Beginning Success With ERS

By Tripp, Senior Ticket Counselor 


At ERS our goal is to assist Supplemental Security Income (SSI) and Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) recipients in understanding the Ticket to Work program and their options, should they choose to go back into the workforce.

In addition to answering questions about the Ticket to Work Program, the counselors at ERS have been busy assisting ticket holders with a variety of issues and situations including:

• Mr. Cobb in Texas was recently seeking sufficient public/private transportation in order to assist his nephew, a ticket holder, to get to and from work.  An ERS counselor was able to research transportation options in Mr. Cobb’s area, and provided him with a follow-up of available resources he could utilize for his nephew. 
• Ms. Horne in California was recently interested in finding courses in her area on how to become an illustrator.  She also wanted advice on how to properly approach her employer about receiving a special accommodation for her disability.  An ERS counselor investigated educational opportunities in Ms. Horne’s area that would allow her to take the courses she is interested in, and discussed methods for how she could appropriately request a special accommodation under the American’s with Disabilities Act (ADA).  Based on the advice given to Ms. Horne, she was able to discuss with and receive approval from her employer to obtain a special accommodation for work.  She was also able to select 3 of 6 schools that ERS was able to locate in her immediate area offering the program she was interested in. 
• Mr. Wyman in California recently contacted ERS because he was discharged from his employment assignment and felt that it was a result of his disability.  An ERS counselor worked with Mr. Wyman to locate the local Protection and Advocacy agency in his state so that he could discuss his legal rights with an employment counselor. 
• Mr. Dunn in North Carolina initially withdrew from the Ticket to Work program because he was under the impression that his benefits were in jeopardy as a result of his employment.  An ERS counselor worked with Mr. Dunn to explain the program to him and how the program would protect his benefits and allow him access to an employment network that can provide him with additional services and supports.  As a result, Mr. Dunn reenrolled in the Ticket to Work program, and is now a member of our employment network.

ERS has also been working diligently with many of our ticket holders in an effort to obtain quality employment positions within our network of employers.  Many of these ticket holders are just returning to the workforce for the first time in a while, or simply looking for their first employment opportunity all together.  We have been working very hard to provide a network of dependable employers who seek to hire and retain individuals with disabilities, while providing our ticket holders with an opportunity to achieve their personal career and financial goals.