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Wisconsin Disability Benefits Network Newsletter For Your Benefits

Vol. 7, Issue 35, December, 2009

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For Your Benefit – Introduction

The Wisconsin Disability Benefits Network (WDBN) is a statewide system that provides direct assistance to benefits counseling practitioners and seeks ways to reach out to and better serve people with disabilities, their supporters, and professional service providers in Wisconsin. This newsletter provides current program news, important notices and updates, and upcoming training and educational opportunities. Check out past editions of this newsletter!

2010 WDBN Calendar

elearning symbolMake sure to mark your calendars!! 2010 will be all about getting Back to the Basics! Look for the elearning symbol for events that will be offered online.

March 3, 2010 – Back to Basics in 2010: Budgeting and Finances 101

Location: Glacier Canyon Convention Center, WI Dells | Time: 8:45 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

We are excited to have Ammar Askari, M&I Community Education and Joe Entwisle, National Consortium for Health Systems Development, who will be sharing all you want to know about Budgeting and Finances 101 but were afraid to ask! What is FICA anyway? Is there really a difference between gross and net income? How can I open an Individual Development Account (IDA)? Learn more about VITA and EITC.  This is a “cannot miss” training with valuable take away resources you can use immediately!

March 2010 – Back to Basics in 2010: Health Insurance Tutorial Track

Various Health Insurance related topics will be offered in asynchronous, on-demand training tutorials. This means there is no specific time to login or download the module. You will be able to enjoy the flexibility of working on short, easy to navigate, tutorials when it is convenient for you!

Topics will include MAPP, Long-Term Care, Cat and Med Needy, COBRA, HIPAA and others. Activities will be included specifically designed for WIBS role and development of skills.

July 2010 – Back to Basics in 2010: Social Security Tutorial Track tentative rollout

Various Social Security related topics will be offered in asynchronous training tutorials. Topics will include Trial Work Period, SGA, SSI 1619(a&b), Termination vs. Cessation and others.

July through December – Back to Basics in 2010 Webcasts

Topics and dates, and times to be announced.
Stay tuned for more information!!

June, November and December 2010 - Regional Workgroups (WIBS only)

In Madison, Milwaukee, Fox Valley and Eau Claire for WIBS. These meetings will be held in 4 different locations two times in 2010. This will be an opportunity to review real life scenarios/cases and Q&A time.

Also make sure to watch for the Newsletters throughout the year which will include important updates and informative articles.

***All topics and time/dates are subject to change. Please make sure to check back for updates and additional information.***

Download a printable PDF copy of the 2010 calendar.

What's New


Outlook for 2010

The WDBN goes high-techOn-line training... We are listening!  We understand it is getting harder and harder to travel, so the WDBN will be concentrating more and more on the use of technology to connect with benefits specialists.  One change coming in 2010 is that we are planning for just one statewide face-to-face WDBN meeting.  Instead, we are working hard to bring you on-line, self-paced training topics that will be offered throughout the year.  In follow up to the on-line topics, regional training and networking events will be offered in an area near you! 

Credentialing Update

It was over a year ago that a group of over 125 benefits specialists gathered in Appleton to talk about credentialing and launch a project to build a unified credential for Wisconsin practitioners. Elderly Benefit Specialists, Work Incentives Benefits Specialists and Disability Benefit Specialists spoke passionately about the importance of consumer protection, professional recognition and quality assurance for the field of benefits counseling.

Since the effort started, there is much that has been done. The Professional Code of Conduct, Role and Function Study for EBS DBS and WIBS, comparisons of EBS, DBS and WIBS Training Programs and the determining of Subject Matter Experts for test development are all important steps that have been completed.  The Benefits Specialist Quality Assurance Task Force is at a challenging place where decisions must be made regarding the next steps – what is logical, affordable and sustainable.  What to do next and making sure momentum continues will depend on a high level of collaboration and common vision between all of the stakeholders.

If we build it will they come?  This question continues to come to the forefront around the need for the state agencies that employ or fund benefits specialists to require a professional credential.  The one state agency requesting a certification or quality assurance standards right now is DHS  -- with respect to the purchase of WIBS services. 

So, Where Does This Leave WIBS?

