**Ticket to Work and Work Incentives Advisory Panel**

**August 23, 2007 Teleconference**

**2:00 p.m. -- 4:00 p.m. EDT**

**Attendees**

[Advisory Panel Members]{.underline}

Berthy De La Rosa-Aponte, Panel Chairperson, Katie Beckett, Libby Child,
Russell Doumas, Loretta Goff, Thomas Golden, Frances Gracechild, Cheryl
Bates-Harris, Andrew Imparato, David Miller, Dorothy Watson, Torrey
Westrom.

[Advisory Panel Staff]{.underline}

Jill Houghton, Executive Director, Debra Tidwell-Peters, Mike Anzick,
Jenn Rigger, and Pat Laird.

[Designated Federal Officer]{.underline}

Chris Silanskis

[Contractors]{.underline}

International Leadership Consulting, LLC -- Becky Roberts and Michael
Morris.

[Members of the Public]{.underline}

Sally Atwater, Alma Avila, Michel Bagbonon, Brian Bard, Carla Basham,
Lisa Case, Leonard Clark, Stephen Fear, Chris Eikenberg, Dan Fox, Lisa
Harriman, Dennis Hribar, Alexandra Jankowska, Judy Jeasted, MJ Karimi,
Susan Klein, Jessica Lehman, Candy Magiera, Bob Monahan, Monica
Nagle-Newton, Daniel O'Brien, Mildred Owens, Susan Picerno, Joel
Roberts, Alice Sanders, Clyde Sayler, Thomas Scheurich, Nina Schultz,
Janette Shell, Yvonne Smith, Theola Snowden, Sandra Spivey, Lee
Stephens, Jackie Thomas, Michelle Thompson, Frank Torano, Patricia
Vasco, John Wallace, Susan Webb, Sheila Whittaker, Doug Zeh.

**[Call to Order]{.smallcaps}**

Chris Silanskis, Designated Federal Officer, called the meeting to order
at approximately 2:07 pm and turned the meeting over to Meeting Chair,
Berthy De La Rosa-Aponte.

**[Welcome Introductions and Review of the Agenda]{.smallcaps}**

Berthy De La Rosa-Aponte, Panel Chairperson, began by welcoming Panel
members, staff, contractors and the public. She continued by asking
Panel members, staff and contractors to make brief introductions. She
then announced there would be five individuals giving public comment
today.

**[Business Meeting]{.smallcaps}**

**July 2007 Meeting Minutes**

The first agenda item was a review of the July 2007 meeting minutes and
a motion to accept the minutes into the record.

***Motion: The Panel passed a motion to accept the July 2007 minutes
into the record.***

**Subcommittee Reports**

[Executive Subcommittee]{.underline}

Berthy De La Rosa-Aponte reported that the Executive Subcommittee has
discussed what needs to be accomplished in the remaining four months of
the Panel, and proposed merging the National Employment Investment
Strategy (NEIS) Report into the Panel's Final Report. After a discussion
of this proposal, the Panel approved the following motion, which David
Miller made, and Thomas Golden seconded.

***Motion: In lieu of a separate National Employment Investment Strategy
Report, that the recommendations developed by the Transformation
Subcommittee, with supporting background and justifications, and the
recommendations for elevating the voice of the beneficiary become the
central focus of the Ticket Panel\'s Final Report; with a section within
the Final Report reviewing the Panel\'s near-term CIC recommendations
with supporting background and justifications pulled forward from the
Panel\'s Work Incentives Utilization Report.***

Berthy De La Rosa-Aponte requested subcommittee chairpersons to give
reports on recent subcommittee activities.

[Beneficiary Voice Subcommittee]{.underline}

David Miller, chairperson, began by sharing highlights of the
subcommittee's draft of the National Disability Beneficiary Advocate and
Council. He noted that this draft is very similar to what the
subcommittee presented at the July Panel meeting, with three changes: 1)
Rearranged the duties to be shared between the advocate and council; 2)
Strengthened the qualifications of the advocate; and 3) Added a biennial
beneficiary summit. He asked the Panel to review it, and he noted that
it will be circulated to the Beneficiary Summit delegates for their
feedback. He asked for comments to be submitted to Jenn Rigger, Panel
staff, by September 7. In response to Panel questions, he clarified that
the appointment of the advocate by the Secretary of the Department of
Health and Human Services (HHS) is to ensure independence and provide a
link to the administration of Medicare and Medicaid. However, he noted
that the subcommittee is open to other ways of ensuring this
independence. He also reported that 20-25 full-time staff would be
needed to carry out the functions and that its involvement in policy
development would be seen as a means for SSA to gather internal input on
issues before the public comment period.

