Evaluation of the Ticket to Work Program Initial Evaluation Report

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2. Arizona Bridge to Independent Living
ABIL acts as a staffing agency, conducting job development, job search, and placement
activities on behalf of its clients. When necessary, it acts as an advocate for clients, providing
peer support and assisting them with any work issues or barriers they encounter. Staff
conduct workshops to prepare clients for job interviews, emphasizing the importance of
promptness and preparedness when interacting with potential employers. They make
extensive use of the Internet to locate jobs and assist job seekers in submitting resumes. The
EN does not assist clients with resume preparation or job search skills, nor do they provide
rehabilitation, assistive technology, or other costly services. All that clients are required to do
is attend the job interviews that have been arranged for them; those who fail to do so have
their Tickets unassigned and returned to them.
ABIL selects participants who are ready and willing to work full-time. It does not accept
Tickets from beneficiaries who want to work part-time or from home, or from individuals
who need long-term training. Clients who require education, training or other resources to
address employment barriers are referred to other providers such as One-Stop career centers
or the Arizona SVRA. 2 In deciding whether to accept a Ticket, ABIL does not concern itself
with whether an individual is on SSI or DI or with the type and severity of an individual’s
disability.
3. Career Consulting Services of America (CCSA)
CCSA provides job development and placement services to individuals with disabilities
throughout Wisconsin and Illinois. It is staffed by a husband and wife team and funded
through contracts with Wisconsin’s SVRA, the Veterans Administration, and other state
agencies. CCSA works with individuals who are employment ready, that is, individuals who
do not need extensive training or employment preparation. In addition to employer contacts,
CCSA services include resume assistance, interview coaching, and acting as an employee
advocate and liaison with employers. If CCSA staff identify service needs among prospective
clients that it cannot provide (e.g., assistive devices or other equipment, vocational training),
CCSA refers the individual to the SVRA.
Each applicant for services under TTW receives a letter describing both the CCSA’s and
the individual’s responsibilities, and includes the individual work plan (IWP) and a release to
obtain additional information about the beneficiary. Also included is a release permitting
CCSA to obtain wage information, which must be completed as a condition of receiving
services. This enables CCSA staff to contact employers directly, providing a copy of the
release, and requesting that the employer send the wage documentation directly to CCSA. If
the individual does not return those forms, another letter is sent. Only after the completed
forms are returned does CCSA begins providing services.
2 ABIL would like to expand its services to provide job training and assistive technology,
but will not be able to do so unless and until its financial situation improves, an issue
addressed later.
V: Case Studies of Eight Experienced TTW Providers