An organized “registry” system with quality standards and checks in place (that everyone can agree on!) may be enough to “certify” that a practitioner is a qualified WIBS in Wisconsin. It will take commitment and buy-in from WIBS (and their employers) to create a system that works while ensuring a high quality of service.  The hope is that it will be recognized by DVR, DHS, Managed Care Organizations and other potential funders as a “Seal of Approval” that they will adopt.

WIBS Registry turns into WIBSA

After a year of discussions, planning and debate over the creation of a “Registry” WDBN staff took a step back, realizing it is critical for the members to lead its development.  After a meeting held in November, four benefits specialists stepped up and will begin to plan for a separate entity that will provide a forum and quality assurance structure for Wisconsin Work Incentives Benefits Specialists.  The Work Incentive Benefits Specialist Association (WIBSA) is set to launch in early summer, providing a structure to address membership eligibility, training requirements and quality review processes.  In the meantime, the WDBN will continue to measure contact hours for everyone attending WDBN trainings and we encourage WIBS to keep track of other trainings they are attending. 

Testing

Right now, John Benbow and Mary Ridgely are participating as subject matter experts in the development of a test that will certify newly trained benefits specialists in New York.  Test questions are being created based on the WIBS portion of Dr. John Lui’s Role and Function Study and the New York WIBS Training Manual.  We are closely following and participating in these activities which may lead to collaboration and similar test development for Wisconsin.

Whether a Wisconsin test is created for a unified credential or specifically for WIBS, the QA Task Force must proceed very carefully with sustainability in mind.  Creating and maintaining a test, developing policies everyone can agree on, and sustaining a monitoring board will take many hours of time, effort and a reliable source of funding.

The work continues so look forward to more information as we move into 2010.

Work Incentives Benefits Specialist Association

In November, a sub-group of WIBS Registry met and a number of activities were outlined:


2010 Social Security Changes

Here’s a summary of the 2010 Social Security changes reflecting the $0 COLA increase. A summary chart is available: 2010 Social Security Changes.

Eligibility Checklist

Need a way to remember all of your updates and numbers? Here is the most recent Eligibility Checklist from Disability Rights Wisconsin. This Checklist will show you the eligibility levels for benefit programs. You can keep a copy of this at your desk. Remember to look for the most current updates as figures change throughout the year. Check future newsletters and email alerts for updated versions.

Wisconsin SSA Offices – Work Incentives Liaisons

Contributed by: Bob Monahan, Area Work Incentives Coordinator (AWIC)
Email: Bob.Monahan@ssa.gov | Phone: 608-270-1417 Extension 3051

For your reference, download the latest list of SSA Work Incentives Liaisons (WILs) WORD | PDF

The AWIC coordinates with the Work Incentives Liaisons in Wisconsin local SSA offices in order to provide improved services and information on SSA's employment support programs which are structured to assist beneficiaries with disabilities who want to start or continue working. The local office WIL is the "point of contact" on return to work issues.

Mental Health America Fights Stigma

Mental Health America has launched a new campaign: Bring Change to Mind. The tag line is “change a mind, change a life.” Here is some information from their web site: “1 in 6 adults and almost 1 in 10 children suffer from a diagnosable mental illness. Yet, for many, the stigma associated with the illness, can be as great a challenge as the disease itself. This is where the misconceptions stop. This is where bias comes to an end. This is where we change lives. Because this is where we Bring Change 2 Mind.” When you visit the site (www.bringchangetomind.org, you’ll find taped vignettes by people living with mental illnesses along with the people who live with them and love them.

DHS Begins Waiting List for Childless Adult Coverage

Source: Health Care Coverage eNewsletter – Oct. 22 (2009 Issue # 9), Wisconsin Budget Project – WCCF

As previously mentioned, Governor Doyle announced on Oct. 5 that the state would have to begin a waiting list for the BadgerCare Plus Core Plan, which serves low-income childless adults.

Here are a few statistics about the Core Plan:

Thanks in part to a $10 million per year federal grant that the state was recently awarded, DHS has enough funding to enroll about 54,000 childless adults. It's hard to estimate how many of the 76,000 applications will be approved, because some people have filed multiple applications and some have yet to pay their application fee. However, it's likely that enrollment will go well over the 54,000 level. If so, DHS is going to have to find cost savings in its budget, and it could be a very long time before program attrition lowers Core Plan enrollment enough to allow the department to begin taking people off the recently-initiated waiting list. The Governor has directed DHS by early next year to come up with an unsubsidized alternative for people waiting to get into the Core Plan.