[Continuous Improvement Subcommittee]{.underline}

Libby Child, chairperson, thanked Thomas Golden and Dorothy Watson,
subcommittee members, for their efforts in getting the 16
recommendations and justifications ready for this teleconference. She
asked Panel members to review these and submit comments to Mike Anzick,
Panel staff, by August 30. She explained that the subcommittee doesn't
view reforms to Medicare and Medicaid as incremental and recommends that
these issues be covered in the Panel's Final Report.

[Transformation Subcommittee]{.underline}

Andy Imparato, chairperson, is supportive of folding the NEIS into the
Panel's Final Report. He expects to have another draft of NEIS
principles for the Panel teleconference on September 20. He asked Panel
members to identify any issues that need strengthening or that haven't
been covered.

**Public Comments**

Doug Zeh, WIPA Project Director for the Oregon Advocacy Center, reported
on the problems he has had accessing benefits planning queries (BPQY)
from SSA field offices in Oregon. Community Work Incentive Coordinators
(CWIC) must obtain this BPQY report for every client wanting anything
beyond general information, information & referral, or advocacy. The
types of problems are delays, lost requests, incomplete information,
wrong report, and SSA field staff's lack of knowledge about a BPQY.
These problems are causing delays in getting WIPA services to SSI and
SSDI beneficiaries. These delays may push WIPA services outside the
client window of interest in employment. He reported that his WIPA has
just 3 full time CWICs to meet the entire statewide demand for WIPA
services, which had a combined SSDI and SSI disability beneficiary count
just over 130,000 in 2005. He expressed the challenges it faces in
dealing with this problem. His WIPA has limited options due to the need
to maintain very good, collaborative relationships with all of the SSA
field offices and the lack of any recommended, uniform path within SSA
for troubleshooting stalled BPQY requests. He's not aware if these
problems are unique to Oregon.

Chris Eikenberg, beneficiary from Colorado, alerted the Panel to her
ongoing struggle to receive appropriate support from her VR agency that
is operating as her employment network. She recounted ongoing issues
with payment for her day care, mileage, and education expenses, as well
as her need for a computer with an internet modem. Overall, her comments
focused on the inconsistency of the information she has received from
different VR staff. In addition, she feels harassed by VR and CAP staff.

*\[Post meeting follow-up: staff have advised Ms. Eikenberg of her right
to bring her grievances to the attention of her state\'s CAP.\]*

Brian Bard, Beneficiary Summit delegate from Delaware, recounted his
troubles in maintaining his part-time employment while on SSDI. He
recommends that SSA give approval for Impairment Related Work Expenses
(IRWEs) in advance, treat DI IRWEs like PASS exclusions, offer a second
trial work period to those who are working, and raise the substantial
gainful activity level, similar to the recommendations offered at the
Beneficiary Summit.

*\[Post meeting follow-up: staff will continue to assist Mr. Bard with
his specific case.\]*

Clyde Sayler, former VR customer from Utah, alerted the Panel to his
positive experience of receiving his degree and becoming self-sufficient
with the long-term assistance of VR in his area. His example shows the
system can work.

Joel Roberts, WIPA Coordinator from California, echoed the comments of
Mr. Zeh concerning the delays in receiving benefit planning queries from
SSA field offices. In addition, he commented that some offices do not
even know what the queries are and that there is a lack of SSA staff
knowledge of work incentives throughout the system and of the Medicaid
Buy-In program. He recommended widespread training for SSA staff on
return-to-work and work incentives.

Jessica Lehman, Beneficiary Summit planner from California, used the
public comment time to reach out to any beneficiaries listening that, if
they would like to become involved in the delegate group, Voices for
Work, they should contact the Panel at 202-358-6430 with their name and
contact information and give permission that the information be shared
with Voices for Work.

**Adjournment**

Berthy De La Rosa-Aponte adjourned the meeting at 3:45 p.m.