Evaluation of the Ticket to Work Program Initial Evaluation Report

e considerably more successful if SSA were to concentrate its TTW marketing activities. In
her opinion, TTW marketing efforts have been too broad and have not focused on the 7 to
10 percent of the beneficiary population most likely to work their way off benefits – those
already working, but working at levels low enough to maintain benefits. The information
about Ticket to Work seems to focus on getting a job and returning to work, rather than on
increasing work levels among those already employed. She believes that a targeted mailing to
working beneficiaries, advertising the fact that support in the form of money (as opposed to
return-to-work services) is available under TTW, might induce a significant proportion to
use their Tickets, increase their work activity, and go off benefits. The interviewee says that
she has discussed with SSA OESP staff the concept of a test mailing targeted to those
working and receiving benefits; but to date, she has not found support for this idea.
2. Arizona Bridge to Independent Living Employment Services
a. Implementation and Service Delivery Approach
ABIL’s Employment Services start-up operations were funded by a $100,000 matching
grant from the Nina Mason Pulliam Charitable Foundation. According to the business plan
developed at start-up, the organization expected to break even after two and a half years;
after that, TTW would become profitable.
ABIL acts as a staffing agency, conducting job development, job search, and job
placement activities on behalf of its clients. Counselors do not teach clients resume or job
search skills, nor do they provide rehabilitation, assistive technology, or other costly services.
The only requirement of clients is that they attend the job interviews ABIL has arranged for
them. ABIL conducts interviewing workshops for clients to prepare them for job interviews,
emphasizing the importance of promptness and preparedness when interacting with
potential employers. When describing the Ticket program to clients, ABIL staff stress the
voluntary aspect on both sides. Clients must understand that they are entering a long-term
relationship with ABIL. As a full-service staffing agency, ABIL will act as an advocate for
clients, provide peer support, and assist them with any work issues or barriers they
encounter. Clients who fail to fulfill their responsibilities are not given a second chance;
clients who do not show up for employment have their Ticket unassigned and returned to
them.
ABIL paid a contractor to develop a Microsoft Access-based PC management
information system specifically to administer TTW. The database maintains an electronic file
on all TTW clients, includes fields to record all information necessary to serve the client and
administer TTW, creates flags for follow-up actions, and generates forms. For example, the
software can generate the completed Individual Work Plan; has a component that
electronically tracks earnings documentation requests and receipts and EN payment claim
submissions; and can generate reports on actions that require follow up after some period of
time (e.g., non-receipt of earnings documentation, non-receipt of EN payment, non-receipt
of Ticket assignment confirmation). The database also stores information on TTW
beneficiaries who contact ABIL, but who do not assign their Tickets. The database permits
ABIL staff to record the reason for non-assignment of the Ticket (i.e., whether the
B.5
Appendix B: Provider-Specific Case Study Summaries