Research on Employment Supports for People with Disabilities: Summary of the Focus Group Findings

APPENDIX B: Locality Profiles

TABLE OF CONTENTS

I. OVERVIEW OF LOCALITIES

A. Locality Characteristics

B. Program Profiles

II. LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA

A. Public Income Support

B. Transitional Income Support Programs

C. Public In-Kind Support

D. Education, Training and Rehabilitation

E. Community-Based Programs and Policies

F. Private and Non-Profit Programs

G. Tax Policies

III. NEWARK, NEW JERSEY

A. Public Income Support

B. Transitional Income Support Programs

C. Public In-Kind Support

D. Education, Training and Rehabilitation

E. Community-Based Programs and Policies

F. Private and Non-Profit Programs

G. Tax Policies

IV. SEATTLE/TACOMA, WASHINGTON

A. Public Income Support

B. Transitional Income Support Programs

C. Public In-Kind Support

D. Education, Training and Rehabilitation

E. Community-Based Programs and Policies

F. Private and Non-Profit Programs

G. Tax Policies

NOTES

EXHIBITS

Exhibit 1. State and Metropolitan Area Characteristics

Exhibit 2. Population Characteristics by Disability Status, 1990

Exhibit 3. Income and Program Participation by State

Exhibit 4. SSI Benefit Levels, King and Pierce Counties

Policies and Programs Available in Los Angeles for People with Disabilities

Policies and Programs Available in Newark for People with Disabilities

Policies and Programs Available in Seattle/Tacoma for People with Disabilities

I. OVERVIEW OF LOCALITIES

The availability of programs that provide income, in-kind, and other support to people with disabilities can play an important role in determining employment outcomes. Because employment outcomes are partly a function of access to various support programs, we collected information on the support programs available to people with disabilities in each of the three focus group localities (Los Angeles, California; Newark, New Jersey; and Seattle/Tacoma, Washington).

In this first section, we provide a brief overview of the characteristics of individuals with disabilities in California, New Jersey and Washington. In the three sections that follow we provide detailed descriptions of the programs in each of the states. The profiles include programs that are available at the federal, state and local levels. There is substantial overlap regarding the provisions of the federal programs that are available, although many federal programs contain state-specific provisions that vary across the states. In describing the federal programs, we describe both the federal and state features. While the federal descriptions are identical across profiles, descriptions of state-specific provisions are unique to each profile. This means that some information is repeated; however, it also means that each state's section can stand alone, as all the programs for each state are described in its section. Footnotes refer the reader to source material, or in some cases, provide additional information.

A. Locality Characteristics

Exhibit 1 provides an overview of key locality characteristics, including the population of each state and locality, and the poverty and unemployment rates of the states. The localities vary substantially in population size, both at the state and metropolitan-area level. Data from 1999 indicate that unemployment rates across the states are roughly comparable (approximately five percent). While poverty rates in New Jersey and Washington are similar (about nine percent), the rate in California is substantially higher (15 percent).

Exhibit 2 summarizes demographic characteristics by disability status for each of the three states in which focus groups were conducted. Disability prevalence across the states is similar, ranging from nine percent (with any disability) in New Jersey to 10 percent in California and Washington. Educational attainment is roughly equal across the states, with about 13 percent of individuals possessing a college degree. The percent with a high school degree in California and New Jersey are roughly equal (65 and 64 percent, respectively), while the figure is somewhat higher (75 percent) in Washington.

Exhibit 3 summarizes income and program participation across states.

B. Program Profiles

In this section, we describe the types of supports that are available within each locality, and we briefly compare programs in each category across localities.

Public Income Support. Public income support programs supplement income through direct cash payments. These are primarily federal (and federal/state) programs, including Social Security Disability Income (DI), Supplemental Security Income (SSI), Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) programs, and Workers' Compensation (WC). DI and SSI are designed specifically for people with disabilities. Other programs, such as VA and WC programs are not designed specifically for people with disabilities; however, a large percentage of individuals who receive program benefits have disabilities or have a child with a disability, so we include them here.

All three states provide public income support programs through DI, SSI and Workers' Compensation, and the participation requirements and features of these programs vary somewhat by state. The rate of SSI participation is about twice as high in California (3.2 percent of the population) as in New Jersey or Washington (1.8 and 1.7 percent, respectively) (Committee on Ways and Means, 2000).

Transitional Income Support. Transitional income assistance programs are designed to provide temporary assistance to unemployed or otherwise disadvantaged individuals and families. Typically, these programs have restrictions on the receipt of such benefits, in terms of eligibility criteria and the amount of time an individual can receive payments. The major programs available under this category are Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), General Assistance (GA) and Unemployment Insurance (UI). The eligibility requirements, benefits and provisions of the programs vary by state.

All states also provide transitional income support services, primarily through the TANF block grant program and through unemployment insurance. The TANF program operated in California is called CalWORKS (California Work Opportunity and Responsibility to Kids). Persons receiving cash aid under the program are also automatically eligible for food stamps, Medi-Cal (the state Medicaid program), child care, and transportation subsidies. In both New Jersey and Washington, the TANF program is referred to as WorkFirst. In New Jersey, individuals eligible to receive cash assistance under WorkFirst are also eligible for child care, transportation services and health care services. Many participants who leave WorkFirst for employment may be eligible to receive extended child care and medical coverage for up to 24 months, as well as other temporary supports, such as transportation, housing assistance and food stamps. In Washington, WorkFirst recipients are eligible for cash assistance, and subsidies for child care and health care. Help with medical costs is available for up to one year after assistance ends due to employment.

Work activity requirements and time limits on benefit receipt vary by state. In California, TANF recipients with disabilities are exempt from work activity requirements. In New Jersey, people with disabilities may be exempt from work activity, depending upon the severity of the disability. In Washington, individuals with disabilities are not exempt from work activities. Case workers assist TANF recipients with disabilities in the development of individualized service plans that emphasize the capacities of the individual, and require participation in work, training or other activities designed to move the individual toward self-sufficiency. In California, TANF recipients with disabilities are exempt from the 60-month limit on lifetime benefits. In New Jersey, people with disabilities are exempt from time limits only if they are exempt from participating. In Washington, TANF recipients with disabilities are subject to time limits. The maximum benefit available to a family of three (with two children) in California is $626 a month. In Washington, the maximum benefit is $546, and it is $424 in New Jersey (Committee on Ways and Means, 2000).

Each state also provides GA, which typically serves as the program of last resort. In California and Washington, the program provides income support to low-income individuals or individuals with disabilities who are not eligible for any other state program. In California, the program is funded and maintained by the counties employing various standards. New Jersey's WorkFirst New Jersey General Assistance (WFNJ/GA) program provides temporary cash assistance and supports to single adults and couples without dependent children under uniform statewide rules similar to WFNJ/TANF. As of March 2001, approximately two-thirds of the 566 municipal welfare departments transferred administrative authority of GA to county welfare agencies. The remaining one-third of the municipal welfare departments continues to administer their GA programs. The Washington GA program employs uniform statewide rules, as well, and, unlike California and New Jersey, has restricted eligibility for people with disabilities (Gallagher, 1999).

Public In-kind Support. In-kind support consists of goods and services that are provided free of charge. The most prominent of these are Medicare, which provides health insurance to people over the age of 65 and people with disabilities who have received DI benefits for at least 24 months, and Medicaid, which provides health insurance for low-income individuals (including most SSI recipients and some others who have disabilities), respectively. Other programs include food stamps, housing and home heating subsidies. There is substantial variation among these programs across states.

The Medicaid program in California is known as Medi-Cal, and the program pays for hospital visits, physician visits and prescription drugs. A number of programs targeted specifically at people with disabilities and funded through Medi-Cal include the Aging with Dignity Initiative, which provides funding to improve the quality of long-term health facilities for elderly people and people with disabilities. The Child Health and Disability Prevention Program provides immunizations, and blood and urine tests to help prevent disabilities.

The New Jersey Care Program for the Aged, Blind and Disabled provides Medicaid coverage to people with disabilities, and includes early and periodic screening services to prevent disabilities. The Medically Needy component allows individuals to "spend down" the program's income limit to help those with high medical costs (and incomes that are too high to be eligible for the regular Medicaid program) to receive assistance. Washington provides a number of programs through Medicaid to assist people with disabilities, including spend down and prevention programs.

Average Medicaid payments for individuals with disabilities vary by state. In 1998, average payments in California were about $7,000 per person, compared with approximately $14,000 per person in New Jersey and $9,000 per person in Washington (Committee on Ways and Means, 2000). In general, California has the highest allowable income for Medicaid eligibility, followed by Washington and New Jersey (National Conference of State Legislatures, 1996).

All states provide food stamps and run a number of supportive housing and independent living programs, as well as a variety of access and assistive technology programs.

Education and Rehabilitation. Education and rehabilitation programs are designed to help individuals invest in developing their abilities and skills, often with the primary goal of helping individuals become employed and self-sufficient. The major programs and policies include the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), which mandates that states provide a free public education, in the least restrictive setting possible, to students with disabilities. The Workforce Investment Act governs federal job training programs, adult education and literacy programs, and VR programs, with the purpose of coordinating service delivery to needy individuals. A variety of state and local programs also provide education and rehabilitation services.

All states provide a variety of education and training programs, including vocational rehabilitation and other training services. In California, individuals can participate in Internet and other job search services, work activity program services (which include supportive habilitation services), and Head Start, which includes Family Resource Centers that link families with disabled children to support networks. In Fiscal Year 1998-1999, approximately 114,000 individuals with disabilities registered with the Department of Rehabilitation, and the state spent $4,019 per case (California Department of Finance, 1999). In addition to the federal/state vocational rehabilitation program, New Jersey residents have access to a technical assistance center funded by NIDDR that provides training, technical assistance and service referrals regarding the ADA to businesses and individuals. In addition to providing services to individuals, Washington emphasizes providing assistance to businesses in training and hiring individuals with disabilities through its Employment Services for Businesses program.

Each state is also developing a One Stop service delivery system, in accordance with the Workforce Investment Act of 1998 (WIA), to deliver integrated employment, rehabilitation, disability benefit and other services. Each state also provides a number of tax incentives to provide income assistance to people with disabilities and to promote the hiring of such individuals. Finally, a variety of non-profit and other private entities offer programs in each state, which we describe in some detail in the appendices.

Community-Based, Private and Non-Profit Programs and Policies. A variety of non-governmental organizations and programs are available to individuals with disabilities within each locality that provide day care services, medical care, housing subsidies, job search services and VR services. A number of national non-profits have a presence in all three localities, such as the ARC, which provides support and services for people with mental retardation and developmental disabilities. The National Federation for the Blind and the Lighthouse for the Blind have a presence in all locations, as well. In the Seattle/Tacoma area, the Tacoma Area Coalition of Individuals with Disabilities is very active, providing a wide array of services, including providing information on housing and employment, job referrals, access to volunteer opportunities, and access to support groups. Within Los Angeles, Tri-City Mental Health Services provides mental health services and independent living training. In Newark, the JESPY house provides independent living skills, vocational training and other services for people with developmental disabilities.

More detailed information regarding local programs in each of the states profiled is available in the sections that follow.

II. LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA

This section contains descriptions of the programs and policies for people with disabilities available in Los Angeles, California. The profile includes programs that are available at the federal, state and local levels. The programs and policies described are divided into the following categories:

• Public Income Support
• Transitional Income Support Programs
• Public In-Kind Support
• Education, Training and Rehabilitation
• Community-Based Programs and Policies
• Private and Non-Profit Programs
• Tax Policies

Federal and state programs are described in narrative form. Local programs are summarized in table form at the end of the section.

A. Public Income Support

Public income support programs supplement income through direct cash payments. Several of the programs described below are designed to insure workers against a loss of income due to a disabling physical or mental health condition. Other programs are not designed specifically for people with disabilities; however, a large percentage of individuals who receive program benefits have disabilities or have a child with a disability so we include them here.

Supplemental Security Income (SSI). Under the Federal Supplemental Security Income (SSI) Program, persons age 65 years and older, or those who are blind or disabled (including children), receive maintenance payments and supportive services, including emergency assistance and payment for burial. The services are administered by county welfare agencies. For eligible individuals, a state supplement is provided, increasing the net countable income up to the state standard for the respective living arrangement. Recipients residing in Title XIX nursing home facilities receive a personal need allowance, as well.

The California Department Social Services administers the SSI program statewide. The Social Security Administration charges each state a fee for processing the state supplement to the SSI payment. The total caseload as of August 1997 was 1,015,751. Maximum SSI payments each month (for the calendar year 1997) were as follows: $640.40 for Disabled/aged living separately, and $695.40 for a blind individual living independently.²

Social Security Disability Insurance (DI). The DI program provides cash payments to individuals with work histories who have a medically determined disability expected to last at least 12 months or result in death, and who are unable to engage in substantial gainful activity (SGA). SGA is currently defined as the equivalent of working with earnings above $740 a month.³ The payment amount for a worker is based on his or her lifetime average earnings covered by Social Security. DI benefits replace a portion of the worker's prior earnings. DI beneficiaries with earnings above the SGA level are subject to a loss of their DI cash benefits, and after an extended period of work activity above the SGA level, a loss of the Medicare eligibility.⁴

California State Disability Insurance (SDI). This program is a partial wage replacement insurance plan for California workers administered by the Employment Development Department of California. SDI is state-mandated and is funded through employee payroll deductions. The program provides short-term benefits to eligible workers who suffer a loss of wages when they are unable to work due to a non work-related illness or injury, or a medically disabling condition from pregnancy or childbirth. Some employees are exempt from SDI: Railroad employees, some employees of non-profit agencies, employees claiming religious exemptions, and most government employees.

Coverage is not dependent on staying with one employer. SDI may pay up to 52 weeks of benefits with a seven-day waiting period. For disabilities beginning December 31, 1999 or before, weekly benefits range from $50 to $336. For disabilities beginning January 1, 2000 or after, weekly benefits range from $50 to $490.⁵

Workers' Compensation. Workers' Compensation is administered by the State of California's Division of Workers' Compensation. This program provides medical benefits, temporary total disability benefits, permanent partial benefits, VR services, and death benefits to workers injured on the job. The focus of this program is statewide, and it is available to employees or their dependents injured in the course of employment.⁶ The program provides the following benefits:

• Medical Care: Injured workers are entitled to all medical care reasonably required to cure or relieve effects of the injury, with no deductible or co-payments by the injured worker.

• Temporary Total Disability Benefits. Workers unable to return to work within three days are entitled to temporary disability benefits. These benefits are intended to partially replace wages lost due to the injury. The benefits are designed to replace two-thirds of lost wages, up to a maximum of $490 per week.

• Permanent Partial Benefits. Permanently disabled workers (workers having a permanent labor market handicap) may receive permanent disability benefits. A permanently disabled worker receives the temporary disabled benefit for life. A worker determined to have a permanent partial disability receives weekly benefits for a period which increases with the percentage of disability (from four weeks for a one percent disability up to 694 weeks for a 100 percent disability).

