Evaluation of the Ticket to Work Program Initial Evaluation Report

B.6
beneficiary did not pursue assignment; whether ABIL refused the Ticket, and the reasons for
the refusal).
Whether the individual is an SSI or DI beneficiary and the type and severity of an
individual’s disability are not significant factors in accepting a Ticket. However, ABIL only
accepts Tickets from individuals who demonstrate a strong willingness to work. The goal of
ABIL’s screening process is to identify job-ready individuals who are motivated, skilled, and
seeking full-time employment. They do not accept Tickets from clients who want to work
part-time or from home. If the reason is related to fear of benefit loss or a barrier that could
be easily addressed, ABIL staff counsels the individual and may still invite him or her in for
the orientation session. Usually, however, staff refers these individuals to other providers or
tells them to contact ABIL again at a later date when they are ready to work full-time.
When clients require education, training or other resources to address employment
barriers before they are ready for employment, ABIL refers them to other area providers.
Clients can be referred to the One-Stops for basic computer skills training, although ABIL
does not share Ticket revenues with the One Stop. ABIL has established an agreement with
the state VR agency that would allow ABIL clients to access long-term training and high-cost
accommodations. Though these resources are available, at initial interview ABIL was not
accepting Tickets from individuals requiring long-term training.
b. Early Experiences Implementing TTW
Beneficiary Outreach and Enrollment. At the time of the initial interview, ABIL had
not actively marketed to Ticket holders, but planned to do so in the future. The organization
was maintaining data on all Ticket holders that had contacted ABIL, as well as reasons why
their Tickets were not assigned; e.g., the individual did not want to work full-time or failed to
keep an appointment. This database would serve as a marketing list in the future. At the
time of initial interview, the demand for TTW services seemed sufficient to support ABIL’s
business model, with 10-15 telephone inquiries daily.
At the first interview, ABIL had screened and counseled roughly 900 Ticket holders and
had accepted about 100 Tickets. Potential clients underwent a 15-minute phone screen,
during which they had to demonstrate enthusiasm for work. According to the interviewee, of
those who completed the initial phone screening, about 15 to 25 percent were still interested
in the program and participated in an orientation session. Potential clients were given two
opportunities to attend the orientation session. Those who did not attend were referred to
another provider. During the orientation, potential clients were told about TTW and SSA
work incentive provisions. ABIL staff members encouraged attendees to shop around for
other service providers before making a decision about where to assign their Tickets. About
50 percent of those who attended the orientation wanted to continue pursuing Ticket
assignment with ABIL. After the orientation, those Ticket holders still interested in ABIL
were scheduled for an individual appointment with the program Director. During this
meeting, which lasted 60 to 90 minutes, she talked with clients about their goals and skills
and identified any possible barriers that might emerge as they formulated a plan for
employment. The Director also continued to educate clients about TTW and motivated
Appendix B: Provider-Specific Case Study Summaries