Programs that Support Work
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The Basics
For people with disabilities, work is more of a possibility than ever before. A job can let you earn your own money and help you meet more people and live more independently. Many people with disabilities are successful at meaningful jobs that they enjoy.
With the right kind of training, preparation, and reasonable accommodations, you can have a successful career. There are several programs that help people with disabilities prepare for and find jobs.
Ticket to Work
For adults (age 18-64) with disabilities who get Supplemental Security Income (SSI) or Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI), the federal Ticket to Work program provides help preparing for, finding, and keeping a job. Sometimes just called the "Ticket program," it connects people to agencies offering vocational rehabilitation, training, referrals, job coaching, job counseling, and placement services.
Learn more about Ticket to Work.
Michigan Works!
With more than 90 locations statewide, a Michigan Works! One-Stop Service Center can help you with your job search or career planning. Their free services include help finding a job, tests to see what skills you have, job training, career counseling, help creating or updating a resume, mock interviews, and workshops.
Learn more about Michigan Works!
Michigan Rehabilitation Services and the Michigan Bureau of Services for Blind Persons
Michigan Rehabilitation Services (MRS) and the Michigan Bureau of Services for Blind Persons (BSBP) can help you prepare for and find work. Whether you're looking to enter the workforce for the first time, return to work, or enter a new line of work, an MRS or BSBP counselor can work with you to figure out which services you need and develop a plan to help you reach your work goals.
Learn more about Michigan Rehabilitation Services or the Michigan Bureau of Blind Services.
People with disabilities are almost always better off when working. The Social Security Administration (SSA) and the state of Michigan have work incentives that let you start working without losing your benefits. And, if your income drops or you have to stop working, your benefits will go up or start up again.
For more details, read these DB101 articles:
Learn more
How Health Benefits Work
Find the right health coverage for you.
Supplemental Security Income (SSI)
SSI helps people with disabilities and seniors who have low income and resources.
Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI)
SSDI helps people with disabilities who worked and paid Social Security taxes.
Programs that Support Work
Try It
Ticket to Work Program
Ticket to Work is a federal program that helps adults with disabilities prepare for, find, and keep a job.
To qualify, you must:
- Be 18 to 64 years old
- Currently be getting Supplemental Security Income (SSI) or Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) benefits
Note: If you have a disability and don’t qualify for Ticket to Work because you don’t get SSI or SSDI, you may still qualify to get vocational rehabilitation services through Michigan Rehabilitation Services (MRS) or the Michigan Bureau of Services for Blind Persons (BSBP).
Ticket to Work, sometimes called the “Ticket program” for short, connects people to services like:
- Vocational rehabilitation
- Training
- Referrals
- Job coaching
- Job counseling
- Placement services
While you are in the Ticket program, Social Security will not do medical Continuing Disability Reviews (CDRs), as long as you make timely progress in meeting your employment goals. That means you won’t lose eligibility for SSI or SSDI for medical reasons.
Signing Up
If you get SSI or SSDI and are 18-64 years old, you automatically qualify for the Ticket program. When you are ready to think about work and want to figure out how to get started, you can start the Ticket program by contacting a Ticket to Work Employment Network (EN) or by contacting Michigan Rehabilitation Services (MRS) or the Michigan Bureau of Services for Blind Persons (BSBP).
Employment Networks are organizations that can give you the various employment services that Ticket provides. They can be public or private agencies, and may offer slightly different services depending on their specialty or focus. Here are some examples of types of ENs:
- Community rehabilitation programs
- Developmental disability agencies
- Mental health agencies
Michigan Rehabilitation Services (MRS) and the Michigan Bureau of Services for Blind Persons (BSBP) also offer Ticket to Work services that can help you figure out what work to do and how to get a job. But with MRS or BSBP, after you've found a job and worked successfully for 90 days, your file will be closed. Tip: If you do the Ticket program with MRS or BSBP, after you get a job, you can switch to getting Ticket services with an Employment Network. By switching to an EN, you can keep getting help with things like adapting to work life, or dealing with Social Security and other agencies.
You can only get Ticket to Work services from one agency at a time. That means you have to decide on getting your services from one EN (or from MRS or BSBP) – that’s called “assigning your ticket.”