• Vocational Rehabilitation Services. Injured workers unable to return to their former type of work are entitled to VR services if these services may be expected to return the worker to gainful employment. These services may include the development of a suitable plan, cost of training, and a maintenance allowance while the worker participates in rehabilitation. The maintenance payment for an injured worker in rehabilitation is designed to replace two-thirds of lost earnings, but has a maximum weekly amount of $246 per week. Total costs for rehabilitation are limited to $16,000 for workers injured on or after January 1, 1994.⁷

Department of Veterans Affairs Programs. Disability compensation is available to veterans who are discharged honorably and who have experienced or aggravated a disabling injury or disease during active military service. Veterans who have non-service related disabilities, or who are age 65 or older, are also eligible to receive a veteran's pension. Veteran's disability compensation is paid regardless of work activity.⁸

B. Transitional Income Support Programs

Transitional income assistance programs are designed to provide temporary assistance to unemployed or otherwise disadvantaged individuals and families. Typically, these programs have restrictions on the receipt of such benefits, in terms of eligibility criteria and the amount of time an individual can receive payments.

Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF).⁹ The California Department of Social Services oversees Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program. TANF provides cash assistance and supportive services such as food stamps and child care to working individuals. The program is available statewide to families that qualify as needy. California operates two waiver programs under TANF: The AFDC and Food Stamp Compatibility Demonstration Project and the California Work Pays Demonstration Project:

• AFDC and Food Stamp Compatibility Demonstration Project. The California Department of Social Services runs this program, as well. The program allows AFDC (now TANF) households to be categorically eligible for the Food Stamps program. Recipients are allowed to deduct 40 percent of self-employment income in reporting monthly income. This project also disregards $100 per quarter in non-recurring gifts and infrequent income. If undergraduate student assistance and work study income payments are based on need, then they are disregarded as well. Food Stamps benefits terminated for failure to file a monthly report are reinstated if a good cause is found for the failure to report. It also simplifies the process of vehicle valuation.¹⁰

• California Work Pays Demonstration Project. This project increases the resource limit to $2,000 and increases the automobile exemption to $4,500. It allows savings of up to $5,000 in restricted accounts. The Work Pays project also creates an Alternative Assistance program that allows AFDC applicants and recipients with earned income to choose Medicaid and child care assistance in place of a cash grant. It provides transitional child care and Medicaid to families who become ineligible for AFDC due to increased assets or income resulting from marriage or the reuniting of spouses. No increase in AFDC benefits is granted to families for additional children conceived while receiving AFDC.

General Assistance. The California General Assistance program is the state's program of last resort, serving primarily unemployed single adults without children, as well as individuals who are engaged in the SSI application process (i.e., primarily the elderly and people with disabilities). California state law establishes minimum benefits levels, but actual grant levels and eligibility rules are established by each of California's 58 counties. In 1996, the average GA grant per recipient in California was $225.¹¹

Emergency Food Assistance Program (EFAP). The California Department of Social Services administers this program. It provides emergency food supplies to low-income and no-income households as well as soup kitchens and other congregate feeding sites. EFAP is available to low-income or no-income individuals as well as non-profit organizations whose main purpose is to provide meals to homeless people.¹²

California Work Opportunity and Responsibility to Kids (CalWORKS). California Department of Social Services runs this program. It gives cash aid and services to families with eligible needy children who are deprived due to absence of, death of, or disability of parent or legal guardian in home. Its focus is statewide, and is available to TANF recipients. Needy caretakers of children receiving either Foster Care or SSI/SSP may also be eligible. The maximum aid payment for a family of three is $565 per month in counties with high living costs and $538 per month in lower cost-of-living counties. Persons receiving this cash aid are automatically eligible for food stamps, Medi-Cal, and child care and transportation subsidies as needed. Adult applicants are limited to receiving aid for a cumulative period of no more than 18 months. There are a minimum number of hours that recipients are expected to work. The budget for CalWORKS during Fiscal Year 1997-1998 was $602.4 million.¹³

Welfare-To-Work. The California Department of Social Services administers Welfare-to-Work. This program is designed to assist individuals receiving assistance through CalWORKS to transition into unsubsidized employment and self-sufficiency. Under the CalWORKS program adult recipients are required to meet work requirements by participating in welfare-to-work activities. Services offered by Welfare-to-Work include:

• Job search services: Supervised and unsupervised job searches, job placement, job development, job club, and employment counseling.

• Subsidized employment: On-the-job training, transitional employment, or supported work. Welfare-to-Work participants are placed into jobs where they receive training, supervision and counseling to learn job duties. All or part of the recipients CalWORKS' cash is used to help pay for the participant's wages.

• Vocational training: Includes specialized training services designed to prepare recipients for a variety of careers, including clerical, teaching, child care, computer support, and truck driving.

• Self-initiated placement: If a CalWORKS recipient/applicant is already enrolled in an undergraduate degree or certificate training program that leads to employment before being required to participate in Welfare-to-Work, she may be allowed to remain in that program as her self-initiated placement.

• Adult basic education: Reading, writing, arithmetic, and high school proficiency or General Education Development (GED) certificate instruction; or English-as-a-Second-Language instruction.

• Work experience: Participants may be assigned to get work experience in public agencies as well as private sector jobs. This is a non-paid welfare-to-work activity providing basic job skills, enhancing existing job skills, or providing needed community service that may lead to unsubsidized employment.¹⁴

Unemployment Insurance. The California Employment Development Office holds authority over this program. Unemployment Insurance is an insurance benefit program paid to workers who are unemployed through no fault of their own, and who are actively seeking work. Weekly benefit amounts range from a minimum of $40 to a maximum of $230 depending on the claimant's quarterly earnings. To qualify for the maximum amount each week an individual must earn at least $7,633 in a calendar quarter during the base period.¹⁵

C. Public In-Kind Support

In-kind support consists of goods and services that are provided free of charge. Examples of public in-kind support include food stamps, housing subsidies, and health insurance.

Medi-Cal. The California Department of Health Services administers the Medicaid program in California, known as Medi-Cal. Medicaid pays for hospital, doctor, prescription drugs, nursing home and other health services for low-income children and pregnant women and people who are blind, elderly and disabled. In fiscal year 2000-2001, California intends to spend $23 billion on its Medi-Cal program. The following programs are included under Medi-Cal in Los Angeles County:

• Public-Private Partnership. Through this program, which runs under a Section 1115 Medicaid waiver, Los Angeles County contracts with private community-based clinics to provide primary care.¹⁶

• Aging With Dignity Initiative. The California Department of Health Services runs this program. The Aging With Dignity Initiative extends no-cost Medi-Cal to elderly and needy beneficiaries as well as beneficiaries with disabilities. It also works to improve the quality of long-term health care facilities. It is available to elderly, needy, and disabled beneficiaries of Medi-Cal who earn up to 100 percent of the federal poverty level. The budget for fiscal year 2000-2001 is $91.8 million.¹⁷

• Comprehensive Perinatal Services Program. This is a Medi-Cal fee-for-services program for low-income pregnant women. It aims to lower health care costs by preventing catastrophic and chronic illness in infants and children. It is available to all pregnant women enrolled in Medi-Cal Managed Care in LA County. Services include client orientation, an initial assessment, an individualized care plan, reassessment and postpartum assessment and care plan. Other program goals are a decrease in the incidence of low birth weight in infants and improvement in pregnancy outcomes.¹⁸

Medicare. Medicare is a Health Insurance Program for individuals 65 years old and older; some people with disabilities, under 65 years of age; and people with End-Stage Renal Disease (permanent kidney failure requiring dialysis or a transplant). The Health Care Financing Administration (HCFA) administers Medicare, covering 39 million Americans. Medicare has two parts:

• Part A subsidizes care in hospitals, skilled nursing facilities, hospice, and some home health care. Beneficiaries with a sufficient earnings history do not pay a premium for Part A.

• Part B helps pay for doctors, outpatient hospital care, and some other medical services not covered under Part A, including services of physical and occupational therapists, and some health services. Part B helps pay for covered medically necessary doctor services. Consumers are responsible for the monthly Medicare premium of $45.50. The cost of Part B may increase 10 percent for each 12-month period that an individual has Part B but did not take it. Enrollment in Part B is optional; the premium is usually deducted from Social Security, Railroad Retirement, or Civil Service Retirement payment.

The original Medicare plan is available everywhere in the United States. It is the most common plan for receiving Medicare Part A and Part B benefits. An individual may go to any doctor, specialist, or hospital that accepts Medicare. Some people also have access to Medicare Managed Care Plans. Under the Managed Care Plan, an individual is restricted to doctors, specialists and hospitals that are part of the plan. Plans must cover all Medicare Part A and B benefits. Some plans cover extras, like prescription drugs. Private Fee-for-Service Plans is a new health care choice in some regions of the country. An individual may still see any doctor, specialist, or hospital. Plans must cover all Medicare Part A and B benefits. Some plans include extras, such as extra days in the hospital. The plan, not Medicare, determines the cost to the consumer.

Healthy Family Program. The California Department of Health Services runs the Healthy Family Program. It is a low-cost insurance plan providing health, dental and vision coverage for children who do not qualify for no-cost Medi-Cal. Families with incomes at or below 250 percent of the Federal Income guidelines, children who are 18 years of age or younger, and children without employer-sponsored health insurance in the last three months are also eligible for the Healthy Family Program. The budget for this program for fiscal year 2000-2001 is $336 million.¹⁹

Access for Infants and Mothers (AIM). AIM is administered by the California Department of Health Services. It provides health insurance for women during pregnancy, and for 60 days postpartum. It also provides health insurance to the child for up to two years of age. It is available to pregnant women without insurance as well as pregnant women with insurance, but who have maternity deductibles or co-payments greater than $500. The Fiscal Year 2000-2001 State budget allocated $44.9 million for this program.²⁰

Child Health and Disability Prevention Program (CHDP). This program is administered federally by the Department of Health and Human Services, and locally by the Los Angeles County Department of Health Services. CHDP provides low and moderate-income families complete access to preventive exams, including immunization, and blood and urine tests. The program is available to low/moderate income families with Medi-Cal. The annual budget for this plan is $85 million.²¹

Acquired Traumatic Brain Injury Project. The California Department of Mental Health administers this program. Services are targeted at persons 18 years of age or older who have sustained (after birth) an injury resulting from an external force to the brain or any of its parts, resulting in psychological, neurological, or anatomical changes in brain functions. The Acquired Traumatic Brain Injury Project provides individual case coordination, supported employment, intensive day treatment, and structured living arrangements. The budget for this program is $500,000 annually.²²

Caregiver Resource Centers. This program, run by the California Department of Mental Health Services, provides multiple services to the families and caretakers of persons with adult-onset brain disorders. Services offered include legal advice, information, long-term planning and consultation, support groups, education, and respite care services. The annual budget is $9,247,000.²³

Children's System of Care. The California Department of Mental Health administers the Children's System of Care. This system provides treatment to children with severe mental disabilities. The program integrates the various child-serving agencies and systems to collaboratively provide special education, child welfare, health, and increasingly, juvenile justice services. It redirects monies and resources from institutional care puts these funds into local levels of care, as well as improving service planning, delivery and evaluation across departments. The goal of these changes is an improvement of overall care to clients that have serious emotional disturbances by providing treatment in the child's home or community.²⁴

Early and Periodic Screening, Diagnosis and Treatment (EPSDT). Sponsored by the California Department of Mental Health, EPSDT is a comprehensive health program available to Medicaid-eligible beneficiaries under 21 years of age. It provides periodic health check-ups, developmental and nutritional appraisal, vision and hearing screening, health immunizations, and health education.²⁵

California Major Risk Medical Insurance Program. The California Major Risk Medical Insurance Program is overseen by the California Department of Health Services and administered by the Managed Risk Medical Insurance Board. This program provides health insurance to California residents who are ineligible for Medicare and can not get insurance on the open market. The budget for the Major Risk Medical Insurance Program is $40 million.²⁶

In-Home Supportive Services (IHSS). The California Department of Social Services manages IHSS. IHSS offers a wide range of services including housekeeping, shopping, cooking, laundry, and personal care. The services are available to persons with disabilities, persons aged 65 or older, or persons who are blind and unable to live safely at home without help. They are also available to persons who are financially unable to purchase these services. IHSS is available to legal residents of California only. The program is maintained with funds from the State General Fund, the County Services Block Grant, Federal Title XIX, and County matching funds.

Adult Protective Services (APS). APS is overseen by the California Department of Social Services and administered at the county level by county APS service. APS provides counseling, financial advice and advocacy for its clients. The program also works to spread information on adult abuse reporting laws. The service is available to any individual, regardless of income.²⁷

Integrated Care Management Project. The Integrated Care Management Project is a demonstration whose main goal is the ability to provide long-term services that allow a case manager to link a recipient with a wide range of services, while utilizing all informal supports and funding sources. In Los Angeles County, this project is administered by the Community and Senior Services Agency on Aging of Los Angeles County in partnership with the Adult Protective Services program, the Los Angeles County Department of Public Social Services, and the California Department of Social Services. The Integrated Care Management Project is available to individuals 18 years of age or older with one of the following: Impairment in one or more activities of daily living (e.g. eating, bathing, dressing); impairment in two or more instrumental activities of daily living (e.g. shopping, cleaning, meal preparation); or inability to manage daily affairs due to emotional or cognitive impairment. The budget for this program is approximately $5.5 million annually.²⁸

AIDS Drug Assistance Program (ADAP). This program provides drugs to HIV patients who could not otherwise afford them. It is run by the Professional Management Development Corporation (PMDC) under contract to the California Department of Health Services. ADAP is provided for residents of California aged 18 or older who are diagnosed with HIV, ineligible for Medi-Cal or other third-party payer, and who have a Federal Adjusted Gross Income of less than $50,000.²⁹

Comprehensive AIDS Resources Emergency Act 1990/ Health Insurance Premium Payment (CARE/HIPP). CARE/HIPP pays the health insurance premiums of individuals who are disabled and unable to work because of HIV/AIDS. The program is administered by the California Department of Health Services.³⁰

California Children Services. The Los Angeles County Department of Health Services directs this program in Los Angeles County. CCS provides medical therapy units (MTUs) to children with disabilities. Children ages birth to 21 years with neurological, neuromuscular and complex orthopedic conditions are eligible for this program.³¹

California Partnership for Long-Term Care. The California Partnership for Long-Term Care provides long-term care insurance protection in cooperation with private health insurance companies. The program is statewide, and targets elderly citizens.³²

Federal Food Stamp Program. California administers the federal Food Stamp program, through the Department of Social Services. The program is statewide, and is available to eligible participants in the CalWORKS (California's welfare-to-work project) program. This program provides cash benefits to aid in paying for food. The amount of food stamps a low-income person or family can receive is based on the United States Department of Agriculture's Thrifty Food Plan. The Plan estimates how much it costs to provide a household with nutritious low-cost meals. Estimates are revised yearly to keep pace with changing food prices. The United States Department of Agriculture funds 100 percent of the cash benefits, and administrative costs are broken down as follows: Federal--50 percent; State--35 percent; County--15 percent.³³

California Food Assistance Program (CFAP). CFAP stems from an agreement between the State of California and the United States Department of Agriculture that includes a coupon purchase plan for the purchase of federal Food Stamps. CFAP is a state-funded program providing federal food stamps for legal non-citizens legally present in the United States prior to August 22, 1996 and determined ineligible for federal food stamp benefits solely due to their immigration status.³⁴

Assistance Dog Special Allowance. This program provides a monthly allowance for the feeding, care, and maintenance of guide, signal or service dogs. This program is available to persons who are deaf or have hearing impairments, persons who are blind, and persons with disabilities. In order to be eligible, the candidate must be a recipient of SSI/SSP or In-Home Supportive Services. The California Department of Social Services administers this program.³⁵

Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program. The Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) is a statewide program, funded by the federal Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program Block Grant. The California Department of Community Services and Development administers the program. LIHEAP provides subsidies (average $300) to help low-income families pay the cost of home heating bills. The gross monthly income of a family determines the family's eligibility for this program.³⁶

Department of Energy Weatherization Assistance Program (DOE WAP). The California Department of Community Services and Development runs DOE WAP. This program reduces heating and cooling bills by improving the energy efficiency of homes. It is available statewide to low-income households, with a special focus on the elderly, persons with disabilities, and families with children.

