1. Work Incentives Planning and Assistance National Training and Data Center Working with the Ticket to Work Help Line

2. 2 Learning Objectives As a result of this presentation you will learn the following: Role of the Help Line; Beneficiary information that can be accessed by Help Line staff; Limitations on information the Help Line Customer Service Representatives can provide to WIPA staff; and Best practices and strategies for working with the Help Line.

3. 3 Roles of TtW Program Managers and WIPA Services Ticket Program Managers Support for beneficiaries in Ticket to Work program participation. Provide a wide variety of EN support services. WIPA Services Information and Referral. Individualized work incentive information. Long-term, intensive services.

4. 4 TtW Help Line Operation MAXIMUS TtW Program Manager. Operates the TtW Help Line. Ticket to Work Help Line The Help Line is often the beneficiary’s first point of contact in his/her return to work efforts. The Help Line’s mission is identical to WIPA projects: – Promote employment; – Provide accurate information to beneficiaries about work support programs; and – Help beneficiaries to achieve financial independence.

5. 5 Ticket to Work Help Line Functions Assist beneficiaries to make informed choices about: – Ticket to Work use; – Employment Network selection; and – State Vocational Rehabilitation agency participation. Provide basic work incentives information to eligible callers. Operate as an intermediary service that makes referrals to WIPA projects. Provide other I&R referrals for non-WIPA services.

6. 6 Standard WIPA Call Flow WIPA Referral 5.The “Message.” 6.WIPA Connection. 7.Permission to Refer. 8.Privacy Statement. 9.ETO Referral. 10.Call Closure. Not a WIPA Referral 5.The “Message.” 6.General Work Incentives Information. 7.Call Closure. 1.Greeting and WIPA Eligibility Verification. 2.Summary of Reason for the call. 3.Probing Questions. 4.Determine whether to refer to WIPA.

7. 7 Help Line Scripts – WIPA Introduction “I want to tell you about an organization in your area that can help you understand how earnings may impact your benefits. This organization is called a WIPA (Work Incentives Planning and Assistance). Because work incentives apply to beneficiaries in a very individualized manner, Social Security partnered with agencies in your local area to provide one-on-one counseling so that you can make a plan about how to use your incentives when you go to work.”

8. 8 WIPA Intro Script - continued "Each WIPA program has counselors called Community Work Incentives Coordinators (CWICs) who provide long-term assistance and will walk the journey with you as you pursue employment and during any life changing events that may affect your benefits. They can help you to report earnings, utilize work incentives, and help you with other benefits such as Medicaid/Medicare, food stamps, housing assistance, and other local resources."

9. 9 Help Line Script – WIPA Connection “It is very important that all of your benefits are fully verified in order for you to receive accurate information about the work incentives that could apply to your situation. Since I do not have that specific information available to me, I would like to refer you directly to the WIPA provider that I just mentioned to you. They will be able to give you detailed information about how work will impact your benefits, and what work incentives may apply to your unique situation.”

10. 10 Permission to Refer “How do you feel about working one-on-one with someone at your local WIPA project? Would you like me to release your information to the WIPA and have them contact you to discuss the next steps toward your work goals?" Read Privacy Statement

11. 11 Help Line Scripts – Important Take-Away: You/Your Agency as “The WIPA” You must identify yourself as “the WIPA” when establishing initial contact with referred beneficiaries. Beneficiaries come away from the call with the Help Line expecting to be contacted by “the WIPA”. The referring Customer Service Representative (CSR) may or may not have provided the beneficiary with the name of your WIPA project/agency.

12. 12 Help Line Scripts – Important Take-Away: You/Your Agency as “The WIPA” Although the CSRs are encouraged to provide the beneficiary with the WIPA project name at the time of referral, the beneficiary may not remember. Callers also receive information about assigning their Tickets during the call, and may confuse the WIPA referral with the EN / VR list they requested.

13. 13 Referral Information Beneficiary demographic information is verified with Social Security records and accessed by the CSR via iTOPSS. The referral is sent to the WIPA that covers the area in which the beneficiary lives, (per the address of record in iTOPSS). Upon contacting the beneficiary, the WIPA may find that the beneficiary is now residing in a different WIPA area. ORDES guidance says beneficiary WIPA assignment is based on the address officially on record with Social Security. – A beneficiary whose actual address is different from the address on record with Social Security should be served by the WIPA who covers the incorrect address on record until the beneficiary officially changes the address with Social Security.

14. 14 Referral Notes Template County of Residence: Ticket Assignment Status: Status re: Employment: currently working, has a job offer, interviewing, actively seeking (completing applications), potential PASS development Best Time/Number to Call: Other Beneficiary Concerns: Privacy Statement Read: yes / no

15. 15 Referral Notes Details Referral “notes” will provide the following information: Beneficiary’s preferred contact method. – The preferred contact number may be an alternate to what is listed in the demographic screen. Beneficiary’s special language requirements.

16. 16 Special Referral Notes Transition Age Youth referrals – “Ticket Assignment Status: TRANSITION AGE YOUTH (CWIC - Please contact the youth or the youth’s representative to verify Social Security Disability benefit receipt and eligibility for WIPA services BEFORE accepting or rejecting).” Former BOND Beneficiary referrals – “Other Beneficiary Concerns: Former BOND participant, end date is _____________(insert date that was shown in ETO search).”

17. 17 ETO Information ETO has separate sites for each WIPA project and the Help Line. – WIPA staff only have access to information in their own specific site. Help Line CSRs have no access to initial case notes. – CSRs will not see initial contact notes recorded in the WIPA site. The ETO case number may change from the initial number assigned in the Help Line ETO site when the referral is accepted by the WIPA project. All pertinent information about the referred beneficiary is contained in the ETO record referred to the WIPA.

