Evaluation of the Ticket to Work Program Initial Evaluation Report

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G. FACTORS AFFECTING PROVIDER ABILITY TO ACHIEVE POSITIVE
OUTCOMES FOR BENEFICIARIES
The case studies identified a variety of factors that reportedly help or hurt provider
efforts to assist beneficiaries.
1. Challenging Factors
EN officials cited several factors that made it difficult (or, at least, more difficult than
they may have originally expected) to assist some beneficiaries in obtaining and sustaining
employment in ways that stood a good chance of leading to milestone or outcome payments.
These factors generally correspond to the barriers to employment we described in Chapter I.
It was not uncommon for the case-study ENs to report having to place some clients
multiple times. In one extreme example, an EN reported placing one client seven times.
The Economy. Several ENs noted that the economy and its soft or shrinking job
market has made it more difficult to place both TTW and other clients. CCSA’s director
noted that the industrial sector has declined consistently for the past 36 months. EES
reported that some beneficiaries placed in full-time jobs had their positions reduced to parttime;
their subsequent lower earnings made them eligible once again for benefits and thus
the EN was unable to collect any payments.
Beneficiaries’ Attitudes and Motivation. EES staff said that one reason its TTW
clients take longer to place than its other clients is that the former take longer to envision
themselves working. Helping them develop the necessary interest and confidence—
overcoming fears and insecurities about their ability to find and keep a job—can require a
substantial amount of personal counseling. A Bridges staff member noted that many of their
clients lack motivation and a sincere desire to work. Similarly, Glick and Glick mentioned
that some clients do not appear sufficiently interested in the program—after their initial
enthusiasm about going back to work wanes, they do not return staff phone calls.
Interviewees also said some beneficiaries are perhaps too specific or particular about the
types of jobs they are willing to accept. ABIL’s director described how some clients have
unreasonable or unrealistic expectations about the extent to which employers will
accommodate their unique needs, and how others do not want to work full time—whereas
most jobs are full time and full-time work is necessary in many cases for the individual to
achieve earnings above the SGA level. CCSA’s director held a different viewpoint. He said
that Ticket clients were easier to place than SVRA or Veteran’s Administration clients
because they are motivated to work.
Beneficiaries’ Experience and Abilities. Glick and Glick representatives noted that
many of the beneficiaries they had served had little work experience and could only qualify
for entry-level positions paying minimum wage. Because the SGA level is adjusted upward
annually based on inflation, they believed that it will be increasingly difficult for low-skilled
V: Case Studies of Eight Experienced TTW Providers