Community Service Block Grants (CSBG). CSBG's provide low-income households with food, shelter and healthcare needs. The goal of the program is to provide assistance in attaining self-sufficiency. The program was created by the federal Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Acts of 1981 and administered by the California Department of Community Services and Development.³⁷

Homeowner and Renter's Assistance. This program offers payments based on the percentage of property taxes assessed and paid on the home, or taxes paid indirectly through rent. It is available to those who are blind, have disabilities, and/or are 62 years of age and older. The California Franchise Tax Board oversees this program.³⁸

Supportive Housing for Persons with Disabilities. This program provides interest-free capital advances to nonprofit organizations that build, rehabilitate, or purchase rental housing to be used as supportive housing. The Department of Housing and Urban Development administers this program.³⁹

Community Care Facilities. The California Department of Developmental Services oversees this program. These facilities provide 24-hour non-medical residential care to children and adults.⁴⁰

Family Home Agency. This program is maintained by a non-profit organization under contract to the California Department of Developmental Services. The agency approves homes offering space for up to two developmentally disabled adults to live in a family environment. This program is distributed throughout the state, and administered through 21 regional centers.⁴¹

Foster Family Agency. Foster families are residential options for children with developmental disabilities. Foster Family Agencies are responsible for the recruitment, training, and certification of foster homes. They must also provide continued support to certified parents and the children living with them. The California Department of Developmental Services administers this program statewide, but the actual services are provided through regional centers.⁴²

Independent Living Program. The California Department of Developmental Services oversees this program. The Independent Living Program provides and/or coordinates support services for individuals in independent living settings. The program's services focus on functional skills training for adults who have acquired basic self-help skills.⁴³

Supported Living Services. The California Department of Developmental Services oversees this program. These services offer support to adults with developmental disabilities that choose to live in homes they own or lease.⁴⁴

Cal-Mortgage Program. The Cal-Mortgage Program allows non-profit health facilities to borrow funds from long-term lenders for facility construction, improvement, and expansion. The 2000-2001 fiscal year budget allocated $1.8 million for this program, which is administered by the California Office of Statewide Health Planning and Development.⁴⁵

D. Education, Training and Rehabilitation

Education and Rehabilitation programs are designed to help individuals invest in developing their abilities and skills, often with the primary goal of helping individuals become employed and self-sufficient. Programs and policies related to education and rehabilitation for individuals with disabilities are described below.

Education Programs and Policies. Under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), states are required to provide free appropriate public education for students with disabilities at the elementary and secondary level. Schools are required to create Individual Education Programs (IEPs) to help assist youth with disabilities obtain important services at no additional cost to their families. IEPs provide a central guide to available services as well as a plan for post-secondary transitions for school to work for all youth with disabilities during secondary school. Also, the US Department of Education, Office of Special Education (OSEP) provides grants to assist states in providing services.

Workforce Investment Act Implementation. The Workforce Investment Act of 1998 (WIA) rewrites federal statutes governing job training programs, adult education and literacy, and VR. It is intended to provide a more coordinated, customer-friendly, locally driven workforce development system supported by an enhanced statistics system. Under WIA, states have oversight of the statewide system of Workforce Investment Boards (WIBs), administer the Employment Service (labor exchange), administer job training programs, and build and manage a statewide employment statistics system. The challenge in implementing WIA is to coordinate and streamline all the partner agencies that provide the services and information critical for successfully matching workers with employers.⁴⁶

In California, the Governor of the state is responsible for the implementation of WIA. The Employment Development Department will administer WIA at the State level, and Local Workforce Investment Areas will administer programs locally. WIA will provide job training programs, adult education and literacy, and VR. Under WIA implementation, there will be statewide programs for adults and dislocated workers as well as work preparation programs and postsecondary education preparation for youth aged 14-21.⁴⁷

Workforce Investment Boards (WIBs). Executive Order No. 36 (1995) established county-based WIBs in recognition of county-level delivery of the majority of workforce development programs. The LA County WIB has set up WIA kiosks which offer services such as career counseling, job banks, and employment assistance. These kiosks are intended to better serve clients on the varying job markets within LA County. The Los Angeles County WIB intends to implement WIA as well as certifying One Stop Centers which will offer a variety of employment supports.⁴⁸

Veterans' Dependents Educational Assistance. The California Department of Veterans Affairs, Division of Veterans Services authorizes this program. This program provides tuition and fee waiver benefits at any campus of the California State University system, University of California system, or California Community College. This program is available to the dependent child, spouse, or unmarried, surviving spouse of a service-connected disabled or deceased veteran.⁴⁹

The Job Training Partnership Act. The Job Training Partnership Act (JTPA) is designed to assure that the skills of local workers match the skills that employers need. JTPA connects employers, educators and government representatives into a network that provides localized job training to workers who would otherwise have difficulty finding and keeping a job. Such individuals include dislocated workers who lost their jobs due to plant closings, welfare recipients, young people looking for their first job, and older unemployed men and women. JTPA emphasizes vocational instruction, yet many other services are available, including remedial class in many basic academic subjects, as well as classes to help workers earn a GED. The California Employment Development Department administers this program. There are 52 JTPA regional, or "Service Delivery Areas" (SDAs), located throughout California. A "Workforce Investment Board" of local business people, educators, government and labor representatives and community-based organizations governs each SDA.⁵⁰

Employment Development Department Job Service. Through internet-based CalJOBS, the California Employment Development Department (EDD) links employers with qualified job seekers. Through this program the EDD also provides employers with re-employment services for dislocated workers. The EDD Job Service is available statewide to Californian unemployed workers.⁵¹

Work Activity Program Services (WAP). Services provided by WAP include paid work, work adjustment, and supportive habilitation services in a workshop setting. Supportive habilitation services may include social skills and community resource training, if necessary to achieve vocational objectives. These services are available statewide to adults with developmental disabilities. The California Department of Rehabilitation administers this program.

Habilitation Services Program (HSP). This program addresses the vocational needs of persons with severe developmental disabilities. Services are directed at developing an individual's maximum potential for mainstreaming into VR. This program is administered statewide by the California Department of Rehabilitation. Services are provided through regional centers or local Department of Rehabilitation offices.⁵²

Early Start Program. Early Start provides early intervention services for infants and toddlers with disabilities ages 0-3, as well as services for their families. The target population is children with developmental disabilities or delay, or children who are at risk for delay or disability. The California Department of Developmental Services and the California Department of Education oversee this program statewide.⁵³

Family Resource Centers. These are a component of the Early Start program. Family Resource Centers provide the families of infants and toddlers with disabilities with access information, resources and support networks. It is available statewide through 53 community-based, family-focused agencies established under the Early Start Program. This program is jointly administered by the California Department of Developmental Services and the California Department of Education.⁵⁴

0-3 Early Head Start Training Project. This program is administered by the Los Angeles County Office of Education. It provides support services for pregnant women including parent education. It also serves as an inclusive environment for toddlers and children with disabilities. It is available to low-income pregnant women and low-income families with infants and toddlers. Families, even if not low-income, with infants and toddlers with disabilities also have access to services provided by the Early Head Start Training Project.⁵⁵

Instructional Program. This program is available to students with disabilities. The Los Angeles County Office of Education administers the Instructional Program. This program provides secondary classes for students with severe disabilities ranging from being deaf to specialized physical health care services for students with multiple or severe disabilities.⁵⁶

Family School Community Partnership. This is a program that promotes communication between home and school, as well as providing access to and coordinates community support services for children and families. It is administered by the Los Angeles County Office of Education, Special Education division.⁵⁷

Job Accommodation Network. The Job Accommodation Network (JAN), a service of the President's Committee on Employment of People with Disabilities, is a toll-free information and referral service providing information on job accommodation, employers' responsibilities under the ADA, and on technical assistance, funding, education, and services related to the employment of people with disabilities. JAN also analyzes trends and statistical data related to the technical assistance it provides.⁵⁸

E. Community-Based Programs and Policies

Day Program Services. These are community-based programs for individuals best served by a regional center. Services may include development of self-help skills and the development of social and recreational skills. These programs are available statewide, and are administered under the auspices of the California Department of Developmental Services.⁵⁹

F. Private and Non-Profit Programs

Project ABLE (Able Beneficiaries Link to Employers). Project ABLE is a national resume bank that provides employers an easily accessible applicant pool of qualified job-ready individuals who are interested in working. The resume bank operates through the joint efforts of the Office of Personnel Management (OPM), SSA, Rehabilitation Services Administration (RSA), the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), and state VR agencies. The program is designed to provide employers access to quality human resources while providing training and employment services to eligible people with disabilities.⁶⁰

The Arc. The Arc is a private nonprofit advocacy organization designed to provide a better quality of life for people with mental retardation and their families. The Arc of Southeast Los Angeles County provides services for the majority of persons with mental retardation in the Los Angeles County area, but is only one among many chapters of the Arc.⁶¹

Project HIRE. Project HIRE is an employment placement and training program for adults with developmental disabilities. It takes an innovative approach towards assisting individuals in choosing a job and provides Employment Training Specialists (ETS). An ETS works with the employee at the job site and teaches job skills, assists with independently traveling to and from work, and facilitates socialization with co-workers. Project HIRE also offers Transition Services designed to assist schools in developing and implementing quality transition plans for students in special education programs. These services include community-based vocational assessments; job shadowing and sampling; job placement and coaching; and professional consultation. Additionally, project HIRE provides technical assistance on state-of-the-art supported employment to service provider agencies in New Jersey.⁶²

National Federation of the Blind of California. The National Federation of the Blind of California is a private, non-profit organization that works statewide for blind persons. It provides support for blind persons as well as information for employers.⁶³

Easter Seals Southern California. The Easter Seals Southern California is a non-profit organization that focuses on eliminating the physical, social and economic barriers so that people with disabilities may participate in their communities with equality, dignity and independence.⁶⁴

Protection and Advocacy, Inc. Protection and Advocacy, Inc. (PAI) is a non-profit agency that provides many services to persons with disabilities. PAI educates persons with disabilities on their legal, civil, and service rights. The organization provides training in peer- and self- advocacy. It refers persons to other sources of help. Additionally, PAI investigates complaints of abuse in institutions. It also attempts to bring forward impact legislation when a case affects the rights of persons with disabilities.⁶⁵

Community Rehabilitation Services. Community Rehabilitation Services is a private, nonprofit agency that assists persons with disabilities with the East and Northeast areas of LA County. Their end goal is to enhance these persons' options for independent living.⁶⁶

G. Tax Policies

Earned Income Tax Credit. This is a tax credit paid to a working family earning just the minimum wage. It is available statewide.⁶⁷

Low Income Housing Tax Credit. Congress created the Low Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) to compensate for the high costs of constructing and rehabilitating apartments that lead to rent rates set higher than low income families can afford. Nationwide, the LIHTC leverages about $7 billion in investment each year to produce approximately 75,000 apartments that rent at prices affordable to low income families and the elderly. All apartments are dedicated at restricted rates for 30 years or more to families who earn 60 percent or less of area median income. Currently, 59 percent are dedicated for periods longer than 30 years, and one in six is permanently dedicated to low income use. Both federal and state programs are administered by the California Mortgage Bond and Tax Credit Allocation Commission.⁶⁸

Work Opportunity Tax Credit (WOTC) and Welfare-To-Work Credit. The Ticket To Work and Work Incentives Improvement Act of 1999 authorizes this tax credit, and the California Employment Development Department certifies employers for the same credit. This program offers and employer tax credit of up to $8,500 to employers who promote hiring for certain target groups (such as Food Stamp recipients aged 18-24, VR referrals, etc.). This program is available statewide, and benefits low-income individuals.⁶⁹

III. NEWARK, NEW JERSEY

This section contains descriptions of the programs and policies for people with disabilities available in Newark, New Jersey. The profile includes programs that are available at the federal, state and local levels. The programs and policies described are divided into the following categories:

• Public Income Support
• Transitional Income Support Programs
• Public In-Kind Support
• Education, Training and Rehabilitation
• Community-Based Programs and Policies
• Private and Non-Profit Programs
• Tax Policies

Federal and state programs are described in narrative form. Local programs are summarized in table form at the end of the section.

A. Public Income Support

Public income support programs supplement income through direct cash payments. Several of the programs described below are designed to insure workers against a loss of income due to a disabling physical or mental health condition. Other programs are not designed specifically for people with disabilities; however, a large percentage of individuals who receive program benefits have disabilities or have a child with a disability so we include them here.

Supplemental Security Income (SSI). Under the Federal Supplemental Security Income (SSI) Program, persons age 65 years and older, or those who are blind or disabled (including children), receive maintenance payments and supportive services, including emergency assistance and payment for burial. The services are administered by county welfare agencies. For eligible individuals, a state supplement is provided, increasing the net countable income up to the state standard for the respective living arrangement.

The Department of Policy and Standards in the New Jersey Division of Family Development administers the SSI program statewide. The Social Security Administration charges each state a fee for processing the state supplement to the SSI payment. This charge has increased gradually over the past few years, and is expected to continue to rise annually. Therefore, the state is pursuing the possibility of direct administration of the supplement.⁷⁰

Social Security Disability Insurance (DI). The DI program provides cash payments to individuals with work histories who have a medically determined disability expected to last at least 12 months or result in death, and who are unable to engage in substantial gainful activity (SGA). SGA is currently defined as the equivalent of working with earnings above $740 a month.⁷¹ The payment amount for a worker is based on his or her lifetime average earnings covered by Social Security. DI benefits replace a portion of the worker's prior earnings. DI beneficiaries with earnings above the SGA level are subject to a loss of their DI cash benefits, and after an extended period of work activity above the SGA level, a loss of the Medicare eligibility.⁷²

Temporary Disability Insurance. The New Jersey Department of Labor's Temporary Disability Insurance Program provides cash benefits to almost all workers covered under the Unemployment Compensation Law to ensure against wage loss when an individual is unable to work because of sickness and injury not caused by his or her job. New Jersey is one of five states that provides compulsory temporary disability insurance for workers.

The following three programs are included in New Jersey's Temporary Disability Benefits Law:

• The State Plan. An individual who becomes disabled while employed or within 14 days of the last day of work in covered employment may be entitled to benefits under the State Plan. The maximum amount of benefits payable for each period of disability is one-third of the total wages in New Jersey covered employment paid to the claimant during the base year, or 26 times the weekly benefit amount, whichever is less. An individual must file his or her claim for benefits within 30 days of the state of the disability or risk losing some or all of the benefits.

