Medicaid Infrastructure Grant (MIG)

When Congress created SSDI in 1956, disability and employability were viewed as mutually exclusive states. As a result, the 1956 law defines disability as the “inability to engage in a substantial gainful activity in the U.S. economy”—in other words, the inability to work. This proposal would assist workers with work-limiting disabilities to remain in their current jobs or to transition to more suitable jobs and would assist employers to accommodate workers to perform their jobs.

How is California educating relevant parties on this important new health care reform law? Please see two examples of state-wide outreach, a presentation on the changes that the Act will result in as well as a six month summary on the changes that have occurred thus far.

How is California helping youths with disabilities to connect with needed supports and services as they transition to work or postsecondary education? Explore several presentations and toolkits put out by the California Health Incentives Improvement Project (CHIIP) that aim to facilitate the transition process for these youth. May be replicable by other states seeking to assist similar populations.

How does the state of California help their youth with disabilities to reach their future education and career goals? The Youth Leadership Forum is a five day program that provides information on everything from technology to resource agencies, and helps participants to create a "Personal Leadership Plan" and interact with leaders in the State and Nation. To learn more, explore their website and workbooks for facilitators and students.

Youth with disabilities experience an extreme sense of social isolation, which comes out of not sharing a collective disability identity, and disability pride. YO! will assist youth with disabilities to learn about the disability rights movement, disability history, disability pride, disability organizing and advocacy. To learn more, explore the attached website and outreach material.

Are MIGs assisting individuals with disabilities to become employed? This report shows the continued impact of MIG funding in 2009. One of the most visible activities has been the development of state Medicaid Buy-In programs, under which workers with significant disabilities can “buy in” to Medicaid coverage when their earnings would otherwise make them ineligible. This report updates trends in the enrollment, employment, and earnings of participants.

How is the state of Arkansas educating its consumers with disabilities and employers on important issues such as how to maintain your health benefits and work and why employing individuals with disabilities is a smart business choice? Attached are two examples of articles in the state that provide information. This entry serves as a good example for other states wanting to enhance their MIG outreach materials.

The state of Arizona hosted online discussion groups in order to get feedback from community rehabilitation and employment services providers on their Employment Development Project. The overriding purpose of the online discussions was to garner insights into how service providers view the EN program, the perceived organizational value of adopting or integrating the EN business model into existing business practices, and barriers to EN program implementation. For the results explore this report.

The Project SEARCH High School Transition Program is a unique, business led, one year school-to-work program that takes place entirely at the workplace. Total workplace immersion facilitates a seamless combination of classroom instruction, career exploration, and on-the-job training and support through internships or worksite rotations. The goal for each student participant is competitive employment. The state of Alaska has adopted this model for student interns with developmental disabilities.

The use of PAS as a workplace support is a relatively new innovation. Because of its newness, many persons with disabilities and employers tend to get confused about how workplace PAS is different from more standard personal assistance services or personal attendant care. The most important distinctions between PAS and Workplace PAS are related to where the services are provided and for what purpose. To learn more, explore the attached project report, brochure, and websites.