1. benefits and work incentive advisement (BWIA) overview
ADEN CORE Competencies training series
benefits and work incentive advisement (BWIA) overview
Kevin Nickerson, ADEN Co-Director
American Dream Employment Network (ADEN)
American Dream Employment Network, a division of National Disability Institute, is an authorized Social Security Ticket to Work service provider.

2. Agenda
For purposes of today’s training, SSA Disability Benefits and Work Incentive Advisement will simply be called “BWIA services”
Why BWIA Matters
Overview of ADEN Member supports that promote BWIA services
Next steps for ADEN Members in providing and coordinating BWIA Service

3. Why bwia matters

4. Why ssa disability advisement matters
Knowledge is Power
Many beneficiaries make decisions about the return to work (or decision not to work) from limited information they receive from family, friends, and uninformed service providers
The goal is financial self-sufficiency! Many beneficiaries do not receive guidance on their financial benefits (i.e. SSI, SSDI, health insurance, financial resources, etc.)
It’s an ADEN Core Service
SSA disability benefits and work incentives are complex, often keeping employment service providers from building internal expertise, impacting return to work efforts
ADEN recognizes that in order to achieve successful employment outcomes, ADEN Participants need accurate information about their benefits in order to make informed choices about employment – “It’s what we do”

5. Our responsibility to provide bwia services
Work Incentive expertise not required of ENs
Why? SSA funds the Work Incentive Planning Assistance (WIPA) projects nationally, however, their capacity to provide in-depth advisement is limited, and often not timely
ADEN requires as it will improve Member performance
Elevates ADEN as Ticket holders consider EN options
While becoming certified as a work incentive advisor is challenging, it is helps Member to support Participants by:
Providing a clear understanding of “what to expect”
Offering the bigger financial picture, which;
Shapes job development efforts

6. From the Participants perspective
What is the primary fear of beneficiaries?
Health Care – Not the cash benefit
Participants are more dependent on health care than those without disabilities
ADEN has chosen to build BWIA expertise because:
Accurate information about SSA Work Incentives helps Participants make good choices
Understanding Health care options provides assurances that SSA disability beneficiaries can attempt work while remaining covered
End result – ADEN Members will be amongst the most capable providers in the country with this knowledge
(Know the Participants options, future planning)

7. From the Participants Perspective
BWIA services help to prevent overpayments!
This is a very real issue as beneficiaries return to work
Members can help with this issue by assisting Participants report new employment
ADEN templates available
Members will also encourage wage reporting:
To prevent overpayments
To help SSA keep records up to date, including the use of work incentives
ADEN tools that support wage reporting:
Wage Reporting Fact Sheet
Found here:

8. From the members perspective
Understanding SSA work incentives is critical to the work of ADEN!
Encourage Work by being prepared with answers
Address incorrect or limited information and know work incentives such as:
Medicaid 1619(b),
Medicare (Extended Medicare Coverage)
When cash benefits will be impacted (SSI and/or SSDI)
Think Forward
Help Participants consider their retirement
Health insurance planning, extended coverage, transition to Employer plan
Injecting this level of knowledge changes decisions people make!
With accurate information, often beneficiaries decide to try working more substantially, than when operating under false assumptions about how benefits work

9. Checking in…
What is the primary fear that beneficiaries seem to have in regards to the return to work?
1. loss of cash benefits
2. lack of skills
3. loss of health insurance
SSA requires that All ENs must have work incentive practitioners on staff.
TRUE
FALSE

10. aden support to members in providing bwia

11. Training & Tools
Basic SSA Disability Work Incentive Training – Core B Training
Provides overview of Work Incentives that support SSI & SSDI beneficiaries
ADEN Advanced Training
Advanced training on BWIA Tools and Procedures (for certified Members)
Archived trainings available: IRWE, PASS, Subsidy, SSDI Case Study
ADEN trainings focused on SSA disability benefits are approved for Cornell University CEUs for Certified Work Incentive Practitioners (Do NOT count for VCU)
ADEN Tools & Resources
More information on ADEN Tools & Resources in the BWIA Tools and Procedures Advanced training

12. Technical assistance
ADEN Directors are certified Work Incentive Practitioners with years of experience
Case conferencing is available should you require assistance with a particular Participant (for certified Members)
Review of SSA documents is available upon request, such as BPQY’s
ADEN Directors can assist you with systems level issues that prevent service delivery to ADEN Participants, for example:
Issues in receiving BPQY’s from local SSA Field Offices
Challenges in working with local Field Offices unrelated to BPQY requests
Issues that arise when implementing SSA Work Incentives
Members should contact ADEN Directors when
issues arise

