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Work
Incentives Planning and Assistance (WIPA) projects
Essential
Employment Supports
The WIPA projects have Benefits Specialists/Community Work
Incentive Coordinators (CWICs) to provide all SSA disability beneficiaries
(including transition-to-work aged youth) with access to benefits planning
and assistance services. The ultimate goal of the WIPA projects is to assist
SSA's beneficiaries with disabilities in meeting their
employment goals.
You may be interested in the
services of a WIPA
Benefits Specialist/CWIC if you are an SSI or SSDI
beneficiary and you:
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Plan
to start or return to work or plan to start your own business,
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Plan
to accept or seek a higher paying job,
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Are concerned about stopping work,
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Have questions about the Ticket to Work or need a referral
to an Employment Network, or
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Have other questions about how work will impact your
disability benefits.
Cost of Benefit Specialist Services:
FREE
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there is no charge for Benefit Specialist services to
SSDI/SSI beneficiaries.
Specific Services Offered to SSDI/SSI Beneficiaries:
Background:
Social Security
Disability Insurance (SSDI) and Supplemental Security Income (SSI)
were designed to provide income and support to individuals who are not
capable of self-sufficiency due to disability. Fear of losing cash
benefits, as well as medical coverage under Medicaid or Medicare, often
persuades beneficiaries to severely limit their employment participation
and earnings or, more commonly, not enter the labor force at all.
The Ticket to Work
and Work Incentives Improvement Act of 1999 (PL 106-170) attempts to
remove many of these barriers to employment by enhancing work incentives
and by making information about incentives more readily available to
beneficiaries.
As a result of this
law, the Social Security Administration (SSA) established a
community-based benefits planning and assistance program to provide
accurate information on work incentives to SSA beneficiaries. SSA has
established a program of cooperative agreements to entities across the
nation.
The vaACCSES
WIPA
Project is one of these community-based programs in
Virginia
that provides benefits counseling and assistance, and conducts ongoing
outreach efforts to inform beneficiaries of available work incentives.
CWIC
Roles / Responsibilities:
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Deliver
benefits and work incentives planning and assistance
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Conduct
outreach to disabled beneficiaries regarding available programs and
incentives
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Prepare
and disseminate information explaining such programs
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Work
collaboratively with other federal, State, and private agencies and
nonprofit organizations that serve beneficiaries with disabilities
CWIC
Customer Base:
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SSI
and/or SSDI beneficiaries
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Aged 14
to 64
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For more
intensive services, willing to talk about work as an option.
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Reside
within particular WIPA project’s geographic catchment area
Get in touch with your local
Benefits Specialist/CWIC listed below:
Greater
Fredericksburg Area
- Kim Baker –540-373-2559 e-mail:
kbaker@cildrc.org
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Independent cities
- Fredericksburg, Manassas, Manassas Park
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Counties
– Culpeper, Green, Fauquier, Madison, Orange, Prince William (Southern part),
Rappahannock, Spotsylvania, Stafford
Shenandoah Valley
–Steve Waldron - 804-370-7037 email:skwjcw@hotmail.com
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Independent cities
– Buena Vista, Harrisonburg, Lexington, Staunton, Waynesboro, Winchester
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Counties
–Augusta, Bath, Clarke, Frederick, Highland, Page, Rockbridge, Rockingham,
Shenandoah, Warren
Roanoke/Southwest
Virginia
- Terri Preston –540-815-6722 e-mail:
tpreston@careersupport.net
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Independent cities
– Bedford City, Clifton Forge, Covington, Lynchburg, Martinsville, Radford,
Roanoke City, Salem