• The Private Plan. The Temporary Disability Benefits Law also permits employers to provide coverage through an approved Private Plan. The Plan may be insured by an insurance company, by the employer, union welfare, or labor-management welfare fund. A Private Plan must be at least equal to the State Plan in benefit amounts, eligibility requirements and duration of payments. Some Plans are more liberal than others. All Private Plans must be approved by the Division of Temporary Disability Insurance. The Private Plan insurer determines eligibility.

• Disability During Unemployment. The State Plan and Private Plan provide coverage for individuals who become disabled while employed or within two weeks of the last day of work in covered employment. Additionally, there is a third program for those whose disabilities begin more than 14 days after the last day of work. This program is called "Disability During Unemployment" and is administered under the provisions of the Unemployment Compensation Law and the Temporary Disability Benefits Law. Individuals who claim benefits under this program must meet all the eligibility requirement of the Unemployment Compensation Law, excluding the ability to work.⁷³

Workers' Compensation. The director of the Division of Worker's Compensation is responsible for the administration of worker's compensation. An employee or their dependents are eligible to receive workers' compensation benefits for an injury or death arising out of and in the course of employment. The employer or their insurance carrier pays for necessary and reasonable medical treatment, loss of wages during the period of rehabilitation and benefits for permanent disability. The Division of Workers' Compensation provides an impartial forum to mediate and adjudicate disputes when parties are unable to amiably resolve their differences over entitlement to workers' compensation benefits. The Division's judicial and administrative staff executes this function.⁷⁴

• Medical Benefits. All necessary and reasonable medical treatment, including hospitalization services and prescriptions related to the work injury are paid by the employer's insurance carrier or directly by the employer if they are self-insured.

• Temporary Total Disability Benefits. If an injured worker is disabled for longer than seven days, the individual will be eligible to receive temporary total benefits at the rate of 70 percent their average weekly wage, not to exceed 75 percent of the Statewide Average Weekly Wage (SAWW) or fall below the minimum rate of 20 percent of the SAWW. These benefits are provided during the period when the worker is unable to work and is receiving medical care.

Benefits are typically terminated when the worker is authorized the return to work or if the individual has reached maximum medical improvement (MMI). Once the worker has reached MMI, additional treatment will no longer improve the medical condition of the injured worker. In some cases, the worker may be left with either partial permanent injuries or total permanent injuries.

• Permanent Partial Benefits. Injured workers who suffer a job-related injury or illness that results in a partial permanent disability are eligible to receive benefits, and the amount of the benefit payments are determined by the nature of the disability. Losses are identified as either "scheduled" (i.e., loss of arms, hands, fingers, legs, feet, toes, eyes, ears or teeth) or "non-scheduled" (i.e., any area or system of the body not specifically identified in the schedule, such as the back, the heart, the lungs). Scheduled and non-scheduled losses pay varying benefits.

• Permanent Total Benefits. A worker may be entitled to permanent total benefits when a work injury or illness prevents the worker from returning to any type of gainful employment. These weekly benefits are provided initially for a period of 450 weeks. Provided the injured worker is able to show that he or she remains unable to earn wages, these benefits may continue beyond the initial 450 weeks. Wages earned after 450 weeks offset the weekly computation in proportion to the income at the time of the injury. Permanent Total benefits are paid weekly and are based upon 70 percent of the average weekly wage, not to exceed 75 percent of the Statewide Average Weekly Wage (SAWW) or fall below the minimum rate of 20 percent of the SAWW. Permanent Total Disability is considered presumptive when the worker has lost two major members or a combination of members of the body such as eyes, arms, hands, legs or feet. Permanent total disability can also be the result of a combination of injuries that render the worker unemployable.⁷⁵

Department of Veterans Affairs Programs. Disability compensation is available to veterans who are discharged honorably and who have experienced or aggravated a disabling injury or disease during active military service. Veterans who have non-service related disabilities, or who are age 65 or older, are also eligible to receive a veteran's pension. Veteran's disability compensation is paid regardless of work activity.⁷⁶

B. Transitional Income Support Programs

Transitional income assistance programs are designed to provide temporary assistance to unemployed or otherwise disadvantaged individuals and families. Typically, these programs have restrictions on the receipt of such benefits, in terms of eligibility and the amount of time an individual can receive payments.

TANF (WorkFirst New Jersey). New Jersey's Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program, Work First New Jersey (WFNJ), is administered by the State Department of Human Services. This program began in October 1996. Through WFNJ, the state provides case assistance benefits, supportive services, and emergency assistance to families, including food, shelter, and clothing assistance. Eligible one or two-parent families will have at least one child under age 18 who is a full-time student in secondary school or a vocational school equivalent. Eligible parents and caretakers must agree to an enforceable Individual Development Plan including work program participation goals.

Under WorkFirst New Jersey, the state also provides supportive services to participants engaging in allowable work activities.⁷⁷ Supportive services include transportation expenses, "employment-directed activities or allowances," automobile-related expenses, and child care necessary for the family member to accept employment and remain employed. Moreover, WorkFirst New Jersey covers transitional assistance; the state provides one year of post-TANF child care benefits to families that have become ineligible for TANF due to increased earnings. The state also has a 24-month transitional Medicaid benefit. Thus, families no longer eligible for TANF due to increased child support or spousal support will have a four-month post-TANF period of Medicaid coverage.⁷⁸

In order to be eligible for TANF cash assistance in New Jersey, individuals must have countable assets below $2,000. A recipient's benefit equals the difference between countable income (income after specified deductions) and the maximum benefit. If countable income exceeds the maximum benefit, the family is not eligible for assistance. As under AFDC, family members receiving SSI benefits are excluded from the assistance unit. However, the SSI recipient's income and resources are not considered when determining eligibility or benefits for the rest of the family. New Jersey enforces a 60-month lifetime limit on assistance and a limit of no more than 24 months before a recipient must engage in an allowable work activity.⁷⁹ The maximum benefit for a family of three is $488.⁸⁰ In 1999, WorkFirst New Jersey expenditures totaled $11,101,472.⁸¹

WorkFirst and Welfare-to-Work. The departments of Human Services and Labor have established a unique partnership designed to use the resources of both departments, along with their contracted vendors and agencies, to provide services to welfare recipients under the WorkFirst New Jersey program. WorkFirst New Jersey participants receive mainstream labor exchange services with a focus on job search assistance. The New Jersey Department of Labor Welfare-to-Work initiative includes basic skills evaluation, referral services to employers and employability development services such as job training.

WorkFirst General Assistance. New Jersey's WorkFirst New Jersey General Assistance (WFNJ/GA) program provides temporary cash assistance and supports to single adults and couples without dependent children under rules similar to WFNJ/TANF. As of March 2001, approximately two-thirds of the 566 municipal welfare departments transferred administrative authority of GA to county welfare agencies. The remaining one-third of the municipal welfare departments administers their own GA programs.⁸²

Unemployment Insurance. Unemployment Compensation is an insurance benefit paid to workers who meet all the requirements of the New Jersey Unemployment Compensation Law. This includes only individuals who are unemployed through no fault of their own. The money to pay these benefits comes from payroll tax paid by employers and workers. Effective January 1, 2000, the taxable wage base is $21,200, subject to a worker tax rate of 0.425 percent. The maximum worker contribution is $90.10. To be eligible to receive unemployment benefits, one of the following conditions must apply: an individual must have worked at least 20 base weeks or alternative base weeks during the base period; or an individual must have been paid a certain minimum amount of money in covered employment. The minimum amount changes every year. In 2000, the amount was $9,100.

Some claimants who file for unemployment benefits are directed to register for work with the Employment Service. Recent Federal legislation requires all states to implement a program providing reemployment assistance to those claimants who are permanently laid off and will most likely benefit from them. Once selected to participate in this mandatory program, an individual must report to an orientation session and participate, or jeopardize his or her eligibility for unemployment benefits.

If an individual is laid off or terminated from a job while collecting Temporary Disability Benefits or Workers' Compensation, he or she may file for unemployment benefits using wages earned in an alternate base year set by the disability date.

C. Public In-Kind Support

In-kind support consists of goods and services that are provided free of charge. Examples of public in-kind support include food stamps, housing subsidies, and health insurance. In-kind supports function as income, because absent the supports recipients would need to purchase the goods or services on their own.

Medicaid. In New Jersey, Medicaid pays for hospital, doctor, prescription drug, nursing home and other health services for approximately 600,000 low-income children and pregnant women and people who are blind, elderly and disabled. Medicaid includes the following programs:

• The New Jersey Care Program includes a special Medicaid Program for pregnant women and infants and a program for people who are aged, blind or disabled. The New Jersey Care Program for the Aged, Blind and Disabled provides Medicaid coverage to eligible people 65 or older, or blind, or permanently and totally disabled persons. The income standard is set at 100 percent of the federal poverty level. In New Jersey, Qualified Medicare Beneficiaries (QMBs) are eligible for benefits.

• The Medically Needy component of the New Jersey Care Programs enables individuals whose income is too high to qualify for the regular Medicaid program to apply their excessive medical bills to spend down to the program's income limit.

• HealthStart provides expanded maternal and child health care coverage to pregnant women and children under age two in New Jersey who are eligible for Medicaid benefits. The program provides an enhanced set of Medicaid benefits to eligible pregnant women during their pregnancy and for 60 days following delivery or the date the pregnancy ends. Children up to the age of two years are also eligible for enhanced health care services.

• Early and Periodic Screening, Diagnosis and Treatment (EPSDT) is a comprehensive health program for Medicaid-eligible beneficiaries under 21 years of age. The program encourages regular medical and dental check-ups in order to prevent or identify problems before they become more serious. The program's services include periodic health check-ups, developmental and nutritional appraisal, vision and hearing screening, immunizations, dental referral for children three years of age and older, laboratory tests, health education, guidance, and diagnosis and treatment.

• New Jersey Care 2000 is New Jersey's mandatory managed care program, implemented September 1995. Under New Jersey Care 2000, the state contracts with HMOs to provide a comprehensive set of Medicaid health care services. The program is mandatory for TANF and TANF-related Medicaid populations. The program is voluntary for the Division of Youth and Family Services (DYFS) Medicaid population and the SSI Medicaid population. Currently, New Jersey Care 2000 is operational in all 21 counties and there are 387,954 Medicaid beneficiaries enrolled in the program.⁸³

• New Jersey KidCare provides a comprehensive package of health care services through health maintenance organizations (HMOs) for children and teens in New Jersey who do not have health insurance coverage. The services include well child and other preventive services, hospitalization, physician care, lab and x-ray services, prescription drugs, mental health services, vision and other services. Uninsured children 18 years of age and under may be eligible. Eligibility for NJ KidCare is based on the number of people in the family and the family's total income. The maximum income for a family of two is $28,840; the maximum income for a family of four is $58,450.

Additionally, there are several waiver programs administered by the Bureau of Home and Community Services (BHCS). The Division of Medical Assistance and Health Services (DMAHS) implemented these waivers by utilizing opportunities available under Section 1915(c) of the Social Security Act. Case management is mandatory under all 1915(c) waivers.

Waiver programs include the following:

• AIDS Community Care Alternatives Program (ACCAP): This program is designed to serve disabled children and adults who are diagnosed as having AIDS and are in need of institutional care at home. Children under 13 diagnosed as HIV positive are also eligible for this program. In addition to all State Plan services, these individuals can receive eight additional services not permitted under regular Medicaid.

• Model Waivers I, II, III: These programs provide community-based services for disabled children and adults who meet nursing facility level of care criteria. The cost of these services must not exceed the cost of institutionalization of the beneficiary.

• Home and Community-Based Services Waiver for the Developmentally Disabled: This program is administered by the Division of Developmental Disabilities (DDD) with DMAHS providing oversight. The program provides community-based services for developmentally disabled individuals who meet certain levels of care criteria.

• Home and Community-Based Services Waiver for Medically Fragile Children: Known as the ABC Waiver, this program is administered by the Division of Youth and Family Services (DYFS) in cooperation with staff from BHCS. The ABC Waiver program is designed to assist eligible children who are in need of nursing facility or hospital setting services in receiving the medical care necessary to remain in the community or return to it.

• Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) Waiver: This program is designed to provide community alternatives for brain injured individuals using nursing facilities or who are in the community and at risk for placement in nursing facilities. The population served primarily consists of young adults who are ambulatory with cognitive, behavioral and physical problems requiring supervised and supported care. Most individuals involved have either completed or would no longer benefit from a course of intensive rehabilitation.

Medicare. Medicare is a Health Insurance Program for individuals 65 years old and older; some people with disabilities under 65 years of age; and people with End-Stage Renal Disease (permanent kidney failure requiring dialysis or a transplant). The Health Care Financing Administration (HCFA) administers Medicare, covering 39 million Americans. Medicare has two parts:

• Part A subsidizes care in hospitals, skilled nursing facilities, hospice, and some home health care. Beneficiaries with a sufficient earnings history do not pay a premium for Part A.

• Part B helps pay for doctors, outpatient hospital care, and some other medical services not covered under Part A, including services of physical and occupational therapists, and some health services. Part B helps pay for covered medically necessary doctor services. Consumers are responsible for the monthly Medicare premium of $45.50. The cost of Part B may increase 10 percent for each 12-month period that an individual has Part B but did not take it. Enrollment in Part B is optional; the premium is usually deducted from Social Security, Railroad Retirement, or Civil Service Retirement payment.

The original Medicare plan is available everywhere in the United States. It is the most common plan for receiving Medicare Part A and Part B benefits. An individual may go to any doctor, specialist, or hospital that accepts Medicare. Some people also have access to Medicare Managed Care Plans. Under the Managed Care Plan, an individual is restricted to doctors, specialists and hospitals that are part of the plan. Plans must cover all Medicare Part A and B benefits. Some plans cover extras, like prescription drugs. Private Fee-for-Service Plans is a new health care choice in some regions of the country. An individual may still see any doctor, specialist, or hospital. Plans must cover all Medicare Part A and B benefits. Some plans include extras, such as extra days in the hospital. The plan, not Medicare, determines the cost to the consumer.

Federal Food Stamp Program. New Jersey administers the federal Food Stamp program, enabling eligible WorkFirst New Jersey participants to receive cash benefits to help pay for food. Other individuals who may also be eligible for the Food Stamp Program include low-income individuals and families who are not on welfare and those who move off public assistance. The County Welfare Agency determines eligibility.

Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) System. The Division has created a "Families First" debit card through the Electronic Benefits Transfer System, funded with federal dollars from the TANF Block Grant. EBT enables welfare recipients to purchase food and receive case benefits. The system is time- and cost-effective for merchants because it eliminates the use of food coupons. Currently, the card excludes Medicaid benefits. However, Medicaid is looking to have benefits accessible by card also.⁸⁴

Home Energy Assistance Program. The Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) is a statewide program, funded by the federal Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program Block Grant. The program is jointly administered by the New Jersey Department of Human Services, The Division of Family Development and the Department of Community Affairs. LIHEAP provides subsidies to help low-income families pay the cost of home heating bills. The gross monthly income of a family determines the family's eligibility for this program. An individual is eligible if he or she has a gross monthly income less than $1,030. A family of four is eligible the household gross monthly income is less than $2,088. Families may also be eligible for assistance with expenses related to medically necessary cooling costs.

