Cash and Medical Benefits and Employment: Providing Essential Information to Improve Employment Outcomes
April 16th, 2019 in Sumner, WA
The goal of this one-day training is to teach service providers that employment is an important social determinate of health and achievable for people who experience disabilities. This training will further help service providers understand that people with disabilities can work and retain essential benefits, allowing them to move toward greater financial gain from employment.
Learning Objectives:
- Understand the differences in how income affects the two social security cash disability benefits programs (Title II and Title XVI)
- Have a basic understanding of an Impairment Related Work Expense(IRWE) a Plan for Achieving Self-Support (PASS), and other work incentives
- Gain a general knowledge of the rules for Medicaid vs. Medicare, and the associated cash benefits programs
- Have a working description of how access to Medicaid may be essential in accessing and maintaining employment support services
- Learn how individuals can keep Medicaid Benefits and eliminate Spend-downs with Healthcare for Workers with Disabilities
- List how, where and why benefits planning is accessed
- Recognize that other means-based programs, such as housing and childcare subsidies, can also be affected by increases in income
This training is a collaborative effort between the Health Care Authority-Division of Behavioral Health and Recovery, Becoming Employed Starts Today (BEST) project funded by the Substance Abuse Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA).
The Trainers:
Susan Harrell, Wise, has worked with and on behalf of people with disabilities through direct service, service agency management, and governmental and agency consulting for more than 30 years, with a specific focus on employment as essential to assuring community integration, financial stability, and quality of life. Susan specializes in the following consultation and training topics: Large Employer Hiring Initiatives; Job Development; Job Coaching; Social Security and Medical Benefits and Associated Work Incentives; Individual Resource Development; Person-Centered Planning; and Policies and Regulations Related to Employment and the Self-Sufficiency of Individuals with Disabilities. Susan holds a Certificate in Advanced Professional Development for Assistive Technology Applications from California State University, Northridge, and has consulted with States on employment outcomes as a Subject Matter Expert with the Employment First State Leadership Mentoring Program (EFSLMP).
Scott Leonard has worked in the field of disabilities for over twenty years, focusing on services that support people with disabilities to become successfully employed. Employed as a benefits planner for 10 years through the King County Developmental Disabilities Division, he currently provides education and consultation to individuals, families, and organizations around public benefits, emphasizing that people can work and build wealth while maintaining critical services. Scott offers training and consultation on State and Federal benefits, including Social Security, Medicaid, Medicare, Home and Community Based Services, and Work Incentives. Scott holds a degree in Psychology and is trained in Benefits Planning and Outreach (BPAO) through Cornell University.
Additional Information:
- Coffee and morning snacks will be provided
- Lunch will be on your own
- Free parking on the premise