The Idaho Governor's Conference on the Employment of People with Disabilities

Discovering Community Resources Track

Workshop:  Using PASS Plans to Fund Employment
Presenter:  Marsha Katz

Participants in this session will leave knowing what a PASS is, how it can assist students and adults with disabilities to achieve a work goal by creating an extra pot of money, the elements of a PASS, and PASS writing strategies to increase chances of approval.  Participants will receive a variety of handouts and other resources to assist them in writing their own PASS plan.

Workshop:  Ticket to Work
Presenters: Barbara Wong, Marcia Brixey, and Michael Zambonato

The Ticket to Work and Work Incentives Improvement Act of 1999 (Public Law 106-170) was enacted on December 17, 1999. The purpose of the new law is to:

Provide health care, employment preparation and placement services to individuals with disabilities that will enable those individuals to reduce their dependence on cash benefits programs.
Encourage states to adopt the option of allowing individuals with disabilities to purchase Medicaid coverage that is necessary to enable such individuals to maintain employment.
Provide individuals with disabilities the option of maintaining Medicare coverage while working.
Establish a "Ticket to Work and Self-Sufficiency" program that allows Social Security disability beneficiaries and disabled or blind Supplemental Security Income (SSI) recipients choices when seeking employment services, vocational rehabilitation (VR) services or other support services needed to obtain, regain, or maintain employment.

Come learn about this exciting legislation and how you can become a partner with the Social Security Administration to assist people with disabilities to become self-sufficient through employment.

Workshop:  Workforce Development Approaches
Presenters: Tom Hayes, Lisa Newman, Jody Katz, Karen Mc Gee

Tom Hayes will provide an overview of Workforce Investment Act programs in Montana, including how services are delivered and the status of the One-Stop system. While WIA has presented many challenges, but many opportunities are on the horizon. Tom will discuss how the Workforce Investment Boards and service providers are working through those issues.

Lisa Newman will give a presentation on a US disability demonstration program, Montana/Wyoming Careers through Partnerships. This rural project served over 200 individuals with disabilities between the ages of 18 and 68. It is a unique project in that over 50 percent of participants chose self-employment. Lessons learned and success stories from the project will be presented, along with how the project facilitated customer choice and self-determination. Case studies will demonstrate how a variety of funds can be leveraged to provide both formal and informal supports for job seekers and entrepreneurs. 

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