Choosing an EN
You can use the Employment Network Directory to find Employment Networks in your area.
For more help choosing an EN:
- Call the Ticket to Work Help Line at 1-866-968-7842 or 1-866-833-2967 (TTY)
- Email the Ticket to Work customer service office at support@choosework.ssa.gov
- Learn more about the different types of Ticket to Work service providers.
Once you’ve found an EN that interests you, contact it to see if the services and supports it offers are right for you. ENs offer different services based on their specialties. Talk to a few, so that you find one that's be a good match for you.
If you think you might want to assign your ticket to MRS or BSBP, learn more about the services offered by Michigan Rehabilitation Services or the Michigan Bureau of Services to Blind Persons.
Changing Employment Networks
You can change your Employment Network at any time. To change ENs, ask your Employment Network to have your ticket “unassigned.” For more detailed information:
- Call the Ticket to Work Help Line at 1-866-968-7842 or 1-866-833-2967 (TTY)
- Email the Ticket to Work customer service office at support@choosework.ssa.gov
Individual Work Plans
When you and an Employment Network (or MRS or BSBP) have agreed to work together, you create an Individual Work Plan (IWP) that clearly shows the responsibilities you and your EN have in order to help you achieve your work goals.
Your plan should contain at least the following:
- Your employment goals (the type of work you want to do)
- All services your EN agrees to give you and how they will be delivered to you
- Your responsibilities to meet your work goals and continue to receive services
- What you can do if you are not satisfied with your EN or your plan
- How you can change your plan if you need to
Timely Progress
After you and your EN sign the plan, you want to make “timely progress” towards reaching your employment goals, because as long as you do so, you will not be subject to a medical Continuing Disability Review (CDR) by the Social Security Administration (SSA). That means you won’t lose your eligibility for SSI or SSDI for medical reasons.
To see if you are making timely progress, the Ticket to Work program will review your progress at the end of each 12-month period. If you have met specific requirements related to working a certain amount and making a certain amount of money or achieving educational goals, you don’t have to do a medical CDR.
Get more information from Social Security about timely progress.
Learn more
How Health Benefits Work
Find the right health coverage for you.
Supplemental Security Income (SSI)
SSI helps people with disabilities and seniors who have low income and resources.
Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI)
SSDI helps people with disabilities who worked and paid Social Security taxes.
Programs that Support Work
Try It
Michigan Works!
A Michigan Works! One-Stop Service Center can help you with your job search or career planning. There are more than 90 local Michigan Works! centers statewide.
Services
Michigan Works! One-Stop Service Centers offer free services, including:
- Help finding a job
- Tests to see what skills you have
- Job training
- Career counseling
- Help creating or updating a resume
- Mock interviews
- Workshops
Your local center can tell you about all the services they offer. They can also tell you about local employers who are hiring and teach you the basics of how to do a job search. Plus, each center has equipment that can help you with your job search, including telephones, copy machines, computers with Internet access, computers specialized for those with hearing or visual impairments, and printers.
Locations
To find a Michigan Works! Service Center near you, call 1-800-285-9675 (1-800-285-WORKS) or visit michiganworks.org.
Pure Michigan Talent Connect offers:
- Statewide job listings
- Online guides and tutorials that teach you how to best use the job listings
- Online presentations about the 14 "soft skills" that employers look for, like communication, collaboration, and critical thinking
- Details about apprenticeships for on-the-job training
- A statewide calendar of career and job fairs (a great way to meet and talk with potential employers)
Pathfinder has details about possible careers, schools, apprenticeships, and other programs in Michigan.
Going-Pro.com offers information on careers in the professional trades, including manufacturing, automotive, information technology, healthcare, and construction.
Learn more
How Health Benefits Work
Find the right health coverage for you.
Supplemental Security Income (SSI)
SSI helps people with disabilities and seniors who have low income and resources.
Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI)
SSDI helps people with disabilities who worked and paid Social Security taxes.
Programs that Support Work
- The Basics
- Ticket to Work Program
- Michigan Works!