In fiscal year 2000 (October 1, 1999-September 30, 2000), the federal allocation for the LIHEAP program was $41 million. The state also received supplemental federal funding totaling $20 million from the Emergency Contingency Fund.⁸⁵

Supportive Housing for Persons with Disabilities. The Supportive Housing for Persons with Disabilities program, administered by the Department of Housing and Urban Development, provides interest-free capital advances to nonprofit organizations that build, rehabilitate, or purchase rental housing to be used as supportive housing for persons with disabilities. The advance is interest free and does not have to be repaid, as long as the housing remains available for very low-income persons with disabilities, for at least 40 years.

Special Needs Programs⁸⁶

• The Scattered Site AIDS Permanent Housing Program: The New Jersey Housing and Mortgage Finance Agency (NJHMFA), four nonprofit care providers, the Department of Health and Senior Services, the New Jersey Department of Human Services and the New Jersey Department of Community Affairs (DCA) created the Scattered Site AIDS Permanent Housing Program. The program provides a total of 34 units of permanent housing for persons with HIV/AIDS and their families, or approximately 125 people in five municipalities.

• The Transitional Housing Revolving Loan Program: In 1989, the NJHMFA authorized $4 million in Agency reserves for the implementation of this program. The program was part of an inter-agency initiative between NJHMFA, the New Jersey Department of Community Affairs and the New Jersey Department of Human Services. The program makes a "0" percent construction loan and/or a permanent loan with an interest rate not to exceed "5" percent for a term ranging from five (5) years to a maximum of thirty (30) years for eligible projects. The program is targeted to homeless families and their children, homeless individuals including victims of domestic violence, persons with HIV/AIDS and other persons with special needs. Since the program's inception and through September of 1998, it has financed thirteen (13) projects with 228 units by committing approximately $4.5 million and generating $17 million in additional local, State, Federal and private resources.

• The New Jersey Supportive Housing Program: This program is a cooperation of the New Jersey Department of Community Affairs (DCA), the New Jersey Department of Human Services (DHS), Division of Mental Health Services, the NJHMFA and the Corporation for Supportive Housing (CSH). It has been established to encourage non-profit developers and sponsors to develop high quality and affordable housing for individuals or families in New Jersey who are homeless or at risk of homelessness. This program is specifically targeting individuals or families in New Jersey where at least one person is coping with mental illness, substance abuse problems, HIV/AIDS, or other chronic medical and mental disabilities. A CSH New Jersey State Advisory Committee, including representatives of NJHMFA, DCA and DHS, is providing CSH with guidance and counsel regarding the program including its annual budget and program actions.

• The Shelter-Plus Care Initiatives: NJHMFA has collaborated with community groups to use State and private grants of $1.9 million to administer the acquisition and renovation of 16 units (49 beds) of previously abandoned properties in Camden County to house and provide care for homeless individuals with serious, persistent and chronic mental illness and substance abuse problems. A consortium of health care providers, UMDNJ, South Jersey Behavioral Health Resource Inc. and the Steininger Center, has committed funds for the outreach and supportive services for the residents. In addition, a federal grant of $1.8 million has been received by the project for rental assistance over ten years.

  The most recent Shelter Plus Care Initiative is a 32-unit project in the City of Paterson which is currently serving homeless persons and families with mental health and/or substance abuse problems and persons with HIV/AIDS. NJHMFA has worked with the Paterson Coalition for Housing, Inc. to provide $5.2 million in State, Federal and private resources to administer the acquisition and rehabilitation of the project. A consortium of local non-profits, in coordination with the sponsoring Agency, is providing outreach and supportive services to the clients. The Federal government has provided a grant in the amount of $4 million for rental assistance over ten years.

• The Home of Your Own Program: The NJHMFA and the New Jersey Developmental Disabilities Council are collaborating to provide an opportunity for individuals with developmental disabilities to achieve home ownership. Under a grant provided by the New Jersey Developmental Disabilities Council, the NJHMFA has employed a program coordinator to carry out the mission and goals of the program. The mission and goals include, but are not limited to, fulfilling the grant commitment of placing individuals into a home ownership opportunity, researching and identifying the needs of people with disabilities and barriers to securing housing opportunities, developing a public outreach campaign, and developing a home ownership counseling program to address the needs which are identified for people with disabilities.

• Home Ownership for Permanency Project: The NJHMFA and the Division of Youth and Family Services (DYFS) are partners in a demonstration project to help abused, neglected, abandoned or orphaned children, including those defined by DYFS as "Child(ren) with Special Needs," to achieve a permanent placement with relative caregivers or adoptive families. To the extent practicable, NJHMFA will make loans to eligible borrowers through the Agency's Home Buyer Program. Additional financial products under this demonstration include loans made completely from the Agency's allocation of funds for families that do not meet standard Agency underwriting guidelines but who are creditworthy, rehabilitation loans for families who currently own their own home but need to make necessary improvements to accommodate the newly adopted children or combination refinance and rehabilitation loans. One of the goals of the project is to maintain flexible underwriting guidelines in order to maximize the number of families served by this demonstration program.

The New Jersey Technology Assistive Resource Program (TARP). TARP is New Jersey's Assistive Technology project under the Assistive Technology Act of 1988. The project's purpose is to overcome system barriers and make assistive technology (AT) more accessible to individuals with disabilities throughout the state. AT includes devices and services created and used to help people with disabilities live more independently and productively. New Jersey TARP operates as an integral part of New Jersey Protection and Advocacy, Inc. TARP services include information and referral, advocacy services, legal representation, supporting access to used AT devices, presentations and outreach, and interagency coordination.⁸⁷

TTY Distribution Program. The Division of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing (DDHH) distributes free Text Telephones to qualified indigent Deaf and hard of hearing New Jersey residents. In the last seven years, the Division distributed 1,233 free TTY's. The program has given Deaf and hard of hearing people access to any telephone number in the world now that telephone relay services are required to be provided by states by Title IV of the ADA and regulated by the Federal Communications Commission. This program affords many individuals a greater opportunity to seek employment and become more independent.

Statewide Communication Access Network. The Division of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing (DDHH) houses New Jersey's primary sign language interpreter referral service which also handles requests for assistive listening equipment and captioning services. Sign language interpreters facilitate communications between Deaf people and individuals not familiar with American Sign Language. Requests for sign language interpreters are received by the Coordinators of Interpreter Referral Service (IRS). The coordinators contact individual vendor interpreters in the DDHH directory.

Currently, there is a greater general awareness of the communication assistance required by Deaf people and a shortage of qualified sign language interpreters. Therefore, the workload has increased significantly; the IRS has handled 1,796 requests during the last fiscal year. It also provides assistive listening equipment and captioning services which permit those with hearing loss to participate in the dialogue around them.

D. Education, Training and Rehabilitation

Education and Rehabilitation programs are designed to help individuals invest in developing their abilities and skills, often with the primary goal of helping individuals become employed and self-sufficient. Programs and policies related to education and rehabilitation for individuals with disabilities are described below.

Education Programs and Policies. Under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), states are required to provide free appropriate public education for students with disabilities at the elementary and secondary level. Schools are required to create Individual Education Programs (IEPs) to help assist youth with disabilities obtain important services at no additional cost to their families. IEPs provide a central guide to available services as well as a plan for post-secondary transitions for school to work for all youth with disabilities during secondary school. Also, the US Department of Education, Office of Special Education (OSEP) provides grants to assist states in providing services.

Workforce Investment Act Implementation. The Workforce Investment Act of 1998 (WIA) rewrites federal statutes governing job training programs, adult education and literacy, and VR. It is intended to provide a more coordinated, customer-friendly, locally driven workforce development system supported by an enhanced statistics system. Under WIA, states have oversight of the statewide system of Workforce Investment Boards (WIBs), administer the Employment Service (labor exchange), administer job training programs, and build and manage a statewide employment statistics system. The WIA also establishes individual training accounts similar to the New Jersey Workforce Development Partnership (WDP) individual training grants (see subsequent description). The challenge in implementing WIA is to coordinate and streamline all the partner agencies that provide the services and information critical for successfully matching workers with employers.⁸⁸

One Stop Career System Development. The Department of Labor received its One Stop implementation grant in 1995. The basic intent of One Stop is to integrate services, provide for customer choice and universal access, and operate in a performance-driven manner. For many years, the role of the Employment Service in New Jersey has focused on direct placements, that is, giving a job seeker a referral to an available job. Under the One Stop Career Center System, the department is transforming the Employment Service into a broker of information, job candidates, and job opportunities. The common thread for job seekers and employers is America's Talent Bank (ATB). Through the Talent Bank, the New Jersey Department of Labor (NJDOL) has the most comprehensive information available in the state on people looking for employment in New Jersey.

Reemployment Call Center Statewide Implementation. The Reemployment Call Center (RCC) enables customers to file their initial claims for unemployment insurance benefits by telephone. It uses a combination of interactive voice response technology and trained customer service representatives to reduce filing time and more quickly initiate the reemployment process. The Department of Labor intends to extend this program throughout New Jersey. As the practice of filing claims over the phone is implemented statewide, NJDOL will focus its resources on ways to use the claim information as the basis for a resume on America's Talent Bank in order to accelerate the reemployment process. The possible use of Internet technology for claim filing is also being explored.

Workforce Development Partnership Program (WDP). The Workforce Investment Act focuses on placing individuals in jobs, and then providing the necessary training to enable them to retain those jobs. The WDP program offers an array of job skills training, education and support services both to unemployed individuals and to employers needing to upgrade the skills of their workers. Qualified individuals can receive individual training and education grants, additional unemployment benefits while in training, and tuition waivers at public institutions of higher education. Employers can receive matching funds, through the Office of Customized Training, to pay for training designed to improve worker productivity, occupational safety and health and the company's market position. Plans for this year are to increase the number of workers trained through customized training grants and to coordinate the development of the WIA individual training accounts with the WDP individual grants to maximize the use of these funds, subject to available funding.

Workforce New Jersey Public Information Network (WNJPIN). The Workforce New Jersey Public Information Network is an on-line resource that provides information about job training opportunities and job listings. It contains a listing of jobs, job fairs, job search tools, and resource guides for job seekers. Students can research career descriptions, colleges, graduate schools, vocational/technical schools and financial aid information. Additionally, employers can post job openings, read on-line resumes, learn about business associations as well as unemployment and disability information. The site provides links to the State Employment and Training Commission, Job Training Partnership Act (JTPA) Administrative Information, New Jersey Department of Labor homepage, One-Stop Career Sites, information on county programs, and labor market information.

Northeast Disability and Business Technical Assistance Center. The Northeast Disability and Business Technical Assistance Center (NeDBTAC) is a regional center serving New York, New Jersey, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. The Center provides training, technical assistance, information and referral on the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). NeDBTAC is authorized by the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research (NIDDR) to provide information, materials, and technical assistance to individuals and entities covered by the ADA. The Center is funded by the US Department of Education's NIDRR.⁸⁹

Job Accommodation Network. The Job Accommodation Network (JAN), a service of the President's Committee on Employment of People with Disabilities, is a toll-free information and referral service providing information on job accommodation, employers' responsibilities under the ADA, and on technical assistance, funding, education, and services related to the employment of people with disabilities. JAN also analyzes trends and statistical data related to the technical assistance it provides.⁹⁰

Vocational Rehabilitation (for the Blind and Visually Impaired). This program assists individuals who are blind or visually impaired develop, acquire or update skills to assist them in securing and maintaining suitable employment. This may include working in the competitive labor force, operating their own business, supportive employment, or managing their own home. VR services include vocational evaluation, counseling, guidance and training; job placement; post-employment services; college counseling/support; vending facility and business enterprise programs; high school transitional services; special services for multi-handicapped persons; and training at the Joseph Kohn Rehabilitation Center in New Brunswick. Additionally, CBVI consumers can request the following services through their primary caseworker: issuance of theater passes; handicapped parking placards; income tax certification letters; Division Of Motor Vehicles identification card; self-help peer groups; community companions or volunteers; referral to community-based programs and services; reduced fare applications for public transportation; low and high technical aids and appliances; complaint resolution; and consumer advocacy.

Educational Services. The Commission for the Blind and Visually Impaired (CBVI) provides educational services to eligible individuals from birth through their high school years and their families. These services are designed to allow students who are visually impaired to participate fully with other students in regular classroom activities. Services include: Institutional and day training center programs; services to deaf-blind children; counseling and training for families of infants and preschool children; tutoring in special areas; instruction in independent travel and daily living skills; reader services; summer camp for children and teenagers; assistance with adaptive equipment; special books, materials and technical aids from CBVI's Meyer Instructional Resource Center; vision restoration and/or enhancement of the use of remaining vision.

E. Community-Based Programs and Policies

Independent Living. This program enables persons who are blind or visually impaired to lead a full and productive life and to aid them in adapting to their vision loss. Services of this program include: social casework; in-home nursing services training (e.g. self administering medications and insulin shots); in-home instruction in daily living skills; instruction for independent travel and orientation to the home community, work or school environment; child care training; instruction in communication methods; referral to community resources; and training at the Joseph Kohn Rehabilitation Center in New Brunswick.

Prevention Services. This program is designed to save sight and restore vision whenever medically possible. The Commission for the Blind and Visually Impaired conducts and sponsors a variety of educational programs and eye health screening throughout the State to detect vision problems. Services include mobile eye examination units; vision screening for preschool and school-age children; eye health nursing; on-site screening at institutions and in communities; special diabetic outreach program; and other specialized eye screening programs which target historically underserved populations (i.e. minorities, the elderly, migrant farm workers, etc.)

Community Services. The Division of Human Services purchases community mental health services through contracts with approximately 125 not-for-profit provider corporations. The Division's programs include the following programs:

• Emergency Screening Services to provide crisis stabilization and to determine need for involuntary commitment.

• Outpatient Services to provide ambulatory community mental health services such as periodic therapy and counseling, medication administration and monitoring.

• Partial Hospitalization and Partial Care, the most intensive ambulatory community mental health service provides day treatment and psycho-social rehabilitation services.

• Residential Services in community residences including group homes, supervised apartment and family care homes.

• Integrated Case Management providing outreach services to engage, support, and integrate individuals with serious mental illness into their community and to facilitate their access to and use of available resources to maximize their independence.

• Programs of Assertive Community Treatment (PACT) providing comprehensive, integrated rehabilitation, treatment and support services to those most challenged in coping with serious and persistent mental illness within a multi-disciplinary service delivery team approach.

• Systems Advocacy to provide legal and companionship services and self-help centers.

• Other services including supported employment, intensive family support services for families of persons with mental illness, services to the homeless mentally ill, and services to individuals with alcohol or drug abuse in addition to mental illness.

Through community-based programs, the Division of Human Services provided an estimated 257,600 episodes of care in FY 2000 at a cost of about $207 million.