For more information about the waitlist, see the BadgerCare Plus Core Plan Waitlist Fact Sheet or Waitlist Frequently Asked Questions.

Wisconsin Statewide Transition Initiative (WSTI) Fall Newsletter

Check out the latest in transition by reading the Wisconsin Statewide Transition Initiative (WSTI) fall newsletter – Working Together – Getting Results Issue of the Transition e–news. This is the first issue for the ’09 - ’10 school year. Please send your articles, pictures, etc. to Lori Turim at lturim@cesa1.k12.wi.us for future editions.

New Executive Director Announced for Coalition of Wisconsin Aging Groups

Photo of Nino AmatoNino Amato will soon become Executive Director of the Coalition of Wisconsin Aging. Amato will take the reins of the statewide non-partisan advocacy organization for the aging, the Coalition of Wisconsin Aging Groups – CWAG. CWAG includes a staff of 23, including seven lawyers, fighting for things like health care reform, low-cost prescription drugs, consumer protection for the aging, improving the quality and cost-effectiveness of medical outcomes for healthcare providers, safe guarding against elder abuse, affordable utility rates, mental health parity, campaign finance reform, along with a number of other social and political issues that impact our youth, parents and us “baby boomers” (all 76 million).

Amato’s resume includes stints as a health care executive with Meriter Health Services and as a member of the University of Wisconsin Hospital Authority Board. He was President and Executive Director of the Wisconsin Industrial Energy Group, and a Senior VP with Wisconsin Power and Light. Amato also acted as President and CEO of Forward Wisconsin, membership on the UW Board of Regents, and President of the Wisconsin Technical College System Board of Directors.

Cool Resources


Quality Matters – Representing Yourself, Your Organization, Your Profession

Here’s to wrapping up the first year of the WIBS Registry. As a group, we have started the process of taking on the issue of quality in our work. Let’s continue to improve our product as we work toward credentialing. This newsletter highlights some of the issues that were highlighted by the DVR workgroup, funders of benefits counseling, and you – the ben specs. This edition includes information as well as great resources to enable you to put your best represent yourself, your organization, and your profession. Enjoy!

Top 10 things to remember when writing a report:

  1. Stay consistent with your tense. Choose “you”, “the individual” or “him/her” and stay consistent throughout your report. For whom is the report written?
  2. Keep the information simple. Long run-on sentences are difficult to understand and read. Watch out for too much repetitiveness.
  3. Don’t assume the BPQY is accurate! Always review the information and compare it to what you know. Follow-up with Social Security as needed.
  4. Always include the individual’s work goal. Write the report to support the person’s employment path. How will the person use the IRWE? Why does this person need to know about the Trial Work Period?
  5. Avoid using templates as much as possible. Make sure the information in the report is updated. Not just something cut and pasted from an old report! Remember, the report is for an individual who is different from everyone else you have served.
  6. Verify all benefits. People don’t always know what benefits they have. Also, sometimes people are receiving benefits for which they are not eligible.
  7. Include information in the report about benefits the person is eligible for but not receiving.
  8. Include contact information for other agencies and resources.
  9. Review your report! Read the sections out loud. What parts are difficult to read? Does it make sense?
  10. Accuracy! The person you write the report for is not likely to know what information is accurate and what information is inaccurate. Benefits specialists wouldn’t exist if the information were easy to understand. Verify what you know! Have someone else review it!

The following sections further outline these ten tips and provide even more information to creating quality content.

Readability Tips

The National Institute for Literacy estimates that 20% to 30% of adults in the U.S. lack the basic literacy skills necessary to carry out basic daily tasks, such as reading an electric bill or understanding a prescription’s side effects. Therefore, it is critical that important benefit information be written in a manner that addresses the needs and increases the accessibility of information for low literacy audiences.

The following information provides tips on how to improve information readability and comprehension for low literacy audiences:

Use active voice:

The subject of your sentence should act, instead of being acted upon. “We will ask you about your benefits” is active, while “You will be asked questions about your benefits” is passive.

