Abby Cooperⁱ

Washington State Division of Vocational Rehabilitation (DVR) has always viewed its mission to provide services that enhance customers' quality-of-life through the obtainment of employment. During the last couple of years our thinking has shifted to understanding how important it is to also help our customers develop assets so that they can become -- and remain--economically self-sufficient. This is not the traditional perspective of Public Rehabilitation. However, as we became actively involved in assisting our counselors and customers to understand benefits planning and to use work incentives strategically, it was a natural evolution to think in terms of economic self-sufficiency. Our Benefit Planners are expanding their role to assist customers and counselors to think about how to use all work incentives and resources from an array of silos as one of the tools to achieve economic self-sufficiency.

Washington State DVR clearly understands a job, even a career, is not magic. It does not solve the array of barriers individuals who are poor and/or disabled face: poor credit, limitations on assets, predatory lending, public benefits complexities, inadequate medical insurance and poor money management skills. All of these barriers make economic achievement extremely difficult for a person with a disability. This reality made us want to try new and different strategies to increase our customers' success and decrease our recidivism rate. We wanted to implement strategies that could enhance customers becoming economically self-sufficient.

Using Individual Development Accounts (IDAs) to support homeownership, although important, was outside of our mission. Since we already paid for school and training, it did not make sense to have someone use an IDA for school. However, we noticed many of our self-employment customers appeared to struggle financially after their case was closed with us, due to unexpected business costs. It seemed that having an IDA could help address this problem. IDAs for customers who were seeking self-employment became part of our strategy to help customers become economically self-sufficient.

It did not seem feasible for DVR to provide the IDA infrastructure and supports ourselves. Instead, we chose to partner with organizations that received federal grant funds from the federal Assets for Independence Act (AFIA). DVR was willing to match IDA funds with some of our Social Security Administration (SSA) reimbursement dollars. Each Public Rehabilitation Agency receives reimbursement for the cost of a case when a customer earns Substantial Gainful Activity (SGA). One AFIA grantee had a couple of concerns with our plan. The first was that SSA dollars might be considered federal dollars. A match of federal dollars is not allowed under AFIA rules. Second, our partners were concerned they might have to restructure services to accommodate individuals with disabilities and were not sure what they needed to do. The second concern dissipated with a few conversations and the understanding that DVR would provide technical assistance if needed.

The first concern was more time consuming to solve. DVR requested and received permission from the Assets for Independence Program (AFIP) to use its SSA reimbursement dollars to support the IDAs. Because States are free to use their SSA reimbursement dollars how they choose, AFIP considered those dollars a valid source of non-federal cash contribution for AFI program grantees. This ruling freed DVR to partner with two community organizations that had AFIA funds, United Way of King County and Spokane Neighborhood Action Program. We intend, in the next two years, to expand IDA opportunities to additional parts of the state.

The Washington State Legislature recently passed a bill promoting IDAs, including providing one million dollars of State funds. This bill expands the assets an individual can save for to include assistive technology and automobiles. The bill now goes to the Governor for signature. DVR will be requesting a waiver from Social Security so that non-AFIA IDAs will not be considered a resource and affect benefits for individuals on Social Security Supplemental Income.

Washington State DVR is committed to implementing approaches that will assist our customer to become self-sufficient. We are just starting to understand all the different pieces of the puzzle and look forward discovering the solutions. We believe that IDAs can be one piece of the solution when helping individuals with disabilities obtain economic self-sufficiency.

The final text of SHB 1408- Saving, Earning and Enabling Dreams (SEED) act- can be found at:
http://www.leg.wa.gov/pub/billinfo/2005-06/Htm/Bills/House%20Passed%20Legislature/1408-S.PL.htm

i Abby Cooper designed and implemented the first community based supported employment program in Washington State. She obtained one of only seven National demonstration grants on implementing informed choice within public rehabilitation. She currently manages The Ticket to Work and Benefits planning team for Washington State Division of Vocational Rehabilitation.