The Family Support Act. Signed into law March 29, 1993, the Family Support Act made the Division of Developmental Disabilities responsible for creating a system of family support for people with developmental disabilities. This program includes cash subsidies; communication and interpreter services; counseling and crisis intervention; day care; equipment and supplies; home and vehicle modifications; homemaker assistance; medical and dental care; personal assistance services; respite care; self-advocacy training; therapeutic or nursing services; and voucher services.

Additionally, the Family Support law created Regional Family Support Planning Councils. The Councils make recommendations to a Family Support Coordinator, under the direction of the New Jersey Developmental Disabilities Council.

F. Private and Non-Profit Programs

Project ABLE (Able Beneficiaries Link to Employers). Project ABLE is a national resume bank that provides employers an easily accessible applicant pool of qualified job-ready individuals who are interested in working. The resume bank operates through the joint efforts of the Office of Personnel Management (OPM), SSA, RSA, the VA, and state VR agencies. The program is designed to provide employers access to quality human resources while providing training and employment services to eligible people with disabilities.⁹¹

The Arc of New Jersey. The Arc of New Jersey is a statewide, private nonprofit advocacy organization designed to provide a better quality of life for people with mental retardation and their families. The organization consists of a state office and nineteen local county chapters; it is affiliated with The Arc, a national organization on mental retardation with 1,200 chapters nationwide. The Arc's projects including Project HIRE.

Project HIRE. Project HIRE is an employment placement and training program for adults with developmental disabilities. It takes an innovative approach towards assisting individuals in choosing a job and provides Employment Training Specialists (ETS). An ETS works with the employee at the job site and teaches job skills, assists with independently traveling to and from work, and facilitates socialization with co-workers. Project HIRE also offers Transition Services designed to assist schools in developing and implementing quality transition plans for students in special education programs. These services include community-based vocational assessments; job shadowing and sampling; job placement and coaching; and professional consultation. Additionally, project HIRE provides technical assistance on state-of-the-art supported employment to service provider agencies in New Jersey.

Jewish Vocational Services (JVS). Jewish Vocational Services is a private, non-profit organization that provides VR services for persons with disabilities among its services. The Joseph L. Weinberg Vocational Rehabilitation Center, accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities, provides comprehensive VR services to individuals with disabilities age 16 and older who, because of their disability, are unable to find or to sustain employment. Services include vocational evaluation, vocational counseling, work adjustment training, specialized skills training programs, office and computer skills training, home health aide training, comprehensive job placement program for integrated employment, and extended employment. Additionally, the School to Work Transition Program provides specialized services for students with disabilities and the Work Center on Aging offers services for older workers with disabilities.⁹²

Easter Seals New Jersey. The Easter Seals New Jersey is a non-profit organization that focuses on eliminating the physical, social and economic barriers so that people with disabilities may participate in their communities with equality, dignity and independence. The organization's programs include the following:

• The Personal Assistant Services program serves individuals with physical disabilities between the ages of 19 and 65 living in New Jersey. By allowing consumers to function more independently within the community, the program enables individuals to remain in or move to the least restrictive living arrangement possible. The PAS program can provide assistance with household chores, errands, shopping and personal care. Thus, the program enables persons with disabilities to complete their education, to seek and maintain employment, and to conduct household activities.

• Behavioral Health Services provides quality residential services, intensive case management, supportive services, and intensive family support services. Services focus on teaching life skills and encouraging independent living.

• Social Services provide assistance to people with economic disadvantages. These services include linkages, a transitional housing service and intensive case management services for homeless families; and parent support services to families who have children residing in out-of-home placement and who have a plan for reunification.

• The Equipment Loan Services provides medical equipment such as wheel chairs, canes, shower chairs, walkers and hospital beds to people with disabilities.

G. Tax Policies

Earned Income Tax Credit. New Jersey's Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) was proposed in the fiscal year 2001 budget message. The proposed credit will be phased in over the next four years and will pay $823 to every working family earning just the minimum wage. The EITC is expected to serve more than 200,000 families.

Low-Income Housing Tax Credit. Congress created the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) to compensate for the high costs of constructing and rehabilitating apartments that lead to rent rates set higher than low income families can afford. Nationwide, the LIHTC leverages about $7 billion in investment each year to produce approximately 75,000 apartments that rent at prices affordable to low income families and the elderly. All apartments are dedicated at restricted rates for 30 years or more to families who earn 60 percent or less of area median income. Currently, 59 percent are dedicated for periods longer than 30 years, and one in six is permanently dedicated to low-income use.

In 2000, the U.S. Treasury Department allocated $10,143,764 to New Jersey for the LIHTC program.

IV. SEATTLE/TACOMA, WASHINGTON

This section contains descriptions of the programs and policies for people with disabilities available in Seattle/Tacoma, Washington. The profile includes programs that are available at the federal, state and local levels. The programs and policies described are divided into the following categories:

• Public Income Support
• Transitional Income Support Programs
• Public In-Kind Support
• Education, Training and Rehabilitation
• Community-Based Programs and Policies
• Private and Non-Profit Programs
• Tax Policies

Federal and state programs are described in narrative form. Local programs are summarized in table form at the end of the section.

A. Public Income Support

Public income support programs supplement income through direct cash payments. Several of the programs described below are designed to insure workers against a loss of income due to a disabling physical or mental health condition. Other programs are not designed specifically for people with disabilities; however, a large percentage of individuals who receive program benefits have disabilities or have a child with a disability so we include them here.

Supplemental Security Income (SSI). Under the Federal Supplemental Security Income (SSI) Program, persons age 65 years and older, or those who are blind or disabled (including children), receive maintenance payments and supportive services, including emergency assistance and payment for burial. The services are administered by county welfare agencies. For eligible individuals, a state supplement is provided, increasing the net countable income up to the state standard for the respective living arrangement.

The state of Washington supplements the federal benefit level with state funds, known as the SSI state supplement. Persons deemed eligible for SSI receive cash assistance based on the combined federal and state supplement benefit levels, minus countable income. Exhibit 4 shows the federal, state and combined benefit levels for King and Pierce County, the locations of Seattle and Tacoma, respectively.⁹³

During fiscal year 1998, the SSI program served 109,321 individuals⁹⁴ in the state of Washington. The state's fiscal year 1998 grant total was $397,385,000.

Social Security Disability Insurance (DI). The DI program provides cash payments to individuals with work histories who have a medically determined disability expected to last at least 12 months or result in death, and who are unable to engage in substantial gainful activity (SGA). SGA is currently defined as the equivalent of working with earnings above $740 a month.⁹⁵ The payment amount for a worker is based on his or her lifetime average earnings covered by Social Security. DI benefits replace a portion of the worker's prior earnings. DI beneficiaries with earnings above the SGA level are subject to a loss of their DI cash benefits, and after an extended period of work activity above the SGA level, a loss of the Medicare eligibility.⁹⁶

Temporary Disability Insurance.⁹⁷ Under the state's Industrial Insurance Act, the Washington State Fund provides no-fault accident and disability coverage for nearly all workers. This insurance is designed to cover medical expenses and to partially compensate for lost wages while a worker recovers from his or her injuries. Industrial insurance benefits are provided by the Washington State Fund, administered by the Department of Labor and Industries. Coverage by the Washington State Fund includes an entitlement to medical coverage and other services necessary for the treatment of workplace injuries or occupational diseases. If the claim is accepted by the Department of Labor and Industries, all doctor, hospital, surgical, and related costs for treatment will be paid.

Permanent Partial Disability.⁹⁸ If an injury or occupational disease causes permanent loss of bodily function, the claimant is paid a permanent disability award. The amount received for any physical loss is established by the Legislature and does not include compensation for pain and suffering.

Workers' Compensation. The director of the Division of Worker's Compensation is responsible for the administration of worker's compensation. An employee or their dependents are eligible to receive workers' compensation benefits for an injury or death arising out of and in the course of employment. The employer or their insurance carrier pays for necessary and reasonable medical treatment, loss of wages during the period of rehabilitation and benefits for permanent disability. The Division of Workers' Compensation provides an impartial forum to mediate and adjudicate disputes when parties are unable to amiably resolve their differences over entitlement to workers' compensation benefits. Division's judicial and administrative staff executes this function.⁹⁹

Benefits are typically terminated when the worker is authorized the return to work or if the individual has reached maximum medical improvement (MMI). Once the worker has reached MMI, additional treatment will no longer improve the medical condition of the injured worker. In some cases, the worker may be left with either partial permanent injuries or total permanent injuries.

Department of Veterans Affairs Programs. Disability compensation is available to veterans who are discharged honorably and who have experienced or aggravated a disabling injury or disease during active military service. Veterans who have non-service related disabilities, or who are age 65 or older, are also eligible to receive a veteran's pension. Veteran's disability compensation is paid regardless of work activity.¹⁰⁰ Veterans' services available in the state of Washington include federal and state benefits and entitlements for the following:

• Service connected disability
• Compensation and pension.
• Educational Benefits
• Insurance
• Vocational Rehabilitation
• VA Home Loans
• Death Compensation
• Insurance
• Transition to Civilian Life

B. Transitional Income Support Programs

Transitional income assistance programs are designed to provide temporary assistance to unemployed or otherwise disadvantaged individuals and families. Typically, these programs have restrictions on the receipt of such benefits, in terms of eligibility and the amount of time an individual can receive payments.

Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) (Welfare to Work). Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) is a federal program that replaced the Aid for Dependent Children (AFDC) program under federal welfare reform legislation. TANF provides block grants to states that are used to provide assistance and work programs for needy families. Washington enacted the Washington Temporary Assistance for Needy Families Act (ESHB 3901), creating the WorkFirst program in order to complete implementation of the federal welfare reform legislation. It uses federal TANF funds and state funds to develop and deliver services to needy families. The state's welfare caseload was 56,255 in May 2000.¹⁰¹

WorkFirst. WorkFirst is Washington State's welfare reform program that helps people in low-income families find jobs, keep their jobs, find better jobs and become self-sufficient. Four state agencies jointly carry out the program: Department of Social and Health Services; the Employment Security Department; State Board for Community and Technical Colleges; and the Department of Community, Trade and Economic Development. In addition, local employers, tribal governments, Private Industry Councils, transportation entities and community-based, nonprofit organizations are key partners in planning and providing services to WorkFirst participants.

WorkFirst is the major cash assistance program providing cash benefits and services for low-income families with (or expecting) children in the state of Washington. There is no legal entitlement to WorkFirst benefits. Effective July 1, 1999, The WorkFirst exemption for parents of infants was changed from 12 months to three months. Additionally, pregnant women in their first two trimesters now receive TANF benefits instead of state-funded General Assistance. Pregnant women and parents of infants older than three months are now required to participate in WorkFirst activities. Based on the needs of the individual family and the results an assessment, families' activities can range from medical treatment to parenting classes to job search and employment. Furthermore, major features of WorkFirst include childcare subsidies, job readiness skill and job search workshops, pre-employment training and on-the-job training.

Additionally, Washington State makes available a diversion program to families who are otherwise eligible for TANF assistance. The Diversion Cash Assistance (DCA) program is designed to provide brief, emergency assistance and prevent some families in crisis from developing a dependency on WorkFirst assistance. Diversion assistance is available once in each 12-month period for each adult applicant, and may not exceed $1,500 for each instance.

DCA may include cash or vouchers in payment for child care, housing, transportation-related expenses, food, medical costs for the recipient's immediate family, and employment-related expenses which are necessary to keep or obtain paid unsubsidized employment.

On-Going Additional Requirements (AR). WorkFirst families containing an aged, blind, or disabled member, may qualify for special need items or additional requirements under WorkFirst program rules. On-going additional needs are added to the monthly TANF cash grant.

Consolidated Emergency Assistance Program (CEAP). Low-income families, with monthly income below 90 percent of the WorkFirst payment standard with a child under 18 years old, may qualify for emergency cash aid to help meet their basic living needs. Basic needs include, but are not limited to, food, shelter, clothing, minor medical expenses, utilities, and household maintenance supplies. Assistance is limited to 30 consecutive days within any 12-consecutive-month period.

Additional Requirements - Emergent Need (AREN). WorkFirst families who experience a short-term expense caused by an emergency may qualify for additional cash assistance (e.g. to prevent eviction, obtain housing, or prevent a utility shut-off). Payment is limited to the least amount necessary to get the family through the emergency and is usually paid directly to a third party, such as the utility company.

State Family Assistance (SFA).¹⁰² This program is available to clients who are ineligible for TANF for specific reasons. Individuals not eligible for TANF under the following conditions are eligible for SFA.

• An individual is a qualified alien and has been in the United States for less than five years.

• An individual is an alien permanently residing in the United States.

• An individual is a nineteen or twenty-year-old student that meets certain education requirements under the Washington Administrative Code.

• An individual is a caretaker relative of a nineteen or twenty-year-old students who meets certain educational requirements of WAC.

• A pregnant women who has been convicted of misrepresenting residence in order to receive benefits from two or more states at the same time, or a drug-related felony.

Unemployment Insurance.¹⁰³ Unemployment Insurance (UI) is designed and intended to provide partial wage replacement for workers who are unemployed through no fault of their own. In Washington, UI is administered by the Employment Security Department. UI results from a partnership between states and the federal government. Federal law dictates the administration of the basic program and state law governs individual eligibility. The money to pay UI benefits comes from a state payroll tax levied on employers. The amount employers pay depends on the number of their employees who receive benefits from the program. The money to pay for the administration of national and state UI programs comes from a federal tax under the Federal Unemployment Tax Act (FUTA). Neither of these taxes is deducted from the payroll checks of employees in the state of Washington.

General Assistance--Unemployable (GA-U) Program. This program serves individuals who are unable to work due to incapacity and who are not eligible for or receiving benefits from other programs.¹⁰⁴

C. Public In-Kind Support

In-kind support consists of goods and services that are provided free of charge. Examples of public in-kind support include food stamps, housing subsidies, and health insurance. In-kind supports function as income, because absent the supports recipients would need to purchase the goods or services on their own.

Medical Assistance: The Medical Assistance Administration (MAA) provides a wide range of medical services based on clients needs and circumstances. The MAA administers the following programs:¹⁰⁵

• Medicaid: Categorically Needy (CN) Coverage. These federally matched Medicaid programs provide the broadest scope of medical coverage. Individuals may be eligible for CN coverage only, or they may be eligible for cash benefits under the SSI or TANF programs. CN includes a full scope of coverage for pregnant women and children.

• Medicaid: Medically Needy (MN) Coverage. This program is both a federally and state- funded Medicaid program for aged, blind or disabled individuals. Pregnant women, children, and refugees with income and/or resources above CN limits are also eligible. It provides slightly less medical coverage than CN.

In 1998, there were 699,000 individuals enrolled in Medicaid Managed Care. This is 99.9 percent of the individuals enrolled in Medicaid. Total Washington Medicaid spending in 1997 was $3.2 billion.¹⁰⁶

• Children's Medical Program. The CN medical program for children has two categories. Newborns are eligible for CN for 12 months if their month received medical benefits at the time of the child's birth. There are no income or resource limits. For children under 19 years old, this CN program has no resource limits; income limits are based on 200 percent of the Federal Poverty Level (FPL). Children need not live with a parent or guardian to be eligible for this program. They remain eligible for 12 months regardless of changes of circumstances.

