| WORKING WORLD
By Tamar Asedo Sherman
Ticket to Work Is 10!
The Social Security Administration is marking the 10th anniversary of the enactment of the Ticket to Work and Work Incentives Improvement Act (Ticket Act) by launching the Choose Work web site (www.choosework.net). It is intended for people with disabilities who receive Social Security disability benefits (SSDI) or Supplemental Security Income (SSI) and want to return to work. “Choose fulfillment, choose earnings, choose work” is the program’s slogan.
If you’re not familiar with the Ticket Program, the site introduces you to the resources that are available to you. You can view short videos; hear stories told by people like you who are exploring the Ticket and other Work Incentives; find local agencies and other useful information all on one interactive site.
SSA reports that in 2008, 96,993 beneficiaries had used their Ticket and were working. That is up from 59,443 in 2007, a 63% increase. That sounds good, but of course those statistics were noted before the current recession, and do not change the fact that only .5% of SSA recipients ever get off benefits.
For those unfamiliar with the program, who never got a ticket, don’t know where it is, or don’t know what to do with it, the Ticket to Work is a voluntary employment program that offers people who receive Social Security disability benefits expanded opportunities to obtain the services and supports that they need to achieve their employment goals. You are not required to do anything with your ticket. It is entirely up to you.
There are agencies across the U.S. referred to as “Employment Networks,” that are approved to assist people who want to achieve self-supporting employment. You choose which agency you want to go to for help finding a job, if–and only if –you want to return to work.
Several people have brought their Tickets to the agency where I work in Suffolk County, New York. They have very different goals and methods of achieving them. Some come in with an old résumé that needs updating. Some have no idea what a résumé is or how to create one. That’s where my training and experience come in. I create or update a résumé together with the ticket holder.
For some, like Kathy, who has been out of work for some time due to psychiatric difficulties, we might leave out dates of employment or talk about how to explain the gap in employment due to “personal issues that have been resolved.” Remember, employers cannot ask about your disability.
For someone who hasn’t had much work experience, such as Ronald, who holds a Master’s degree but does not communicate well or have good data entry skills due to cerebral palsy, we might stress “soft skills,” his being highly motivated, responsible, reliable, prompt, someone who can work independently or as a team player.
For others like John, who has extensive experience in marketing but who wants to take a less responsible position while dealing with MS fatigue, we streamline his résumé so as not to intimidate an employer. At first he struggled with the streamlined version, seeing his years of hard work, his identity as a business executive disappear off the page. It took a little getting used to, but ultimately he does see the advantage of a clean, 1-page résumé, and he has started applying to jobs on his own, e-mailing his résumé, which he fine tunes to suit each job listing, and including a cover letter also mentioning key words from the listing.
Some people come in raring to go, eager to attend job fairs, spend hours scanning Web sites looking for job leads and posting their résumés on every conceivable job board. Others take a more laid-back approach, waiting for me to present them with job leads, then shooting them all down, like Alice, a young woman with a learning disability who recently earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology but who does not have a driver’s license and relies on her parents for transportation so is limited in where she can look for work.
Some think the agency has a job bank and we can dispense jobs to them if they impress us sufficiently with their skills or economic need. That’s not true. Some are desperate and say they will take just about any job, but in these tough economic times, even any job is hard to come by. And others don’t really want to work. They expect the professionals to put in the time and effort and literally “place” them in a position. That doesn’t happen.
Some have been successful in finding employment, some are still looking. Flexibility is key. You might not find exactly what you’re looking for. You might have to modify your expectations to fit today’s tight job market. In that respect you are just like those without disabilities.
To use your ticket or inquire about getting one, visit www.yourtickettowork.com or call 866-968-7842 (voice) 866-833-2967 (TTY).
Tamar Asedo Sherman is an employment specialist. She can be reached at tsherman@unitedspinal.org.
