disability benefits.

The beneficiary does not need a paper Ticket to participate. Under this program, eligible beneficiaries with disabilities who are receiving monthly cash benefit payments are entitled to participate by signing up with an approved service provider of their choice.

This can be an Employment Network or a State Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) agency. The EN/State VR agency, if they accept the Ticket assignment, will coordinate and provide appropriate services to help the beneficiary find and maintain employment. These services may be training, career counseling, vocational rehabilitation, job placement, and ongoing support services necessary to achieve a work goal.