Ticket to Work and Work Incentives Advisory Panel
Public Meeting

Renaissance Hotel
Washington, DC
July 22-23, 2004

Thursday, July 22, 2004 – Day One

Carol Brenner, Designated Federal Officer, called the meeting to order at approximately 2:10 p.m. and turned the meeting over to Chair, Sarah Wiggins Mitchell.

Presiding: Sarah Wiggins Mitchell
Welcome, Introductions and Review of Agenda

Attendees
Advisory Panel Members
Sarah Wiggins Mitchell, Chair, Mary Katie Beckett, Libby Child, Berthy De La Rosa-Aponte, Thomas Golden, Andy Imparato, Jerome Kleckley, Bryon MacDonald, David Miller, Stephen Start, and Torrey Westrom.

Advisory Panel Staff
Marie Strahan, Executive Director, Kristen Breland, Lisa Ekman, Monique Fisher, Bernard Wixon, and Jim Wiegel.

Designated Federal Officer
Carol Brenner

Presenters
Paul O'Leary, Craig Thornton, JoAnne Barnhart, Martin Gerry, Sue Suter, Linda McMahon, and Doreen Haug, Social Security Administration.

Members of the Public
Richard A.T. Alton, Randall Bosin, Judi Drew, Tom Foran, Kara Freeburg, Susan Goodman, Andrea Harles, Joe Hickman, Joseph Hobson, Bennie Howard, Allen Jensen, Carmen Jones, Lisa King, Lisa Lowe, Rita Martin, Susie McFadden-Resper, Marilyn McPherson, Jonathan Miller, Susan O'Mara, Justin Price, Annette Reichman, Sallie Rhodes, Martha Roherty, Mary Satterfield, Thomas Scheurich, Nancy Sciabarrasi, Sharon Shreet, Carol Simms, Jane Stallings-Delaney, and Melissa Weiss.

Social Security Administration Updates
Presenter: Paul O'Leary, SSA Economist
Topic: Initial Ticket Program Evaluation Report

Presenter: Craig Thornton, Mathematica Policy Research
Topic: Initial Ticket Program Evaluation Report

Committee Meetings
Program and Legal Policy Committee, David Miller, Chair
Program Design, Implementation and Evaluation Committee, Bryon MacDonald, Chair

Top of Page

Friday, July 23, 2004 – Day Two
The meeting reconvened at approximately 10: 00 a.m. with Sarah Wiggins Mitchell, Chair, presiding.

Social Security Administration
Presenter: Sue Suter, Associate Commissioner, Office of Employment Support Programs Social Security Administration
Topics: Social Security Agency Update and Follow up

Action: Sue Suter reported that the Commissioner has designated Erin Salmon as a liaison to the Panel to facilitate access and continued commitment to provide the Panel with open communication and a working relationship.

Action: Sue Suter reported that the Commissioner plans to have the draft regulations to OMB by the end of the fiscal year. Following this release, SSA would like to meet with the Panel to conduct regional town meetings about the regulations in the 10 regions.

Action: To streamline communication between SSA and the Panel, Marie Strahan and Sue Suter will have bi-weekly meetings to discuss matters on a regular schedule. Sue Suter indicated that she will follow-up on this task to initiate the meeting schedule.

Action: Sue Suter would like to set up a phone meeting with the Panel to review the OCOM and Fleischman Hillard Marketing and Outreach Plan. This involves steps to become partners in this marketing plan.

Action: The Panel expressed that they were still concerned with training issues. Thomas Golden was identified as the lead for addressing these issues. Sue asked that the issues be added to the bi-weekly meeting agenda as an item to discuss.

Action: Sue Suter expressed that SSA will start to look at the big picture in terms of a “Vision” among all federal disability partners and in doing so would like to solicit the help of the Panel to reach out to the beneficiary audiences.

Action: The SSA Commissioner will be in North Dakota to meet with Congressman Pomeroy, who has been supportive of SSA in the House and of SSA programs. In addition, SSA will also be participating in a job fair and would like the Panel to be involved possibly by making material available since the job fair is scheduled at the same time as the next Panel meeting.

Action: The Panel inquired about the report on the Adequacy of Incentives Study and asked Sue Suter if she had a status on that study. She did not have a status, but said that she would look into the matter and report back to the Panel.

Action: Sue Suter will follow up on the Panel's letter to the Commissioner. She will check on the reply status and forward a copy of the reply to the Panel.

Action: The Panel recommended a half-day or a full day to brief Sue Suter on Panel recommendations and to provide input pertaining to the legislation. Sue asked Marie to include this item for discussion during their bi-weekly meetings.

Social Security Administration
Presenters: Linda McMahon, Deputy Commissioner for Operations, Social Security Administration and Doreen Haug, Field Representative, Social Security Administration
Topics: E'Work

Lunch

Business Meeting
Panel Administration/Operations Update

Presenter: Marie Strahan
Topics: A review of fund allocation to support key areas of contract support

Meeting Minutes: May

Motion: The Panel passed a motion to accept the minutes as prepared for the May Quarterly Public Meeting held May 18-20, 2004.

Meeting location/dates for February 2005

Motion: The Panel passed a motion to explore the dates of February 1-3 and 21-23, 2005 in New Orleans, LA for the February quarterly meeting. The Panel also passed a motion to move forward with the proposed dates of May 24-26, 2005 for the May quarterly meeting.

Motion: The Panel passed a motion to vote on the proposed State of South Dakota for the August 2005 meeting. The vote did not support the meeting location.

Motion: The Panel passed a motion to hold the August 2005 quarterly meeting in the State of Minnesota.

Committee Reports
Presenter: David Miller
Committee: Program and Legal Policy Committee
Copy of recommendations provided to committee members.

Motion: The Panel passed a motion to support and adopt the Program and Legal Policy Committee's report and recommendations on identified priorities.

Presenter: Bryon MacDonald
Committee: Program Design, Implementation and Evaluation Committee, including SSA actions on Panel Recommendations.

• Committee presented their recommendations which consisted of eleven (11) subject areas.
• In addition, consensus was reached to issue one communication (letter) to SSA Commissioner with stated areas of concern and to consider regular ongoing communications to be crafted and issued as post meeting briefing letters to the Commissioner

Motion: The Panel passed a motion to support the Program Design, Implementation and Evaluation Committee's priorities. The Committee will follow up with the Panel and address how the priorities will be presented.

New issues: ICDR letter for public testimony
Action: The Staff will review and pull out research recommendations made from past Panel recommendations to provide written comments to include in this public testimony.

Motion: The Panel passed a motion to assign staff to assist Thomas Golden with moving forward the recommended research areas to the ICDR.

Panel Discussion/Deliberations
Findings:

• Linda McMahon presentation on e-works and follow up on benefits savings be included in letter
• Follow up on evaluation report findings
• Comments to the Commissioner regarding the liaison position the SSA Commissioner created
• Take advantage of opportunity and respond to invitation to the North Dakota job fair
• Follow up with Sue Suter regarding ongoing meetings-need to be on August agenda.
• Seek possible involvement and have Marie follow up on the task force Linda McMahon spoke about regarding simplifying work incentives.
• Staff to follow up on Sue Suter discussion pertaining to several areas for possible collaboration.
• Acknowledge HUD's continued involvement and staff to draft letter to thank him.
• Establish protocol for communication channels to SSA Commissioner. This will be discussed on the administrative call.

Special recognition was given to Marie Strahan, her staff and Robin Toliver of CESSI for the coordination of the Panel meeting.

The meeting adjourned at approximately 4:15 p.m.