Write in the first-person

Use pronouns, such as “I”, “we” and “you.” This promotes the use of active voice and will likely be clearer and more attractive to the reader.

Keep sentences short and to the point:

  1. Break up sentences whenever possible.
  2. Try to vary sentence length.

Limit paragraphs to one main idea:
Make sure that the topic sentence is clear and states the focus of the paragraph.

Use clear headings:

  1. Ensure that the headings are meaningful and illustrate the content of different sections.
  2. Keep headings close to the text they introduce.

Consider the needs of your audience:

  1. Section off critical information.
  2. Use concrete examples to illustrate key points.
  3. Repeat information.
  4. If you use new or unfamiliar words, explain the word in a lay terms whenever possible.
  5. Use positive statements.

Organize the document so that key information is clear and easy to locate:

  1. Lead in with the most important and essential information, and sequence the information in a logical and easy-to-follow order.
  2. Underline or bold headings.
  3. Avoid justified margins, multiple fonts, and entire sentences in all caps, italics or bold.
  4. Avoid over-using bold, italics or underline in multiple blocks of text.
  5. Use bulleted lists whenever possible or numerical lists if the beneficiary is required to understand the information in a sequence.

Utilize white space:

  1. Break up text by using liberal white space between paragraphs and headings.
  2. Avoid manipulating margins to force text onto one page.

Proofreading your document:

  1. Reading your document out loud is the best way to locate errors and assess the overall flow and clarity of your document.
  2. Whenever feasible, try setting aside your document for a day or two before before proofreading again. This is an excellent way to locate errors that you may have overlooked the day before.

Ask others to read or edit your document:

  1. Ask someone who is unfamiliar with the subject matter, as such a person is more likely to discover unclear text.
  2. Look over other documents and assess how similar documents are constructed and written.

Activate readability statistics in Microsoft Office WORD:

WORD 2003

To activate readability statistics in Microsoft Office WORD 2003 perform the following steps:

  1. Click on Tools.
  2. Under Tools click on Options.
  3. Under Options click on the Spelling and Grammar tab.
  4. Under the Spelling and Grammar tab clink on Show Readability Statistics.
  5. Run Spell Check.

WORD 2007

  1. Click the Microsoft Office Button, and then click Word Options.
  2. Click Proofing.
  3. Make sure Check grammar with spelling is selected.
  4. Under When correcting grammar in Word, select the Show readability statistics check box.

Note:

  1. Once you have you have activated the readability statistics you can also assess particular sections of text by highlighting part of document and running spell check.
  2. The easiest way to lower the reading level of your document is to remove or reduce the number of multisyllabic words and break up sentences into small, more manageable parts.

Spelling, Grammar, and Punctuation

Back to the basics: spelling, grammar and punctuation. We learn about each of these things in the very beginning of our school careers, but sometimes we overlook the importance of these basic building blocks of language.

Having incorrect spelling, grammar or punctuation adds to the difficulty of the already complex material we have to share. Having these errors in a document can also give the impression that the work was done without care or in a hurry. Let’s take a minute to revisit each of these areas…

Spelling
A word can be misspelled in one of two ways:

  1. It can be misspelled so that it does not represent any words in the English language. (For example: “people” could be misspelled as “poeple”), or
  2. It can be the correct spelling of the wrong word. (For example: “write” when you really mean “right”).

Misspelling a word so it does not correctly spell any English word can be easily corrected. Spell check functions on word processors and dictionaries are great resources for correcting those words that you mistype or you just aren’t sure how to spell.
http://www.merriam-webster.com/
http://dictionary.reference.com/

Using a wrong word (that is spelled correctly) is a different issue.

Often times, problems can occur with homophones. A homophone is a word that is pronounced the same as another word, but has a different meaning. Homophones may or may not be spelled the same. Some examples include:

  1. to, too, and two.
  2. there, their, and they’re.
  3. left (opposite of right) or left (past tense of leave).

Be sure that you are using the correct spelling (and meaning) of the word when you are using it. This is another good time to pull out that dictionary!

Another common error is mistyping a word and ending up with a correctly spelled wrong word.
For example:

  1. Food panties – instead of pantries.
  2. sues – instead of uses.
  3. open to the pubic – instead of public.

Spell check isn’t going to catch those words that are “wrong” but spelled right. It is always important to take the time to edit your work. This is also an example of why it is helpful and important to have someone else check your work.