- Michigan Rehabilitation Services
- Michigan Bureau of Services for Blind Persons (BSBP)
- Next Steps
Try It
Michigan Rehabilitation Services (MRS)
Michigan Rehabilitation Services (MRS) can help you prepare for and find work. They can help you get the training or other services that you need to return to work, enter a new line of work, stay in the workforce, or enter the workforce for the first time. The vocational rehabilitation services MRS offers depend on your strengths, resources, priorities, concerns, abilities, capabilities, and interests. An MRS counselor works with you to figure these out and make a plan for reaching your work goals.
To become eligible for services from MRS, you must have a physical or mental disability that makes it difficult for you to find and keep a job. If you qualify for Supplemental Security Income (SSI) or Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) based on your disability, you probably qualify for MRS.
MRS can be your service provider for the Ticket to Work program, or you may be eligible for MRS services without being in the Ticket program.
To learn more about MRS or to apply, contact your local MRS office or call 1-800-605-6722.
Note: If you get Ticket to Work services through MRS, after you are successfully employed for 90 days, your MRS case will usually be closed. When this happens, to keep getting ongoing support services, you must reassign your Ticket to an Employment Network.
If you're blind or visually impaired, you can get the same types of services from the Michigan Bureau of Services for Blind Persons.
MRS Transition Services for Students
Students with disabilities who are 14-26 years old and in high school, college, or vocational or technical training may qualify for Pre-Employment Transition Services. There are five types of services:
- Job exploration
- Work-based-learning experience
- Counseling on college or vocational training programs
- Workplace readiness training
- Self-advocacy training, including peer mentoring
You can get these transition services before or after applying for MRS services, but you must show both interest and need. To learn more, talk to your teacher, school counselor, school social worker, transition coordinator, or MRS counselor.
Other resources
Michigan Career & Technical Institute (MCTI)
MCTI is a residential educational center offering 13 different vocational and technical training programs with supportive services for Michigan residents with disabilities. It also offers
- Medical and counseling services
- Occupational therapy
- Interpreters for deaf students
- Classroom and job accommodations
- Job placement services
The goal is to prepare for successful employment. Tuition and room and board in the dormitory may be free for eligible adults who have a physical or mental disability. The MCTI catalog provides more information.
Talent Acquisition Portal (TAP)
TAP is a national website that helps connect people with disabilities looking for work with businesses looking to hire. It offers an online job application, online job fairs, and preliminary online interviews. It also offers tools to help you build a resume. If you are getting MRS services and want to post your resume in TAP, talk to your MRS counselor about how to get started.
Learn more
How Health Benefits Work
Find the right health coverage for you.
Supplemental Security Income (SSI)
SSI helps people with disabilities and seniors who have low income and resources.
Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI)
SSDI helps people with disabilities who worked and paid Social Security taxes.
Programs that Support Work
- The Basics
- Ticket to Work Program
- Michigan Works!
- Michigan Rehabilitation Services
- Michigan Bureau of Services for Blind Persons (BSBP)
- Next Steps
Try It
Michigan Bureau of Services for Blind Persons (BSBP)
If you are blind or visually impaired, the Michigan Bureau of Services for Blind Persons (BSBP) can help you find work, with free services that include:
- Helping you to define your employment goals
- Finding training and other services to meet your goals
- Counseling and training in skills for daily living without vision
Depending on your needs and eligibility, other services can include low-vision equipment, vocational training, technical school training, a college education, job development and placement, and follow-up.
To learn more the about the services Michigan Bureau of Services for Blind Persons (BSBP) offers, or to apply for them, contact a Bureau of Services for Blind Persons office near you, or call 1-800-292-4200 or 1-888-864-1212 (TTY).
More BSBP Programs and Services
These are some of the other programs and services offered by the Michigan Bureau of Services for Blind Persons (BSBP):
- Five-day Mini Adjustment Programs at locations statewide give an introduction to the skills of blindness and explain the services that BSBP and other organizations offer.
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The BSBP Training Center in Kalamazoo offers training and services to people who are blind and visually impaired. Students live on campus, and the focus is on skills of blindness training and vocational exploration and planning, so students can become independent at home and in the community. Learn more about the training center; you can also download a training center brochure.