13. Checking in…
How does ADEN support Members in providing BWIA services? 1. Technical guide on shoelace tying 2. Dummies Guide to the Ticket to Work program 3. Training, Tools, and Technical assistance When should ADEN Members attend Advanced training: BWIA Tools and Procedures? 1. After certification completed as Work Incentive Practitioner 2. When it becomes available 3. When ADEN Director notifies you

14. Next steps for ADEN Members in providing and coordinating BWIA Service

15. “How do I get certified?” - CORNELL UNIVERSITY
Per the ADEN PSA, Members will build internal expertise to provide SSA Disability Benefits and Work Incentive advisement services – “remember, it’s what we do”
Talk to your agency director to be sure they are aware of this requirement
Cornell University: Recommended by ADEN
When completed, learners will get a certificate as a Work Incentives Practitioner
Select ADEN trainings are approved for Cornell University CEUs
Cornell’s online course offers flexibility for professional staff to fit this intensive training into their busy work schedules
The cost is $1,450 for the certification option
When registering, mention you are ADEN Member and get 20% discount
Choose certification option rather than “certificate of attendance”
REMINDER – Please use all requested Cornell forms when going through this class! You may use the ADEN BAR template, however, beyond this, use all Cornell forms for certification

16. “How do I get certified?” – VCU
Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) is the Technical Assistance center for SSA’s Work Incentive Planning Assistance (WIPA) projects
VCU offers the following certification process for Community Partners:
Community Partner Work Incentive Counselor certification (CPWIC)
Who is eligible for CPWIC?
Many different kinds of community partners working with SSA disability beneficiaries, however:
Priority 1: Staff of organizations or agencies who are an Employment Network, including State VR Agency staff and Americas Job Center staff who intend to use the training to provide services to beneficiaries
ADEN Members are Employment Network operators, therefore you would be a priority WHEN seats are available, WIPA project staff are FIRST priority for training

17. “How do I get certified?” – VCU
Where is training?
VCU training is in-person, in various locations across the country through out the year
You are responsible for travel and lodging costs, but the training itself is free
To find trainings near you, monitor the “initial training calendar” here: ntdc.org/training/initial/calendar.cfm
Is the CPWIC certification equitable to the Cornell CWIP certification?
Yes, both are equitable, both provide certification, and both require ongoing CEU’s to maintain certification
Disadvantages of VCU process:
No guarantee you will be accepted even if you register early, if no seats are left for Priority 1 slots (ENs)
You incur all costs of travel, room and board
ADEN SSA disability benefit trainings do NOT count as CEU’s toward VCU certification

18. “While waiting to get certified”
ADEN Members have one option in accessing work incentive advisement if they are in process of getting certified:
State Work Incentive Planning and Assistance projects (WIPA)

19. Work Incentive Planning Assistance (WIPA)
What is WIPA?
SSA administered program designed to provide accurate information to beneficiaries who are working, or plan to work
I don’t yet have a relationship with my WIPA provider;
Discover who the WIPA provider is in primary service area
Introduce yourself as an EN operator through ADEN
Use the Find Help tool:
Understand that messaging can vary from WIPA providers, sometimes confusing Participants

20. WIPA Support
Once you have a relationship with WIPA, establish referral process
Many WIPA projects require beneficiaries to call the Beneficiary Help Line to be referred to WIPA
or (TTY/TDD)
ADEN Member will need to have a consent form between WIPA and ADEN Member, in order to:
Join key meetings
Collect key paperwork such as benefits analysis reports

21. SSA Resources on Work incentives
For all ADEN Members check out these resources
SSA Red Book (
WISE events (
Choose Work Website (SSA) (
Be Proactive:
Commit to at least a basic understanding
of SSA work incentives by downloading
the SSA Red Book today!

22. Checking in…
What SSA resource(s) can help Participants and Members understand at least the basics of work incentives?
1. Choose Work website
2. MySocialSecurity.gov
3. SSA Red Book
4. Numbers 1 and 3 only
What is the only option to ensure BWIA services are provided to Participants, for Members not yet certified?
1. Work Incentive Planning Assistance projects
2. I’ll advise the person, I know a little bit about SSA benefits
3. Don’t offer Ticket services, wait until certified

23. Next Steps in advancing bwia services
Not Certified Yet
Introduce yourself to WIPA provider
Get enrolled in certification training
Study SSA resources suggested
When you become certified
Notify ADEN Director and provide certification
You are Certified
Attend BWIA Tools & Procedures training
Utilize ADEN Guide to BWIA services
Track all BWIA services in ADEN Portal
Maintain certification through CEU’s
Utilize ADEN Directors for mentoring and support

24. Next core c training: Partnerships

25. American Dream Employment Network (ADEN)
ADEN Co-Directors of
American Dream Employment Network (ADEN)
Mary Lynn ReVoir Kevin Nickerson