Grammar
According to Dictionary.com, grammar is defined as: “the study of the way the sentences of a language are constructed.” It is important to follow the rules of grammar so that what you are writing is easy to read and understand. Again, the information that we are presenting to people is very difficult to begin with. You don’t want to make that even more difficult to understand with poorly constructed sentences.

Some great online resources for grammar rules and information are:

  1. Grammar Girl - http://grammar.quickanddirtytips.com/
  2. GrammarBook - http://www.grammarbook.com/
  3. Daily Grammar - http://www.dailygrammar.com/
  4. Grammar Slammer - http://www.englishplus.com/grammar/

Passive Voice

Writing a sentence in the active voice is usually preferable to using the passive voice. In a sentence with the active voice, the subject performs the action; in the passive voice, the subject is not the actor but is instead acted upon.

The passive voice form is wordy taking eight words and sounds awkward and complicated; the active voice version with five words is simpler and sounds more natural. In a short example such as this one, use of the active voice improves the sentence. In longer sentences the difference is normally even more evident.

Another example of the passive voice is introductory phrases such as “The issue was raised as to...” or “The question was asked as to...” These phrases make sentences not only wordy but also unclear; they do not tell who raised the issue or who asked the question.

Dangling Modifiers

Dangling and misplaced modifiers can cause confusion or even change the meaning of a sentence. Consider the following:

Example: After completing an application and submitting your birth certificate, a Claims Representative will process your claim.

The sentence is stating that a Claims Representative will complete an application and submit your birth certificate because the phrase beginning "After completing..." modifies "a Claims Representative." The sentence should be:

Example: After you file an application and submit your birth certificate, a Claims Representative will process your claim.

A writer needs to make clear to whom or what a modifying word refers.

Conditional Sentences

In benefits analysis reports we often use conditional sentences that begin with “if” to explain what will happen depending on a person’s situation. For example:

Example: If you earn more than $700 in a month, that month will count as one of your nine Trial Work Period months.

We have to be careful in using conditional sentences. For example, a sentence that has more than one conditional or “if’ statement can be confusing:

Example: If your earned income goes over the SGA level, your benefits will stop if you have completed your Extended Period of Eligibility and if you have used your grace period already.

Similarly, presenting a list of possibilities after an “if” statement can be hard for a reader to keep straight and understand.

Example: If you earn more than SGA, your benefits will stop, then you can request EXR and get provisional payments, or you can reapply for benefits

Short, simple, and direct sentences make a report easier to read and understand.

Punctuation
Having inaccurate punctuation can make reading a document more difficult. It can even change the meaning of a sentence.

Some useful resources for information about punctuation are:

  1. GrammarBook - http://www.grammarbook.com/english_rules.asp
  2. Grammar Slammer - http://www.englishplus.com/grammar/punccont.htm
  3. The Writing Center - http://www.unc.edu/depts/wcweb/handouts/commas.html

Remember: It is always important to edit your work! The best way to catch errors in spelling, grammar or punctuation is to carefully review what you have written and have someone else look over your work. Don’t be afraid to use your resources to answer questions about each of these areas, and write on!

Formatting and Style

Reports come in many different shapes and sizes. Each one is different, but there are some overlapping things all reports should have. Good formatting and style are essential elements in reports. To make your reports easier to read, check out the following tips:

Include White Space on the Page

Highlighting Important Information

Fonts, Size, and Style

Calculations in Reports

When you are working with someone who has a visual impairment or a diagnosis of blindness, don’t forget to ask them what method they use to read the information. Be careful using color and include as much contrast as possible. When in doubt, always ask. Find free brail services in your community or provide the report on a disc or in an email so the person can use a screen reader.

Additional Tips

Consumer Meeting Tips 101

The report is not the only part of the service we offer. How we present our reports and share the information is also a crucial part of the process.