- BSBP DeafBlind Services support adults and high school students who are legally blind and have moderate to profound hearing loss. Services can include training, job placement, and transition to college services and accommodations.
The Youth Low Vision Program offers low-vision exams, eyeglasses, and other low-vision devices worn on the head for eligible youth up to 26 years old. For details, contact your intermediate school district (ISD) Teacher Consultant for the Visually Impaired. For help locating your ISD Teacher Consultant, contact a Bureau of Services for Blind Persons office near you, or call the BSBP toll-free at 1-800-292-4200 or 1-888-864-1212 (TTY).
Pre-Employment Transition Service (Pre-ETS or Transition) helps students go from high school to college, or to vocational or technical training. It offers:
- Summer work experience
-
College or vocational training readiness
- Scholarships and grants
Learn more
How Health Benefits Work
Find the right health coverage for you.
Supplemental Security Income (SSI)
SSI helps people with disabilities and seniors who have low income and resources.
Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI)
SSDI helps people with disabilities who worked and paid Social Security taxes.
Programs that Support Work
Try It
Next Steps
Find a Job
Michigan Rehabilitation Services (MRS) can help you prepare for and find work.
If you are blind or visually impaired, contact your local Michigan Bureau of Services for Blind Persons (BSBP) office for services that help prepare for and find work. You can also call BSBP at 1-800-292-4200 or 1-888-864-1212 (TTY).
If you get Supplemental Security Income (SSI) or Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI), Social Security’s Ticket to Work Program can help connect you with employment-related services, such as training, transportation, and vocational rehabilitation.
A Michigan Works! One Stop Service Center can help you find a job and plan for your career. Find a Michigan Works! One-Stop Service Center near you, or call 1-651-259-7501.
Look for job openings and post your resume at Pure Michigan Talent Connect, and check its statewide calendar of career and job fairs.
Learn about possible careers, schools, apprenticeships, and other programs in Michigan online at Pathfinder.
Going-Pro.com offers information on careers in the professional trades, including manufacturing, automotive, information technology, healthcare, and construction.
Post your resume on the Talent Acquisition Portal (TAP), a national talent pool of resumes by people with disabilities looking for work, plus job listings by businesses looking to hire.
The U.S. Department of Labor's My Skills, My Future website helps job seekers match their skills with new careers and find out what training is needed to move from one job to another.
Resources for Finding and Keeping Work
The Job Accommodation Network (JAN) offers free, expert, and confidential one-on-one advice about workplace accommodations, the American with Disabilities Act (ADA) and related laws, and self-employment and entrepreneurship for people with disabilities.
The Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP) is a federal agency that works to make it easier for people with disabilities to succeed at work by promoting policies that improve job access and conditions, and working with employers and goverment agencies.
The VCU Rehabilitation Research and Training Center (VCU RRTC), part of the Virginia Commonwealth University, offers programs and does research to improve job opportunties and quality of life for people with disabilities. A few of its programs include the Autism Center for Excellence, School 2 Work internships, and the Center on Traisition Innovations.
A Guide about the Americans with Disabilities Act for People with Disabilities Seeking Employment explains your rights and what is reasonable accommodation under the American with Disabilities Act.
Benefits Planning Services
If you're currently on SSI, SSDI, or DAC benefits, and you're looking for a job, a trained Benefits Planner can help you avoid complications when you are working on a job plan for your future. For questions or guidance specific to your situation, you can speak to someone at the Ticket to Work Help Line at 1-866-968-7842 or 1-866-833-2967 (TTY) Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. – 8:00 p.m. EST.
View DB101's full list of experts who can help you understand different benefits.
Ticket to Work
Social Security’s Ticket to Work Program helps people with disabilities who get Social Security benefits re-enter the workforce and become more independent. The Ticket to Work Program offers free access to employment-related services, such as training, transportation, and vocational rehabilitation.
Learn more
How Health Benefits Work
Find the right health coverage for you.
Supplemental Security Income (SSI)
SSI helps people with disabilities and seniors who have low income and resources.
Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI)
SSDI helps people with disabilities who worked and paid Social Security taxes.