Evaluation of the Ticket to Work Program Initial Evaluation Report

B.10
! Base funding at start-up;
! The staff is made up of people with disabilities, who can easily relate to clients;
! ABIL Employment Services operates like a staffing agency rather than a
rehabilitation program;
! The EN is located within a Center for Independent Living, which provides peer
counseling and other services;
! Strong support from BPAO, the state VR agency, and local SSA FOs; and
! A solid relationship with local SSA FOs that enables participants to obtain timely
work CDRs.
ABIL Employment Services would like to expand the program to provide job training
and assistive technology. Program expansion is on hold, however, until TTW becomes
profitable.
The interviewee stated that the TTW provisions are extremely helpful in assisting
beneficiaries to find employment. She expressed two primary concerns that have negatively
affected ABIL and, if unresolved, may cause the EN to withdraw from TTW. First, she
expressed concern about SSA’s lack of marketing for TTW. She stated that a national
marketing campaign, including radio and television advertisements, is necessary to
adequately market the program. Second, she stated that ABIL’s continued involvement with
TTW is dependent on a change in the pay stub submission requirements. SSA should require
submission only of the first pay stub. Relaxing this requirement would permit ABIL to
collect some back pay for clients who did not submit all pay stubs and enable them to
continue running the program. If the pay stub requirement is not changed, the interviewee
projects that ABIL will withdraw from TTW.
3. Career Consulting Services of America (CCSA)
a. Implementation and Service Delivery Approach
Career Consulting Services of America (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 is funded with contracts through the Wisconsin VR
agency, the Veterans Administration, and other state agencies. In addition to employer
contacts, services include resume assistance, interview coaching, and acting as an employee
advocate and liaison with employers.
CCSA will ensure that Ticket holders do not at any time constitute the majority of
CCSA clients. CCSA participated in SSA’s Alternate Participant (AP) program, and the
organization experienced substantial difficulty collecting payments from SSA for services
provided under that program. The interviewee indicated that CCSA left the AP program
after failing to receive $20,000 in reimbursements from SSA for services provided to one
Appendix B: Provider-Specific Case Study Summaries