• Pregnant Women Program. The CN medical program for low-income pregnant women has no resource limits. Income limits are based on 185 percent of the Federal Poverty Level (FPL).

• Spenddown. Through the spenddown process, excess income for MN and excess income and/or resources for MI are assigned to the client's cost of medical care. The client incurs medical expenses equal to the excess amount (spenddown) before medical benefits can be authorized. Spenddown can be thought of like an insurance deductible. The amount of the client's spenddown is computed using a base period consisting of three consecutive calendar months. The client may get medical benefits for all or part of the base period, depending on when spenddown is met.

• Medical Care Services (MCS). This program is part of general assistance. It is the state-funded medical program, providing limited medical benefits to individuals eligible for the Alcoholism and Drug Addition and Treatment and Support Act (ADATSA) program and General Assistance Unemployable (GA-U). Income resource limits are the same as for CN medical programs.

• Aged, Blind, or Disabled (ABD). This is a program for individuals with income and resources below federal SSI limits. These individuals may receive both SSI cash benefits and CN medical, or they may receive CN medical only. CN income and resource standards are the same as for SSI cash benefits.

• Medically Indigent (MI). This state-funded program provides very limited medical coverage for persons, with an emergency medical condition requiring hospital services, who are not eligible for any other medical program. Resource and income limits for the MI program are the same as for MN. Clients with excess income and/or resources above MI limits are not eligible for MI until they spend down the excess income.

Medicare. Medicare is a Health Insurance Program for individuals 65 years old and older; some people with disabilities, under 65 years of age; and people with End-Stage Renal Disease (permanent kidney failure requiring dialysis or a transplant). The Health Care Financing Administration (HCFA) administers Medicare, covering 39 million Americans. Medicare has two parts:

• Part A subsidizes care in hospitals, skilled nursing facilities, hospice, and some home health care. Beneficiaries with a sufficient earnings history do not pay a premium for Part A.

• Part B helps pay for doctors, outpatient hospital care, and some other medical services not covered under Part A, including services of physical and occupational therapists, and some health services. Part B helps pay for covered medically necessary doctor services. Consumers are responsible for the monthly Medicare premium of $45.50. The cost of Part B may increase 10 percent for each 12-month period that an individual has Part B but did not take it. Enrollment in Part B is optional; the premium is usually deducted from Social Security, Railroad Retirement, or Civil Service Retirement payment.

The original Medicare plan is available everywhere in the United States. It is the most common plan for receiving Medicare Part A and Part B benefits. An individual may go to any doctor, specialist, or hospital that accepts Medicare. Some people also have access to Medicare Managed Care Plans. Under the Managed Care Plan, an individual is restricted to doctors, specialists and hospitals that are part of the plan. Plans must cover all Medicare Part A and B benefits. Some plans cover extras, like prescription drugs. Private Fee-for-Service Plans is a new health care choice in some regions of the country. An individual may still see any doctor, specialist, or hospital. Plans must cover all Medicare Part A and B benefits. Some plans include extras, such as extra days in the hospital. The plan, not Medicare, determines the cost to the consumer.

Food Stamp Program. The Economic Services Administration (ESA) in the Department of Social and Health Services administers the general eligibility requirements for the federal food assistance program. The federal Food Assistance Program helps low-income individuals and families, people with disabilities, the elderly, and refugees and immigrants obtain a more nutritious diet by supplementing their income with food stamp benefits. During Fiscal Year 1998, ESA provided monthly Food Stamp benefits to 370,234 persons.

Additionally, a household is categorically eligible to receive food benefits when all members are eligible to receive a cash benefit under any of the following cash assistance programs:

• Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF);
• State Family Assistance (SFA);
• Supplemental Security Income (SSI); or
• General Assistance Cash Programs.

Persons with disabilities may have special eligibility when the individual receives SSI, receives disability payments, receives disability-related medical assistance under Title XIX of the Social Security Act, is a veteran and receives disability payments, or is a spouse of a veteran and has a disability.

Food Assistance Program for Legal Immigrants (FAP). The 1996 Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act, or welfare reform, restricted certain aliens lawfully admitted entry to the United States from receiving food stamp benefits. In response to the federal welfare reform, the Washington State legislature authorized a state funded food assistance program to provide benefits to those aliens who were no longer eligible for federal benefits solely due to new alien requirements. The Food Assistance Program for Legal Immigrants was implemented on September 1, 1997.¹⁰⁷

Project Access. Project Access is a one-year pilot program in the Seattle/Tacoma area. It extends telephone service to people with no phones. The program offers free community service voice mail to Department of Social and Health Services (DSHS) clients and free local telephone service in community sites that have volunteered to host Project Access telephones. Project Access is funded from unclaimed refund money resulting from a court settlement. The money was granted to DSHS from the Washington Utilities and Transportation Commission for the project.

Washington Telephone Assistance Program (WTAP). Adults receiving DSHS benefits in a program such as Food Stamps or TANF probably qualify for WTAP benefits too. WTAP offers a monthly discount on basic local telephone service. Currently, WTAP customers pay $4 monthly plus taxes. This is a $12 discount from the typical US West bill. WTAP may pay up to 100 percent of the connection fee for a new telephone service. With a valid Department of Social and Health Services Client ID number, individuals can register for WTAP by contacting their local telephone company.

Services for the Blind.¹⁰⁸ The Washington State Department of Services for the Blind (DSB) provides a variety of programs to blind and visually impaired persons of all ages. This includes individuals whose vision is not correctable by ordinary eye care. DSB seeks to promote the economic and social independence of people who are blind or visually impaired through employment, training and other opportunities. Through a VR program, a counselor can assist persons in developing an individualized written rehabilitation plan, to identify the job the person wants and all of the necessary steps achieve it. The program also provides a job training program, assisting individuals in developing skills and a job placement program.

Assistive Technology. This is a program that provides technical assistance and support for employers of blind or visually impaired employees. Assistive technology works cooperatively with the business and the employee to assess the work site and job duties and make recommendations to enable job success. Examples of recommendations include assistive technology devices, job modification or restructuring, skills such as Braille and keyboarding, and other tools. Additionally, assistive technology can train and support the employee in the use of assistive technology devices. DSB also provides information to employers about hiring and retaining individuals with disabilities.

D. Education, Training and Rehabilitation

Education and Rehabilitation programs are designed to help individuals invest in developing their abilities and skills, often with the primary goal of helping individuals become employed and self-sufficient. Programs and policies related to education and rehabilitation for individuals with disabilities are described below.

Education Programs and Policies. Under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), states are required to provide free appropriate public education for students with disabilities at the elementary and secondary level. Schools are required to create Individual Education Programs (IEPs) to help assist youth with disabilities obtain important services at no additional cost to their families. IEPs provide a central guide to available services as well as a plan for post-secondary transitions for school to work for all youth with disabilities during secondary school. Also, the US Department of Education, Office of Special Education (OSEP) provides grants to assist states in providing services.

WorkFirst Program--Employment Support.¹⁰⁹ The WorkFirst program offers services and activities to help people in low-income families find jobs, keep their jobs, search for better jobs, and become self-sufficient. Low-income families refer are those people with income before 175 percent of the Federal Poverty Level (FPL). This program links families to a variety of state, federal, and community resources to meet this goal. Examples of services include the following.

• The Re-Employ Washington Workers program which helps low income workers applying for Unemployment Insurance (UI) benefits return to work and avoid applying for TANF assistance;
• Child support allotment;
• Food Stamps;
• Job search and retention services;
• Working Connections Child Care;
• Medical Assistance;
• Tuition assistance from the community and technical colleges; and
• WorkFirst support services.

WorkFirst--Training Services.¹¹⁰ TANF recipients and other parents with income up to 175 percent of FPL are eligible for the following training programs.

• Pre-Employment Training: Customized training by the community or technical college to meet the needs of a particular employer or group of employers. This service enables TANF and other low-income parents to develop the skills needed to get a better first job and gives them priority in hiring.

• Workplace Basic Skills: Training at a work site, customized to meet the employer needs. It is designed to help less job-ready workers retain their present job and develop long-term attachment to the workforce.

• Work-Based Learning Tuition Assistance: This benefit makes employment-oriented training opportunities at community and technical colleges available to working parents who are not eligible for other forms of financial aid.

• Families That Work: This service is a college program that helps develop literacy, parenting and workplace skills. It is targeted at pregnant women, parents of infants, teen parents, and others who are in earliest stages of focusing on work.

• Community Jobs: This is a benefit that provides subsidized public and non-profit sector employment for hard-to-employ TANF recipients, who concurrently receive training to develop work skills.

• Re-Employ Washington Workers. Unemployment claimants with dependent children with income below 175 percent of FPL are eligible for this benefit. This program provides subsidized childcare and other support services while a client is in intensive job search activities. Clients who become employed within six weeks and are still employed after twelve weeks, in a job at the same or higher wage than their previous employment, will receive a cash bonus.

Vocational Rehabilitation. The Washington State Department of Vocational Rehabilitation (DVR) assists people with disabilities to prepare for, obtain and retain employment. The Department of Vocational Rehabilitation is a state and federal-sponsored program. DVR works in partnership with the community and business to develop employment opportunities for people with disabilities. VR programs are custom-designed for each individual. DVR serves anyone who has a physical or mental impairment that results in a substantial impediment to employment; and requires VR services to prepare for, obtain, or retain employment. DVR services include the following:

• Medical Evaluation to determine a person's strengths and vocational limitations through expert medical, psychiatric, social and psychological evaluations.

• Vocational Assessment to identify a person's interests, readiness for employment, work and job opportunities in the community.

• Counseling and Guidance to establish an on-going relationship between the counselor and the individual in which they explore the evaluation results and job opportunities and develop a realistic plan to enter the labor market.

• Restoration to increase work potential and ability to retain a job through use of medical and assistive technologies.

• Job Preparation to build work skills needed to enable a person to obtain employment. These services may include volunteer experience, on-the-job training, vocational education or classroom training.

• Support Services to support an individual in completing the rehabilitation plan and becoming employed. Services include transportation assistance, the purchase of tools, equipment, books or work clothes, and support for independent living.

• Job Match/Placement to assist in developing work opportunities and in obtaining and maintaining a job suited to the person's interests and capabilities.

• Follow-up to follow a person's progress on the job for at least 90 days to ensure the employment is satisfactory.

• Post-Employment to provide short-term services to foster job retention.

• Independent Living to provide evaluations and services to assist persons in dealing with life issues that impede rehabilitation and employment goals. These services include accessing community resources, self-advocacy skills, money management and personal organization skills.

• Assistive Technology Services to assist a person in the evaluation, selection, acquisition, or use of an assistive technology device to increase, maintain, or improve their functional capabilities.

Windmills. Windmills is a complimentary employer training program of the Department of Vocational Rehabilitation designed to further understanding and knowledge about employment opportunities for people with disabilities. The program aims to help people examine their own perceptions of persons with disabilities, is individually tailored to meet each company's needs, and is based on everyday work situations. It assists employers in hiring qualified applicants; informs employers about inexpensive, simple accommodations which enable a person who is disabled to perform effectively; and it furthers understanding about workers who have become disabled.¹¹¹

On-line Resume System. All Department of Vocational Rehabilitation participants may submit their resumes through the DVR website to present abilities with prospective employers. Businesses wishing to recruit applicants with disabilities can search for resumes through the on-line database. Individuals not involved with DVR may still enter their resume on-line at the Washington Online Reemployment Kiosk (WORK), which has a link on the DVR page.¹¹²

Job Search Handbook. The Job Search Handbook is a DVR publication that contains information, techniques and tips on finding the right job. Free print copies of this publication are available through a DVR counselor or at a DVR Job Resource Center. The handbook contains information on organizing a job search, assessing skills, preparing for work, job listings, tips on interviews, disability disclosure information, ADA and other programs and policies for people with disabilities.¹¹³

Job Resource Centers. Many DVR offices are equipped with Job Resource Centers to provide individuals necessary resources for job searching. Some DVR offices also have workshops to assist in career planning and job searching. Resources available include computers and laser printers, telephones, books on resume and cover letter writing, job postings, newspapers and business journals, employer contacts resources, fax and copy machine, career exploration resources, resume paper, information on the Americans with Disabilities Act, labor market information.

Employment Services for Businesses.¹¹⁴ The Washington State Department of Vocational Rehabilitation provides free services to businesses to assist in hiring and retaining employees with disabilities. The following types of services are offered to businesses:

• Employment Services. These services include pre-screening applicants based on essential job requirements; computerized skill assessment and job match; referral of qualified workers; job-related training of applicants; On-the-Job-Training (OJT): an individualized worksite program; on-site job trainer and support services; follow-up services.

• Personnel Assistance. DVR assists businesses in the implementation of the Americans with Disability Act (ADA) in the areas of recruiting, affirmative action planning, workforce diversity consultation, and reasonable accommodation support in Employee Assistance and/or advisory program.

• Staff Development. The DVR provides custom designed training programs for management, staff and co-workers including, "Windmills," (see above), as well as training and technical assistance regarding "AIDS in the Workplace," and "The Americans with Disability Act (ADA)."

• Technical Assistance. These services include job/task analysis to determine essential job requirements, job site assessment in job restructuring/work site adjustment, accessibility/barrier removal, and assistive technology including devices and specialized equipment for workplace accommodation.

• Financial Incentives. The DVR also providers financial incentives to employers related to the hiring of individuals with disabilities. These incentives include reimbursement for the cost of on-the-job training expenses, business tax incentives for hiring workers with disabilities including:
  • Work Opportunity Tax Credit (WOTC). See description under Tax Policies.
  • Employee Accessibility Deduction. See description under Tax Policies.

  • Accessibility Credit (IRS Code Section 44). See description under Tax Policies.

Workforce Investment Act Implementation. The Workforce Investment Act of 1998 (WIA) rewrites federal statutes governing job training programs, adult education and literacy, and VR. It is intended to provide a more coordinated, customer-friendly, locally driven workforce development system supported by an enhanced statistics system. Under WIA, states have oversight of the statewide system of Workforce Investment Boards (WIBs), administer the Employment Service (labor exchange), administer job training programs, and build and manage a statewide employment statistics system.

Workforce Investment Boards (WIBs). Development and Designation of Local WIB Areas and Regionalization: Executive Order No. 36 (1995) established county-based WIBs in recognition of county-level delivery of the majority of workforce development programs. This emphasis will not change with the advent of WIA. Key activities for this year are to support the identification of One Stop Career Centers by Workforce Investment Boards, provide true integration of services, identify a defined level of service at all One Stop system locations, increase employer participation in the public labor exchange, and participate in the national-state linkage to the electronic labor exchange by being part of the nationally sponsored One Stop Operating System.

Workforce Development Partnership Program (WDP). The Workforce Investment Act focuses on placing individuals in jobs, and then providing the necessary training to enable them to retain those jobs. The WDP program offers an array of job skills training, education and support services both to unemployed individuals and to employers needing to upgrade the skills of their workers. Qualified individuals can receive individual training and education grants, additional unemployment benefits while in training, and tuition waivers at public institutions of higher education. Employers can receive matching funds, through the Office of Customized Training, to pay for training designed to improve worker productivity, occupational safety and health and the company's market position. Plans for this year are to increase the number of workers trained through customized training grants and to coordinate the development of the WIA individual training accounts with the WDP individual grants to maximize the use of these funds, subject to available funding.