When it comes to meeting your consumer for the first time, you want to put your “best self” forward and begin to develop a good relationship. Here are some tips you may want to consider:

Resources

Grammar
Grammar Girl - http://grammar.quickanddirtytips.com/
GrammarBook - http://www.grammarbook.com/
Daily Grammar - http://www.dailygrammar.com/
Grammar Slammer - http://www.englishplus.com/grammar/

Spelling
Dictionary.com - www.dictionary.com
Merriam Webster Dictionary - http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary

Track Changes
Track Changes and Comments in Microsoft Word - http://www.unc.edu/depts/wcweb/handouts/comments.html

Clear, Concise and Direct Sentences (from UW-Madison Writing Center)
http://writing.wisc.edu/Handbook/ClearConciseSentences.html

Benefits News Roundup

Benefits News Roundup

Health Insurance Coverage of Adult Dependents to the Age of 27

Contributed by Disability Rights Wisconsin

Wisconsin recently passed a law requiring health insurance coverage for adult dependents to the age of 27.

Under Wisconsin Statute § 632.885 and Wisconsin Administrative Code § Ins. 3.34, a health insurer must offer to cover an adult child of an insured if:

  1. The child is unmarried;
  2. The child is between 17 and 27 years old; and
  3. The child is not eligible for coverage under a group health insurance that is provided by the child’s employer or if the child’s employer does not offer group health coverage.

The statute and regulation also appear to require an insurer to offer group health coverage to the child if the child’s employer group health coverage premium is more than the amount the parent’s group health coverage premium would increase if the child is added to the parent’s group health policy. However, the regulation is not completely clear in that area.

A health insurer must also offer to cover an adult child of any age of an insured if:

  1. The child was a full-time student at an institute of higher education before the age of 27 but had his or her education interrupted by service in the national guard or reserves; and
  2. The child applies for full-time student status at an institution of higher education within 12 months after completing active duty.

The coverage requirement applies to individual and group health insurance policies and plans, including those offered by the state, and to self-insured health plans of counties, cities, villages, towns, school districts, and the state. However, it does not apply to private employer self-insured health plans.

The adult child need not have been previously covered as a dependent nor had creditable coverage. For group health insurance, the insurer must offer at least a 30-day enrollment period each year for the adult child to enroll. An insurer must determine the premium for coverage of a dependent who is over 18 years of age on the same basis as the premium is determined for a younger dependent.

The law takes effect on January 1, 2010.

COBRA Coverage When Employers Discontinue Group Health Coverage

Contributed by Disability Rights Wisconsin

Under COBRA and Wisconsin’s mini-COBRA law (employers with less than 20 employees), an individual’s right to health insurance continuation ends if the employer goes out of business or discontinues offering group health coverage to all of its employees. However, Wisconsin Administrative Code § Ins 3.75 now requires insurers to continue offering group health insurance for involuntarily terminated employees, and their families, even when their former employer goes out of business or otherwise discontinues group health coverage.

In order to be eligible for this continued coverage the following must apply:

  1. The employer group health policy has to be terminated on or after June 30, 2009.
  2. The individual must be eligible for the 65% COBRA subsidy under American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (federal stimulus package).

The insurer may terminate the continuation coverage when:

  1. The individual becomes eligible for Medicare or other group heath employer coverage; or
  2. The 65% COBRA subsidy ends.

This regulation does not apply to employers who offered self-insured health plans.

End of COBRA Subsidy Eligibility on December 31, 2009

Contributed by Disability Rights Wisconsin

Under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, individuals are eligible for a 65% subsidy towards their COBRA premium if they were involuntarily terminated between September 1, 2008 and December 31, 2009. Those individuals are eligible for the subsidy only if they were entitled to elect COBRA before December 31, 2009. Therefore, a person may be terminated before December 31, 2009, but if his or her regular employer group health insurance coverage continues until December 31, 2009, the individual will not be eligible for the COBRA subsidy. An example of this would be a person who is laid off on December 15, 2009 but whose employer paid his or her group health insurance premium through the end of December. Such a person would not be eligible to elect COBRA coverage until January 1, 2010. Thus, such a person would not be eligible for the COBRA subsidy even though the person was involuntarily terminated prior to December 31, 2009.

There are at least two bills pending in Congress to extend the COBRA subsidy into 2010. We will inform you if any of those bills become law.

Medicare Part D Webcast

Access Archived Training for Professionals who work with Medicare Part D Beneficiaries on the Medicare Part D Drug Benefit

This training was designed so that each section is more complex than the previous section. The training was offered in multiple locations statewide and is now available for archived view: Medicare Part D Webcast, presented by Eva Shiffrin, Disability Rights Wisconsin.

