Helping SSI/SSDI Beneficiaries Get to Work: What Do Successful Employment Networks Look Like?

Abstract

In this session, we presented findings of a study of the Ticket to Work (TTW) program designed to help Supplemental Security Income/Social Security Disability Insurance (SSI/SSDI) beneficiaries obtain employment. The study examined the TTW program through several different lenses, including: 1) the SSA perspective, though analysis of Social Security Administration (SSA) data; 2) a workforce development perspective, through assessing the public workforce system’s accessibility and service practices; 3) a practitioner’s perspective, through site visit interviews and observations; and 4) the participants’ perspective, through focus group discussions. We shared findings about the characteristics of successful TTW programs and invited session participants to share insights from their own TTW experiences.