Wages and Benefits

How can states create employment choices for individuals with disabilities? Arkansas Career Training Institute is a Vocational Rehabilitation Center whose mission is to provide vocational training and employment opportunities to adult clients with disabilities. This presentation on work incentives was given to staff at the ACTI. It gives an overview of the state programs available and explains how they work. This could be a useful resource to other states with MIG programs.

When people with low income accumulate assets rather than simply increasing their income, they are more likely to escape the cycle of poverty permanently. Explore Alaska's Asset Building website. It is funded by a MIG grant, and provides links to information and resources devoted to activities related to the nature and amount of assets an individual with a disability can accumulate in their quest for financial independence and stability.

How is Alaska getting its’ younger population informed about the work incentives available to them? This brochure is directed at those 22 years of age and under who are working and going to school. These incentives were developed to help Social Security Administration Benefits enrollees manage their benefits while at the same time promoting employment and earned income opportunities. The approach this brochure takes could be useful to other states seeking to address this demographic.

What is the Alaska IDA Program? It’s a statewide program, funded by the MIG grant that enables low-income Alaskans to accumulate assets and escape the cycle of poverty permanently. It targets people who have the most barriers to savings, through a matched savings account program and a pooled account program which matches up to $1 million. The details of this program are available for download and could be a useful resource for other states looking to develop similar MIG programs.

People with disabilities having to choose between meaningful work and income, and access to health insurance and needed services, is a problem being addressed by an increasing number of states through the Medicaid Buy-In program. The state of Alabama created the policy paper attached below, outlining the policy objectives and proposed design of their program. It could be a useful resource for other states proposing a MIG program of their own.

Getting the word out to eligible enrollees as well as service providers is key to any MIG programs’ success. This can be complicated by the fact that there are often many programs working together. One way Alabama is keeping everyone informed is by distributing brochures about their MIG program that specifically highlight the partnerships between programs and address fears about benefits and health care. Attached are two such brochures. These could serve as samples for other states.

Review strategies states can adopt to increase recruitment and retention of direct-care workers and to improve the quality of the care those workers provide. Reported strategies include increasing wages and benefits, introducing peer mentoring programs, and giving workers a greater say in decision-making. The findings also suggest a targeted approach to recruitment, focusing on groups currently underrepresented in the direct-care workforce, such as men, immigrants, and older workers.

How is Hawaii providing its disabled population with benefits information? In the attached slide presentations, Hilo Benefits Information Outreach covers disability programs, work incentives and self employment work incentives for self-employed clients and case managers. These presentations for Hawaii’ s MIG program could be useful to other states implementing similar programs.

Looking for an in-depth sample of MIG grant program implementation? The District of Colombia has provided their final deliverables document here. This document includes a strategic plan for Medicaid Buy-In Program Implementation, along with the subsequent step-by-step tasks, leading ultimately to the final report, and includes such tools as marketing materials, forms and brochures. This document could serve as a helpful resource to other states interested in implementing a MIG program.

How can MIG programs be more successful in helping clients? One approach Oregon has taken is training its employment and residential providers, case managers, brokerages and office of developmental disability service staff. The attached presentation is one of their training tools and explains how their program works, including the benefits to both clients and brokers. The presentation provides examples that could be helpful to other states with MIG programs.