18. 18 ETO Reminders Before you accept any Help Line referrals, use the “Search for current WIPA and BOND beneficiaries” link to determine whether the beneficiary is already enrolled. Carefully review both the “referral details” and the “participant details” to ensure that the beneficiary is within your service area. Check your “View Pending Referrals” queue daily. Referral decisions should be made within 2 days of referral. Do not attempt to contact the beneficiary before you accept a referral. Accept first, then begin attempts to contact.

19. 19 Tips for Contacting Referred Beneficiaries Identify your agency as “the WIPA” that the Help Line mentioned at point of referral. Utilize multiple forms of contact: – Email; – Phone – various times of the day; and – US Mail. Leave clear messages that include your contact information and best time to reach you.

20. 20 More Tips for Contacting Beneficiaries When email is available, send an introduction and reminder of how WIPA services can assist. Let the beneficiary know when to expect you to reach out via phone. Remember that many referred beneficiaries are working and you may need to consider contact attempts outside normal business hours.

21. 21 More Tips Be prepared to hear and respond to the following: – “I need help finding a job”; or – “I got all the information I needed from the Help Line.” Keep in mind that most of the callers who were referred to your WIPA project also received information about Ticket to Work providers. Remember that the vast majority of beneficiaries who are referred to you have not received any information about the available work incentives.

22. 22 More Tips Be positive and remind the beneficiary that your services are different from those offered by an Employment Network or Vocational Rehabilitation. Discuss how you can further assist beneficiaries in their return to work efforts, which may include: – Individualized information about how the work incentives will apply in relation to the earnings goal; – Assistance with reporting to Social Security and various other agencies; – Information on the impact of employment on ALL benefits, not just Social Security benefits; – Long term follow-up and assistance; and – Connections to other local agencies.

23. 23 Purpose for "Protocol" Emails The “beneficiary re-contact” email is a simple communication from Help Line CSRs to WIPAs to convey: (1) the beneficiary’s need for further services; (2) the beneficiary’s perspective on why the further services are required; and (3) a request for a CWIC to re-establish contact.

24. 24 Purpose for "Beneficiary Re-contact" Emails The Help Line sends a “protocol” email when re- contacted by a beneficiary who reportedly needs to re-initiate a WIPA contact. Beneficiaries provide the following reasons for their re-contacts: – No contact from the WIPA; – WIPA’s contact information is lost; – Services initially declined, but are now needed; – New employment necessitates further WIPA services; or – Other reasons.

25. 25 "Protocol" Email and Response Content The Help Line “protocol” email should simply re-state information provided by the beneficiary. – The content is not confirmed or validated information; it reflects the beneficiary’s statements. The email content is not a judgment that a WIPA has not met job requirements. – WIPA replies to protocol emails should not be defensive in tone, or provide justification/explanation/documentation regarding contact attempts.

26. 26 Response to Protocol Emails: Locate the Beneficiary Records If you cannot find the beneficiary’s record using the standard search function, utilize the ‘WIPA name/initials Call Center Referrals by Date Range’ query to locate the record. – Do not email the Help Line and ask for full beneficiary information. The previously referred beneficiary record may be difficult to locate using the standard search function for a variety of reasons: – The record was “faked”; – The record was dismissed from I&R and enrolled in WIPA; – There is an extra space in front of the beneficiary name; – There was a misspelling; or – Other reasons.

27. 27 Requesting Beneficiary Information All personally identifying information (PII) must be protected. The Help Line cannot release any beneficiary info to the WIPA directly. – Please do not email or call the Help Line and ask for beneficiary information. – All referral information is transferred via the ETO data system. Remove beneficiary PII before you reply to the ETO automatic emails, (which are generated when a referral is made). – You must modify the beneficiary name so that it only contains the first name and the last name initial. For example: change ‘John Doe’ to ‘John D’.

28. 28 Assist Beneficiaries to Communicate with the Ticket to Work Help Line Communication with the Help Line is required when you or the beneficiary need information related to Ticket status or timely progress reviews (TPRs). If the beneficiary is going to communicate directly with the Help Line, provide the beneficiary with specific questions to ask the CSR. – For example, if the beneficiary is unsure of his/her Ticket assignment status, you might suggest the following: “Contact the Ticket to Work Help Line at 866-968-7842 and ask them if your ticket is currently assigned, and if so, to what agency. You should also ask them the status of your last timely progress review.”

29. 29 Beneficiary Communication with the Ticket to Work Help Line Remind the beneficiary that you are the source of specific, individualized information on the work incentives and the impact of earnings on your benefits. – If the Help Line CSR begins probing about the intent to work, the beneficiary should indicate that they are already connected with the WIPA. If possible, initiate a 3-way call with the beneficiary to the Help Line to ensure that only the necessary Ticket-related information is given. Do not send signed releases of information to the Help Line to gather beneficiary information.

30. 30 FAKE Procedure and Help Line Referrals The “Fake” procedure is used only for removing beneficiaries who were referred by the Help Line AND to whom you did not provide any level of service, including basic I&R. Be sure to send the appropriate email template to support@chooseworkttw.net when using the “Fake” procedure. support@chooseworkttw.net – Refer to the TtW Help Line – WIPA Referral Protocols Quick Reference Guide. This allows for the beneficiary record to be properly noted in iTOPSS so that if the beneficiary re-contacts, the Help Line agent will know to re-refer rather than send a protocol email.

31. 31 Final Reminders The TtW Help Line and the WIPA projects are on the same team! Working together enables us to provide quality service to the beneficiaries we serve. We all have the same mission: – Promote employment, and – Help beneficiaries to achieve financial independence.