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Counties
– Alleghany, Bedford County, Botetourt, Carroll, Craig, Floyd, Giles,
Franklin, Henry, Montgomery, Patrick, Pulaski
Richmond & Central
Virginia
– Monroe Spencer –mobile: 804-731-0130 e-mail:
monroe@careersupport.net
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Independent Cities
– Charlottesville, Colonial Heights, Hopewell, Richmond City, Petersburg
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Counties
- Albemarle, Amherst, Buckingham, Chesterfield, Goochland, Hanover, Henrico,
Fluvanna, Louisa, Nelson, Powhatan
Far Southwest
Virginia
– Sandra Spivey - 276-431-1195
or
276-679-5988 -
sandra@junctioncenter.org
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Independent cities
– Bristol, Galax, Norton
· Counties
– Bland, Buchanan, Dickenson, Grayson, Lee, Russell, Scott, Smyth, Tazewell,
Washington, Wise, Wythe
Northern Virginia
– Steve Waldron –804-328-0833 – mobile 804-370-7037
skwjcw@hotmail.com or Marilyn Morrison -
(571) 339-1305 or mmorrison@vaaccses.org
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Independent cities
– Alexandria, Fairfax City, Falls Church
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Counties
– Arlington, Fairfax, Prince William (Northern Part), Loudoun
OR CALL ANY OF
THE NUMBERS LISTED BELOW FOR WORK INCENTIVE PLANNING AND ASSISTANCE PROJECTS IN
VIRGINIA
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Virginia
Association of Community Rehabilitation Programs/vaACCSES
Information
Central: 703-461-8747
Toll
Free outside of Northern Virginia Area: 1-877-822-2777
Toll
Free outside of Richmond Metro Area: 1-866-200-5970
By
E-Mail:
Mmorrison@ourpeoplework.org skwjcw@hotmail.com
Monroe@careersupport.net ktefelski@ourpeoplework.org
By
Webpage:
www.vaACCSES.org
Serving the counties of—Albemarle, Allegheny,
Amherst, Arlington, Augusta, Bath, Bedford, Bland, Botetourt, Buchanan,
Buckingham, Carroll, Chesterfield, Clarke, Craig, Culpepper, Dickinson,
Fairfax, Falls Church, Fauquier, Floyd, Fluvanna, Franklin, Frederick,
Galax, Giles, Goochland, Grayson, Greene, Hanover, Henrico, Henry,
Highland, Lee, Loudon, Louisa, Madison, Montgomery, Nelson, Orange,
Page, Patrick, Powhatan, Prince George, Prince William, Pulaski,
Rappahannock, Roanoke, Rockbridge, Rockingham, Russell, Scott,
Shenandoah, Smyth, Spotsylvania, Stafford, Tazewell, Warren, Washington,
Wise, and Wythe.
Serving the cities of—Alexandria, Bedford,
Bristol, Buena Vista, Charlottesville, Clifton Forge, Colonial Heights,
Covington, Fairfax, Falls Church, Fredericksburg, Galax, Harrisonburg,
Hopewell, Lexington, Lynchburg, Manassas, Manassas Park, Martinsville,
Norton, Petersburg, Radford, Richmond, Roanoke, Salem, Staunton,
Waynesboro, and Winchester.
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Endependence
Center, Inc.
WISE-East Project Coordinator, Frances Durham
6300
E. Virginia Beach Boulevard, Norfolk, Virginia 23502
Local:
757-461-8007
Toll
Free: 1-866-323-1088
Serving
the counties of—Accomack, Amelia, Appomattox, Brunswick, Campbell,
Caroline, Charles City County, Charlotte, Cumberland, Dinwiddie, Essex,
Gloucester, Greensville, Halifax, Isle of Wight, James City, King and
Queen, King George, King William, Lancaster, Lunenburg, Matthews,
Mecklenburg, Middlesex, New Kent, Northampton, Northumberland, Nottoway,
Pittsylvania, Prince Edward, Richmond, Southampton, Surry, Sussex,
Westmoreland, and York.
Serving
the cities of—Chesapeake, Danville, Emporia, Franklin, Hampton, Newport
News, Norfolk, Poquoson, Portsmouth, South Boston, Suffolk, Virginia
Beach, and Williamsburg. They will also serve the District of Columbia. |
Links:
Social Security
Administration
http://www.socialsecurity.gov/
Ticket to Work
http://www.yourtickettowork.com/
http://www.socialsecurity.gov/work/Ticket/ticket_info.html
Self-Employment and
Disabilities
http://www.griffinhammis.com/
http://www.dol.gov/odep/
Virginia Office of
Protection and Advocacy
http://www.vopa.state.va.us/
Partnership for People
with Disabilities
http://www.vcu.edu/partnership/
Workforce Investment
Boards (One Stop Centers)
http://www.vec.state.va.us/vecportal/wia/index.cfm
http://www.nawb.org/
Virginia
Department of Rehabilitative Services
http://www.vadrs.org/
A Guide
To Medicare Part D Prescription Drug
http://www.theDesk.info/Part D
This website information and publication was
made possible through a grant from the Social Security Administration. The
contents of the this website page and all publications are the sole
responsibility of vaACCSES and do not represent the official view of the
Social Security Administration
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