Job Accommodation Network. The Job Accommodation Network (JAN), a service of the President's Committee on Employment of People with Disabilities, is a toll-free information and referral service providing information on job accommodation, employers' responsibilities under the ADA, and on technical assistance, funding, education, and services related to the employment of people with disabilities. JAN also analyzes trends and statistical data related to the technical assistance it provides.¹¹⁵

E. Community-Based Programs and Policies

The community health clinics in Washington State comprise a network of community and migrant health centers, public hospital-affiliated clinics, and local public health jurisdictions. These entities arrange and provide services to low-income and special populations. Special target populations eligible to receive clinic services include migrant farm workers, minority populations, people with HIV/AIDS, people with developmental disabilities, substance abusers, mental health consumers, homeless and the elderly.

The majority of patients using the clinics are recipients of public health insurance; most pay for it using the sliding scale. Physicians, physicians' assistants, advanced registered nurse practitioners, and dentists provide direct clinical services such as periodic screenings, well child care, family planning, high risk obstetrical deliveries, acute-episodic medical care, emergency/after hours medical services, and management of chronic medical problems.

Community health clinics are funded from primarily from Medicare, Medicaid and private insurance. Federal, state, and local governmental agency grants also contributes to the clinics' funding stream. The Community Health Services, housed in the Washington State Health Care Authority, provides over $6 million annually to fund 31 clinics throughout the state. The agency also provides technical assistance, consultation, education and training to the clinics. Moreover, it aims to serve as a liaison between the clinics and other state agencies.¹¹⁶

F. Private and Non-Profit Programs

Project ABLE (Able Beneficiaries Link to Employers). Project ABLE is a national resume bank that provides employers an easily accessible applicant pool of qualified job-ready individuals who are interested in working. The resume bank operates through the joint efforts of the Office of Personnel Management (OPM), SSA, RSA, the VA, and state VR agencies. The program is designed to provide employers access to quality human resources while providing training and employment services to eligible people with disabilities.¹¹⁷

The Arc of Washington State. Since 1936, The Arc of Washington State has been a leader in the development of services and programs for people with developmental disabilities, such as, autism, cerebral palsy, mental retardation, epilepsy and related neurological disorders which occur before age 18. The Arc of Washington State, a non-profit organization, is affiliated with the Arc of the United States and eleven local ARC chapters throughout the state. The mission of The Arc of Washington State is to promote the education, health, self-sufficiency, self-advocacy, inclusion and choices of individuals with developmental disabilities and their families.

Easter Seals Washington.¹¹⁸ The Easter Seals Washington is a direct service organization that is committed to providing high quality programs and services to enable people with disabilities and their families to live with equality, dignity and independence. The organization has a statewide network of services and facilities governed by a volunteer Board of Directors, professional staff and volunteers. The organization's services include the following services:

• Assistive Technology. This program utilizes an Eastern Washington demonstration referral, education and training center, in collaboration with the Washington Assistive Technology Alliance (WATA) (See Public In-Kind Supports). Services are provided to all persons with disabilities, community service providers, teachers and trainers.

• Housing Assistance Program. This program identifies accessible housing and refers housing to persons who are living with a permanent mobility or sensory limitation and are residing in housing that does not meet their access needs. The program promotes increased independence, community integration and health and safety for persons with disabilities. The goal of the program is to promote self-sufficiency and to ensure personal dignity.

• Child Development Centers. The Easter Seals approach to childcare is based on a mission to support childhood care and education to children of all levels of ability. Easter Seals promotes the young child's development in all areas with positive, supportive and individualized relationships with professional, attentive, caring adults, as well as meaningful peer interactions. Easter Seals provides an environment where activities are based on developmentally appropriate practices and an applied anti-bias curriculum. The curriculum values and solicits diversity of ability and culture in its families and staff.

G. Tax Policies

Work Opportunity Tax Credit (WOTC).¹¹⁹ Through this program, an employer may qualify for a tax credit for a portion of wages that they pay to workers with disabilities referred by the Department of Vocational Rehabilitation. The program provides special tax credits to employers that hire people with disabilities.

Deduction for Removal of Barriers (IRS Code Section 190). Taxpayers may deduct expenses for making a facility or vehicle used in their business more accessible to persons with disabilities.

Accessibility Credit (IRS Code Section 44). An eligible small business that pays or incurs expenses for providing access to persons with disabilities is allowed a tax credit.

Earned Income Tax Credit.¹²⁰ The Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) is a tax credit that can reduce the amount of income tax owed and can give taxpayers a large refund. Even if a taxpayer does not owe money in taxes, they can often receive money back from the EITC. Eligibility for the EITC is based on employment in the previous year, income and the number of qualifying children in the household. For instance, an individual may be able to claim EITC if he or she was employed in 1999 and he or she:

• Earned less than $30,580, and has two or more qualifying children; or
• Earned less than $26,928, and has one qualifying child; or
• Earned less than $10,200, and has no qualifying children, and are between the ages of 25 and 64.

NOTES

1. Figures in this table are from model-based estimates by the U.S. Census Bureau using data from the 1990 Census, which are the latest data available (U.S. Census Bureau, 2000).

2. Website: http://www.dss.cahwnet.gov/getser/ssissp.html

3. As of January 2001, this amount applies to non-blind individuals. The SGA level is adjusted annually based on increases in the national average wage index.

4. Livermore, Gina A., David C. Stapleton, Mark W. Nowak, David C. Wittenburg, Elizabeth D. Eiseman, The Economics of Policies and Programs Affecting the Employment of People with Disabilities. Washington, DC: a report prepared for the U.S. Department of Education, National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research, March 2000.

5. Website: http://www.edd.cahwnet.gov/diind.htm

6. Website: http://www.dir.ca.gov/DWC/basics.htm

7. Website: http://www.dir.ca.gov/DWC/basics.htm

8. Livermore, et al., 2000.

9. TANF replaces the Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC) program.

10. Website: http://www.welfarereformer.org/states/cal-tanf.htm

11. Website: http://www.lao.ca.gov/ga_hearing.html

12. Website: http://www.dss.cahwnet.gov/getser/efap.html

13. Website: http://www.dss.cahwnet.gov/calworks.caworks.htm

14. Website: http://www.ds.cahwnet.gov/getinfo/faq/faqsprogram.htm

15. Website: http://www.edd.cahwnet.gov/uifaq.htm

16. An "1115 Waiver" refers to Section 1115 of the federal Social Security Act, which allows the Secretary of Health and Human Services to waive any provision of Medicaid law for demonstration projects that test a program improvement of innovate a new idea of interest to the Health Care Financing Administration (HCFA). (See http://phps.dhs.co.la.ca.us/waiver/faq/faq2.htm.)

17. Website: http://www.dof.ca.gov/html/BUDGT00-01/Health&HumanSrv-T.htm

18. Website: http://www.lapublichealth.org/mch/cpsp/cpspdes.htm

19. Website: http://healthyfamilies.ca.gov/Handbook/HBpg6.htm

20. Website: http://www.dof.ca.gov/html/BUDGT00-01/Health&HumanSrv-T.htm

21. Website: http://phps.dhs.co.la.ca.us/chdp/chdpserv.htm

22. Website: http://www.dmh.cahwnet.gov/braindamaged.htm

23. Website: http://www.dmh.cahwnet.gov/caregiver.htm

24. Website: http://www.dmh.cahwnet.gov/child_sysofcare.htm#1

25. Website: http://dmh.ca.la.ca.us/scripts/overview.htm

26. Website: http://www.mrmib.ca.gov/MRMIB/MRMIP/MRMIP.htm

27. Website: http://www.dss.cahwnet.gov/getser/adpscvs.html

28. Website: http://dcss.co.la.ca.us/AAA/Icdp.htm

29. Websites: http://www.pmdc.org/English/Eng_navframe.htm; http://www.dhs.cahwnet.gov/ps/ooa/care/adap.htm

30. Website: http://www.dhs.cahwnet.gov/ps/ooa/carehipp.htm

31. Website: http://phps/dhs.co.la.ca.us/phcommon/public

32. Website: http://www.dhs.cahwnet.gov/mcs/cpltc/html/consumer.htm

33. Website: http://www.dss.cahwnet.gov/getser/foodsta.html

34. Website: http://www.dss.cahwnet.gov/getser/foodsta.html

35. Website: http://www.dss.cahwnet.gov/getser/dogprog.html

36. Website: http://www.csd.ca.gov/LIHEAP.htm

37. Website: http://www.csd.ca.gov/CSBG.htm

38. Livermore et al., 2000.

39. Website: http://www.hud.gov/progdesc/811main.cfm

40. Website: http://www.dds.ca.gov/LivingArrang/main/res001.cfm

41. Website: http://www.dds.ca.gov/LivingArrang/main/fha001.cfm

42. Website: http://www.dds.ca.gov/LivingArrang/main/ffa001.cfm

43. Website: http://www.dds.ca.gov/LivingArrang/main/indiv001.cfm

44. Website: http://www.dds.ca.gov/LivingArrang/main/sls001.cfm

45. Website: http://www.dof.ca.gov/html/BUDGT00-01/Health&HumanSrv-T.htm

46. Website: http://www.state.nj.us/labor/pdf/annual.pdf

47. Website: http://www.edd/cahwnet.gov/wiaind.htm

48. Website: http://wib.co.la.ca.us

49. Website: http://www.ns.net/cadva/service/morecdwa.html

50. Website: http://www.edd.ca.gov/jtpaind.htm

51. Website: http://www.edd.ca.gov/jsind.htm

52. Website: http://www.dds.ca.gov/DayProgram/main/day001.cfm

53. Website: http://www.dds.ca.gov/earlyStart/main/prev004.htm

54. Website: http://www.dds.ca.gov/earlyStart/main/prev004.htm

55. Website: http://www.lacoe.edu/head_start/hdst_prog1.html

56. Website: http://www.lacoe.edu

57. Website: http://www.lacoe.edu

58. Livermore et al., 2000

59. Website: http://www.dds.cahwnet.gov/DayProgram/main/day001.cfm

60. Livermore et al., 2000

61. Website: http://www.thearc.org

62. Website: http://www.arcnj.org/html/hire.html

63. Website: http://www.nfbcal.org

64. Website: http://www/essc/org/AboutEasterSeals/FAQs.html

65. Website: http://www.ns.net/OAB/briefing.htm

66. Website: http://www.cfilc.org/about/background.html

67. Website: http://www.irs.gov

68. Website: http://www.abag.ca.gov/planning/housingneeds/.../TqaxCreditsForLow-IncomeHousing.html

69. Website: http://edd.cahwnet.gov/sotcintr.htm

70. Website: http://www.state.nj.us./humanservices/ssi.html

71. As of January 2001, this amount applies to non-blind individuals. The SGA level is adjusted annually based on increases in the national average wage index.

72. Livermore, Gina A., David C. Stapleton, Mark W. Nowak, David C. Wittenburg, Elizabeth D. Eiseman, The Economics of Policies and Programs Affecting the Employment of People with Disabilities. Washington, DC: a report prepared for the U.S. Department of Education, National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research, March 2000.

73. Website: http://www.wnjpin.state.nj.us/OneStopCareerCenter/OtherInformation/DivVocRe.../tdi/htm

74. Website: http://www.state.nj.us/labor/wc/wc-info.htm

75. Website: http://www.state.nj.us/labor/wc/benefit.htm

76. Livermore et al., 2000

77. New Jersey defines allowable work activities as: unsubsidized employment, subsidized private or public sector employment, work experience, alternative work experience, on-the-job training, job search and job readiness assistance, community service programs, vocational educational training, job skills training directly related to employment, education directly related to employment, work related educational enhancement, and provision of child care services.

78. Websites: http://www.hudson.org/wpc/states/nj-tanf.htm; http://www.ctaa.org/ntrc/atj/pubs/states-move/welfare-nj.shtml

79. Hudson Institute, Welfare Policy Center

80. Website: http://www.state.nj.us/humanservices/tanf3.html#t36

81. Website: http://www.familiesusa.org/pubs/tanfup.htm

82. Website: http://www.state.nj.us/humanservices/DFD/wfnj.html

83. Website: http://www.state.nj.us/humanservices/dhsmed/html

84. Website: http://www.state.nj.us/humanservices/ebt.html

85. Website: http://www.state.nj.us/humanservices/henas/html

86. Website: http://www.state.nj.us/dca/hmfa/specneed

87. Website: http://www.njpanda.org/tarp/index.html

88. Website: http://www.state.nj.us/labor/pdf/annual.pdf

89. Website: http://www.ilr.cornell.edu/PED/dbtac.html

90. Livermore et al., 2000

91. Livermore et al., 2000

92. Website: http://www.jvsnj.org/workfirst.html

93. Website: http://www.wa.gov/dshs/dockets/99aug24_2598.html

94. This represents 1.98 percent of 1996 population estimates.

95. As of January 2001, this amount applies to non-blind individuals. The SGA level is adjusted annually based on increases in the national average wage index.

96. Livermore, Gina A., David C. Stapleton, Mark W. Nowak, David C. Wittenburg, Elizabeth D. Eiseman, The Economics of Policies and Programs Affecting the Employment of People with Disabilities. Washington, DC: a report prepared for the U.S. Department of Education, National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research, March 2000.

97. "Workers' Guide to Industrial Insurance Benefits," State of Washington Department of Labor. July 17, 2000.

98. Ibid.

99. Website: http://www.state.nj.us/labor/wc/wc-info.htm

100. Livermore et al., 2000

101. The current caseload figure represents a decrease of 1,080 cases from the previous month and a reduction of 5,713 from the year before. Since January 1997, the overall reduction was 39,745 (41 percent).

102. Website: http://www.wa.gov/dshs/EAZManual/Sections/PS_SFA.htm

103. Employment Security Department, http://www.wa.gov/esd/ui.htm

104. Website: http://www.wa.gov/dshs/EAZManual/Sections/PS_GAU.htm

105. Website: http://maa.dshs.wa.gov/Eligibility/Overview.htm

106. Website: http://www.kff.org/docs/state/states/wa/html

107. Website: http://www.wa/gov/dshs/EAZManual/Sections/PS_FAP.htm

108. Website: http://www.wa.gov/dsb

109. Washington State's Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) State Plan (Amended May 22, 2000). pp.1-1 to 1-3.

110. Washington State's Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) State Plan (Amended May 22, 2000). pp.II-8 to II-9.

111. Website: http://www.wa.gov/dshs/dvr/employers/windmills.htm

112. Website: http://www.wa.gov/dshs/dvr/jobseekers/jobseekers.htm

113. Ibid.

114. Website: http://www.wa.gov/dshs/dvr/employers/employmentservices.htm

115. Livermore et al., 2000

116. Website: http://www.wa.gov/hca/chs

117. Livermore et al., 2000

118. "Easter Seals Washington," http://www.seals.org

119. Employment Services. http://www.wa.gov/dshs/dvr/employers/emplymentaservices.htm

120. Website: http://www.wa.gov/WORKFIRST/eitc/worker.htm