|
|
Jason
is offered a job. Get past the misinformation! |
|
AUDIO
|
|
Area Work Incentives Coordinator (AWIC)
A great source of FREE assistance is to utilize Social
Security's AWICs. These offices have a number of functions:
*
Coordinate and/or conduct public outreach on work incentives
in their local areas;
* Provide and/or coordinate
and oversee training on SSA’s employment support programs
for all personnel at local Social Security offices;
* Handle sensitive or high profile disability work-issue
cases, if necessary; and
* Monitor the disability work-issue
workloads in their respective areas.
The AWICs coordinate with the Work Incentives Liaisons
in local offices, Public Affairs Specialists, the Plan
to Achieve Self-Support (PASS) Cadre members, Work
Incentives Planning and Assistance (WIPA) Community
Work Incentives Coordinators and other personnel to
provide improved services and information on SSA’s
employment support programs to beneficiaries with disabilities
who want to start or keep working.
Social
Security's Regional AWIC in Atlanta
Work Incentives
Planning and Assistance (WIPA)
Another free
source of information is known as a Work
Incentive Planning and Assistance (WIPA) project. A
WIPA is a local organizations that has arranged
with Social Security to provide information and planning
services about work and work incentives to Social Security
and SSI disability beneficiaries.
A WIPA can:
* Answer your questions about how part-time,
full-time, or seasonal work would affect your individual
disability benefits and other benefits you may receive
from Federal, State, and local programs.
* Answer your questions about how work would affect
your health care.
* Answer your questions about SSA work incentives and
work incentives of other programs.
* Discuss your individual employment goals, including
possible barriers and the resources or services you
would need to overcome any barriers. A WIPA can also
help you find those resources and services.
* Help you plan how to use work incentives or other
benefits for a successful return to work.
* Help you work with your local Social Security office
to put in place the work incentives that you need.
* Help you use your Ticket to Work and find and Employment
Network that is right for you.
To find the WIPA project nearest to you, check out
the list at right.
|
Florida's
WIPAs Abilities, Inc. of Florida
2735 Whitney Road, Clearwater, FL 33758
727-538-7370 ext. 365
Serving the counties of—Citrus, De Soto,
Hardee, Hernando, Highlands, Hillsborough, Levy,
Manatee, Pasco, Pinellas, Polk, Sarasota, and
Sumter.
Brevard Achievement Center, Inc.
1845 Cogswell Street, Rockledge, FL 32955
321-632-8610; 800-467-4486 (Flagler & Volusia Co.)
888-310-6525 (Brevard & Indian Co)
321-632-8610 TTY
Serving the counties of—Brevard, Flagler, Indian
River, Lake, Martin, Okeechobee, Orange, Osceola, Palm
Beach, Putnam, Seminole, St. Lucie, and Volusia.
Center for Independent Living in Central Florida
720 N. Denning Drive, Winter Park, FL 32789
407-623-1070; 877-891-6448 (Toll Free)
407-623-1185 TTY; 407-623-1390 FAX
Serving the counties of—Broward, Charlotte, Collier,
Glades, Hendry, Lee, Miami-Dade, and Monroe.
Goodwill Industries of North Florida, Inc.
4527 Lenox Avenue, Jacksonville, FL 32205
352-335-1311; 877-346-3349 (Toll Free)
Serving the counties of—Alachua, Bay, Bradford,
Calhoun, Columbia, Dixie, Escambia, Franklin, Gilchrist,
Gulf, Holmes, Lafayette, Liberty, Marion, Okaloosa,
Santa Rosa, Suwannee, Taylor, Union, Walton, and Washington.
Independent Living Resource Center of
NE Florida, Opportunity Development Inc.
2709 Art Museum Drive, Jacksonville, FL 32207
904-399-8484
Serving the counties of—Baker, Clay, Duval, Gadsden,
Hamilton, Jackson, Jefferson, Leon, Madison, Nassau,
Wakulla, and St. John's.
Going to Work: A Guide to Social Security Benefits and
Employment for Young People with Disabilities
Work Incentives
by Susan O'Mara.
The seminar was produced by Virginia Commonwealth
University's T-TAP project funded by the Office of
Disability Employment Policy, U.S. Department of
Labor (Number E9-4-2-01217). The opinions expressed
herein do not necessarily reflect the position or
policy of the U.S. Department of Labor. Nor does
mention of trade names, commercial products, or organizations
imply the endorsement by the
U.S. Department of Labor.
|
