Leadership changes
On Friday, July 9, President Biden announced Kilolo Kijakazi as the Acting Commissioner of Social Security, replacing Andrew Saul. Stephen Evangelista is now the Acting Deputy Commissioner of the Office of Retirement and Disability Policy (ORDP) which oversees the Office of Research, Demonstration, and Employment Support (ORDES) the component responsible for the Ticket to Work program.
New Ticket Portal release
On August 14, 2021, the Ticket Portal was updated to allow ENs to request Phase 1 Milestone payments via the Portal, even if SSA has Lookback earnings that might make the case unpayable. ENs will receive a warning message, but will now be able to submit the payment request.
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Work Incentives Planning and Assistance (WIPA)
On July 1, 2021, Social Security awarded Work Incentives Planning and Assistance (WIPA) cooperative agreements to 74 organizations. If you refer Ticketholders to WIPA, please note that there are new WIPA projects and existing projects who have changed their service areas. Find more information and a list of current WIPA projects here.
Funding opportunity fact sheet
The Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP) at the Department of Labor (DOL) released a fact sheet that highlights available funding opportunities aimed at expanding access to Competitive Integrated Employment for individuals with disabilities.
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Workforce EN Planning Guide
The DOL Office of Disability Employment Policy has released a new technical guide, Ticket to Work: Operating a Workforce EN Planning Guide and Workbook. It promotes the benefits of operating as a workforce Employment Network (EN) and shares available resources to help in this process, including guidance and promising practices.
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Welcome, new ENs
Report all EN contact changes
If you have changes in key staff, services, or contact information, you must inform SSA within 24 hours. ENs should complete and submit the TPA Change form to ENService@ssa.gov so that we can update the Find Help Tool and our contact lists for EN training and email communications.
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Do not email Personally Identifiable Information (PII)
Don’t forget that ENs must not send Ticketholder PII by email to Social Security and/or TPM, even if it is encrypted. This includes all reports downloaded from the Ticket Portal. ENs must reference Work Case (WC) numbers when communicating about Ticketholders or payments via email. If you are reporting an error with the Ticket Portal and are asked to provide a screenshot, you must ensure that your screenshot does not contain any PII.
Find more information about transmitting PII, including the consequences for violations, at https://yourtickettowork.ssa.gov/program-operations/transmitting-pii.html.
Read and share our latest fact sheets today!
The Ticket Program is a good fit for people who want to improve their earning potential and are committed to preparing for long-term success in the workforce. Our new fact sheet, What is Social Security’s Ticket to Work Program?, contains important information about how the Ticket Program can help the people you serve. Share it with Ticketholders who receive Social Security disability benefits (SSDI and/or SSI) to answer their questions about the Ticket Program.
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Join the crowd receiving Ticket Program text messaging
Our nationwide campaign is designed to inform the public about the Ticket to Work Program and its features, such as the availability of the Choose Work website, the Ticket to Work Help Line, monthly Work Incentive Seminar Event (WISE) webinars and more. Text TICKET to 474747 to join over 10,000 people receiving text messages from the Ticket Program. Standard messaging rates may apply, and you can opt out at any time.
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Mark your calendar for upcoming Work Incentive Seminar Events (WISE)
These webinars are typically held on the 4th Wednesday of each month from 3:00 - 4:30 p.m. ET and are a great way to share information about the Ticket Program. Register at choosework.ssa.gov/wise.
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National Employment Network Association (NENA)
Join NENA’s 11th Annual National Training Conference (Virtual) coming up September 22-24, 2021. NENA is excited to offer another great line-up of speakers, training topics, networking, and fun! Visit the NENA conference webpage to learn more and register today!
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Send us your EN payments-related topics
What topics would you like to hear about on the All EN Payments Calls? Our goal is to educate and provide clarification on processes and procedures related to payments. Send your topics to the EN Payments Helpdesk at enpaymentshelpdesk@yourtickettowork.ssa.gov.
If you missed a national All Call
Don’t worry, you can review the materials including the recaps and transcripts here.
Social Security and TPM would like to hear your questions and updates. Find contact information for the EN Service team, State VR Agency Help Desk and the Provider Support Help Line.
Get on our mailing list
If you do not receive messages about the Ticket Program from Social Security but should, please contact ENService@ssa.gov for EN updates and VR.Helpdesk@ssa.gov for State VR agency updates.
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