WIPA Services
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:
- Plan to start or return to work or plan to start your own business,
- Plan to accept or seek a higher paying job,
- Are concerned about stopping work,
- Have questions about the Ticket to Work or need a referral to an Employment Network, or
- Have other questions about how work will impact your disability benefits.
Cost of Benefit Specialist Services:
FREE - there is no charge for Benefit Specialist services to SSDI/SSI beneficiaries.
Specific Services Offered to SSDI/SSI Beneficiaries:
- Information and referral
- Problem solving and advocacy
- Benefits planning
- Analysis
- Advisement
- Benefits assistance
- Support planning
- Management
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. Community Work Incentive Specialists (CWIC) provide these community-based services. 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:
- Deliver benefits and work incentives planning and assistance
- Conduct outreach to disabled beneficiaries regarding available programs and incentives
- Prepare and disseminate information explaining such programs
- Work collaboratively with other federal, State, and private agencies and nonprofit organizations that serve beneficiaries with disabilities
CWIC Customer Base:
- SSI and/or SSDI beneficiaries
- Aged 14 to 64
- For more intensive services, willing to talk about work as an option.
- 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
Independent cities - Fredericksburg, Manassas, Manassas Park
Counties – Fauquier, Orange, Prince George, Prince William (Southern part), Rappahannock, Spotsylvania, Stafford
Shenandoah Valley
Steve Waldron- (804) 370-7037
E-mail: skwjcw@hotmail.com
Independent cities – Buena Vista, Harrisonburg, Lexington, Staunton, Waynesboro, Winchester
Counties –Augusta, Bath, Clarke, Frederick, Highland, Page, Rockbridge, Rockingham, Shenandoah, Warren
Roanoke/Southwest Virginia
Terri Preston – 540-204-5966
E-mail: terri-preston@hotmail.com
Independent cities – Bedford City, Clifton Forge, Covington, Lynchburg, Martinsville, Radford, Roanoke City, Salem
Counties – Alleghany, Bedford County, Botetourt, Carroll, Craig, Floyd, Giles, Franklin, Henry, Montgomery, Patrick, Pulaski, Roanoke
Richmond, Petersburg & Central Virginia
Monroe Spencer - mobile: 804-731-0130
E-mail: monroe@careersupport.net
Independent cities – Charlottesville, Colonial Heights, Hopewell, Richmond City, Petersburg
Counties - Albemarle, Amherst, Buckingham, Chesterfield, Goochland, Hanover, Henrico, Fluvanna, Louisa, Nelson, Powhatan
Central Virginia
Karen Hall - (434) 989-0123 or (434) 989-0790
Email: khall@regionten.org or khall62335@yahoo.com
Independent cities - Charlottesville,
Counties - Albemarle, Culpepper, Fluvanna, Green, Louisa, Madison, Nelson
Far Southwest Virginia
Teresa Mullins - (276) 275-3710
E-mail: Teresa-Mullins@comcast.net
Independent cities – Bristol, Galax, Norton
Counties – Bland, Buchanan, Dickenson, Grayson, Lee, Russell, Scott, Smyth, Tazewell, Washington, Wise, Wythe
Northern Virginia
Marilyn Morrison - (571) 339-1305
E-mail: mmorrison@vaaccses.org
Independent cities – Alexandria, Fairfax City, Falls Church
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
Virginia Association of Community Rehabilitation Programs/vaACCSES
Information Central: 571-339-1305
Toll Free outside of Northern Virginia Area: 1-877-822-2777
By E-Mail:
Mmorrison@vaaccses.org
Monroe@careersupport.net
ktefelski@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 City, Roanoke City, Salem, Staunton, Waynesboro, and Winchester.
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.
Resources and Links - WIPA
This website page 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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