Ben Spec

Aloha, from Kauai, Hawaii

It's destination blue Hawaii for Ben - call us green with envy or as we watch the snow falling, white! Here's a recent question he received.

Dear Ben,

I receive both regular social security disability (SSDI) benefits and SSI disability payments. Earlier this year I was overpaid the regular social security benefits, and I just agreed to have $50 a month taken out of my SSDI benefit to repay the money I owe.

I know that SSA counts the gross amount of my SSDI benefit against my SSI payment, so I was wondering how much will SSA use in figuring my SSI payment now: the amount I actually get after the $50 repayment is taken out, or the full benefit amount I normally received before I started repaying the overpayment?

Jesse
Seneca WI

Check out Ben's response in his blog! (Ask Ben a question: askben@eri-wi.org | Visit Ben's Blog )

Training and Educational Opportunities:


Stout Vocational Rehabilitation Institute (SVRI) Trainings

The Stout Vocational Rehabilitation Institute (SVRI) offers online training opportunities with preapproved CRC credits. Courses currently offered 2–3 times per year include the following:

Additional courses including vocational evaluation, cognitive disabilities, and job placement are in development. Please see the website at http://www.uwstout.edu/svri or contact April Pierson at piersona@uwstout.edu for dates, costs, and course descriptions.

DBTAC: National Network of ADA Centers Webinar

Date: December 10, 2009 from 12:30 p.m. – 2:00 p.m. CT.
Register Now because the Registration Deadline is December 9, 2009.

This webinar is the first of a five part employer webinar series that is being developed by The Council of State Administrators of Vocational Rehabilitation, National Employment Team (CSAVR-NET), The DBTAC: National Network of ADA Centers and the U.S. Business Leadership Network (USBLN®)and supported by the Southeast ADA Center and the Southeast TACE. You are encouraged to submit questions in advance of the webinar by sending an email along with your question to sedbtacproject@law.syr.edu or by faxing your question to 404-541-9002.

7th Annual WI Transition Conference

Date: February 17–19, 2010. Pre-conference is being held on the 17th.
Location: Kalahari Resort and Convention Center in Wisconsin Dells.
Target Audience: For all people working with and supporting youth with disabilities as they transition from high school to adult life.
Register to attend, and learn more about the conference at the Wisconsin Statewide Transition Initiative Website.
If you have any other questions, please contact Linda Maitrejean at lindam@cesa11.k12.wi.us.

Rehabilitation & Transition Conference

Date: March 24–26, 2010.
Location: The American Club, Kohler, WI.
Registration begins December, 2009. Learn more about the conference at rfw.org.

APSE 21st Annual National Conference

Date: Tuesday, Jun 8 – Thursday, Jun 10, 2010.
Location: Loews Atlanta Hotel, Atlanta, GA.
The sponsors for this conference.
Register Now because the Discounted Early Bird Rate ends January 3, 2010.
Please contact Jenny at National APSE if you have any questions at jenny@apse.org or 804–278–9187.

National Summit on Disability Policy 2010 Website

National Council on Disability
Date: July 25–27, 2010
Location: Renaissance Hotel, Washington, DC

This event is hosted by the National Council on Disability. The theme, ADA 1990–2010 Retrospective and Future Policy Directions, will include a comprehensive dialogue to shape the national disability agenda.

Anyone hoping to become a delegate to the summit in July of 2010 should review the Website and complete the application as quickly as possible. A delegate selection will be done later this fall, but people should assure that they do not miss any deadlines.

ADA Audio Conference Series

The National Network of DBTAC-Regional ADA Centers is pleased to announce that registration is open for the 2009–2010 ADA Audio Conference Series.

Visit the website at www.ada-audio.org and click on the ADA Audio Conference Series, to view the complete schedule for 2009–2010 and register for sessions.

The 2009–2010 series will begin with a session on October 20th 2009 on the ADA Amendments Act Proposed Rules – Q&A with EEOC.

If you have questions regarding the series, please contact us at gldbtac@uic.edu or call our toll free number at 877–ADA–1990 (V/TTY) or 877–232–1990 (V/TTY).

Ongoing Training:

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