OELN Social Security Benefits and Work Incentives, Bend- August 2016 

IF ANY OF THE EVENTS YOU ARE INTERESTED IN ATTENDING ARE FULL, PLEASE CONTACT Emily@GOWISE.ORG TO GET ON THE WAITING LIST!

The goal of this two day training session is to inspire participants to realize that work is important and achievable for people who experience disabilities. This training will further help participants understand that people with disabilities can work and retain essential benefits, allowing them to move toward greater financial gain from employment.

Learning Objectives:

• Understand the differences in how income affects the two social security cash disability benefits programs (Title  II and Title XVI).
• Have a basic understanding of an impairment related work expense and a plan for achieving self support.
• Gain a general knowledge of the rules for Medicaid vs. Medicare, and the associated cash benefits program for this framework.
• Have a working description of how access to Medicaid may be essential in accessing employment services. 
• Gain the ability to list how, where, and why benefits planning is accessed.
• Recognize that other means-based programs can also be affected by increases in income.

Additional Information:

• Coffee and snacks will be provided each day.  Lunch will be on your own.

• In order to receive a certificate of completion for this training, attendees can miss no more than one hour total during this two-day event.

• CANCELATION POLICY: If you are unable to attend this training, please notify Emily Harris as soon as possible. Please note that attendence lists are sent to the Oregon State Employment First Office on a regular basis in order to track no-shows.

• If you need any additional accommodations please contact Emily Harris, emily@gowise.org  at  least 3 weeks  prior to the event to allow for adequate scheduling time.

Register Now! 

Your trainers will be:

Susan Harrell, Senior Program Manager, WISE.  Susan has worked with and on behalf of people with disabilities through direct service, service agency management, and governmental and agency consulting since 1985, with a specific focus on employment as an essential component to assure community integration, financial stability, and quality of life. Susan specializes in the following consultation and training topics: Job Development; Job Coaching; Social Security and Medical Benefits; Work Incentives; Individual Resource Development; Person-Centered Planning; and Policies and Regulations Related to the Self-Sufficiency of Individuals with Disabilities. Susan lives in Olympia, WA, where she enjoys spending time with her family, playing golf, gardening, and working on home improvement projects.

Paula Fitch, OVRS, is a Work Incentive Network Program Coordinator for Vocational Rehabilitation. She has worked with the Competitive Employment Project, VR’s Medicaid Infrastructure Grant, since May 2005, providing support and contract and budget management for the grant’s various employment projects. As a Certified Work Incentives Coordinator with the Work Incentives Network, she provides programmatic support to WIN Coordinators and staff.

Arlene Jones, WIPA/DRO.  Arlene Jones is a Certified Work Incentives Coordinator (CWIC) and Plan for Work's Project Coordinator.  Plan for Work is the Work Incentives Planning and Assistance or WIPA program at Disability Rights Oregon, providing benefits counseling to recipients of SSI and/or Social Security Disability living in Oregon and Southern Washington who want to work.  Prior to Disability Rights Oregon, Arlene served as Administrative Coordinator for FACT---Family and Community Together, a statewide organization empowering Oregon families experiencing disability.  She is the parent of a young adult experiencing disability who is competitively employed in the community.    

 Gene Rada, WIN Program Coordinator, Oregon’s Vocational Rehabilitation Program.  Gene provides technical assistance and training to Work Incentives Coordinators of Vocational Rehabilitation’s Work
Incentive Network in Oregon (WIN). WIN currently consists of 11 Work Incentives Coordinators that have served over 7000 participants since 2007. Gene also assists with management and coordination of WIN that includes the certification of Work Incentives Coordinators, development and monitoring of best practices and quality assurance review of program services. Gene provides training throughout
Oregon to community partners and stakeholders about benefits planning and how state and federal public benefits programs can help support the work efforts of individuals with disabilities. Prior to his current position Gene has worked with Independent Living Centers, vocational services providers and as a contractor for central Oregon’s ID/DD brokerage. Gene has recently moved to Wilsonville, Oregon and enjoys kayaking, hiking and reading.