SURVEY- Managing Your Benefits for Employment Success and Transition (MYBEST) |
1. INTRO AND PURPOSE
Dear Special Education Director:
Enrollment onto the disability benefit programs managed by the Social Security Administration (SSA) has continued to increase despite improvements in health care, accessibility, and expansion of community services. Most applicants for SSA benefits turn to this option as a final solution when employment seems impossible.
It is our contention that when a young adult with a disability receives or is applying for SSA benefits, this has a profound impact on current actions and future goals in respect to career planning. The primary criteria for establishing SSA eligibility is demonstrating an inability to earn “substantial gainful activity,” essentially meaning that the individual must prove that he or she is not able to work. Since qualifying for benefit status can take time, the applicant may be in a holding pattern when it comes to any current employment opportunities. It is also possible that parents and/or relevant social service care givers may be concerned that any actions that point towards employment will be interpreted as an ability to work by SSA, thus discouraged.
To complement job placement and supported employment programs, AHEDD has been providing work incentive counseling through a cooperative agreement with the Social Security Administration. Recently, AHEDD has expanded this initiative through a grant from Kessler Foundation, specifically targeting young adults, beginning at age 16, in the SE PA Region. We are referring to these efforts as the "Managing Your Benefits for Employment Success and Transition (MYBEST)" program. In order to establish a baseline for this MYBEST project and also to solicit your interest in services, we invite you to respond to this survey.
Thank you in advance for your cooperation!
Sincerely,
John J. Miller
Project Director
Enrollment onto the disability benefit programs managed by the Social Security Administration (SSA) has continued to increase despite improvements in health care, accessibility, and expansion of community services. Most applicants for SSA benefits turn to this option as a final solution when employment seems impossible.
It is our contention that when a young adult with a disability receives or is applying for SSA benefits, this has a profound impact on current actions and future goals in respect to career planning. The primary criteria for establishing SSA eligibility is demonstrating an inability to earn “substantial gainful activity,” essentially meaning that the individual must prove that he or she is not able to work. Since qualifying for benefit status can take time, the applicant may be in a holding pattern when it comes to any current employment opportunities. It is also possible that parents and/or relevant social service care givers may be concerned that any actions that point towards employment will be interpreted as an ability to work by SSA, thus discouraged.
To complement job placement and supported employment programs, AHEDD has been providing work incentive counseling through a cooperative agreement with the Social Security Administration. Recently, AHEDD has expanded this initiative through a grant from Kessler Foundation, specifically targeting young adults, beginning at age 16, in the SE PA Region. We are referring to these efforts as the "Managing Your Benefits for Employment Success and Transition (MYBEST)" program. In order to establish a baseline for this MYBEST project and also to solicit your interest in services, we invite you to respond to this survey.
Thank you in advance for your cooperation!
Sincerely,
John J. Miller
Project Director