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Funding Sources for
Community-Based Supported Employment
Start-up Funds
Individual Job Coaching
MA Rehabilitation Commission (MRC)
Office of Employment Services (OES)
Per-hour fee paid to service provider or individual job coach for services
including travel training, job placement, job coaching, and follow-up;
time limit determined by Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) counselor
Job Training Partnership Act (JTPA)
Private Industry Council (PIC)
Contracts awarded to programs to provide short-term assistance for
participants to overcome barriers to employment; services can include skill
training, job placement, and support; payment to service provider is performance-based
Projects with Industry (PWI)
Rehab. Services Administration (RSA)
Dept. of Labor (DOL)
Contracts awarded to programs to assist disabled/disadvantaged to obtain
competitive employment; services can include full range of rehab services;
time frame limited to a 60-90 day follow-up
Supported Work/Mentally Retarded (SW/MR)/Emotionally Disabled (SW/ED)
MRC Office of Employment Services (OES)
Contracts awarded to programs to transition MR/DD or ED consumers into
competitive employment; services include evaluation, training, and support
services; services have 12-month time limit
SW Program for GR/AFDC Recipients
Dept. of Public Welfare (DPW)
Contracts awarded to programs to transition GR/AFDC recipients into
full-time competitive employment; services can include skill training,
job placement, and support; payment to agency is performance based, time
frame is usually less than six months
Title I: Case Management
MRC/MCB Offices
Funds Evaluation, Skills Training, Personal Adjustment Training, and
Post-Employment Services; can also be used for SE services; limited to
VR consumers; negotiated day rate; time limit six months or at the discretion
of VR counselor
Title VI-C: Supported Employment
MRC/OES
Start-up contracts awarded to programs to provide SE services to specific
disability groups; funding limited to 18 months
Funding Sources for Ongoing or Extended Employment Support*
Day Activity/Work Activity
Dept. of Mental Retardation (DMR)
Utilizing/converting existing monies to SE; will need to negotiate
with DMR regarding program service requirements; limited to current DMR
consumers
Day Treatment, Vocational Services
Dept. of Mental Health (DMH)
Utilizing/converting existing monies to SE; will need to negotiate
with DMH regarding program service requirements; limited to current DMH
consumers
Extended Employment Program (EEP)
MRC Office of Employment Services
Utilizing/converting existing monies to SE; limited to EEP-eligible
VR consumers; consumers must work 20 or more hours per week with no more
than eight consumers on a work site
Impairment Related Work Expenses (IRWE)
Social Security Administration
Costs incurred by consumer for specialized services that allow a person
to hold a job are deducted from income figure used to calculate benefits;
services can include specialized transportation, PCA, work modifications,
etc.; must be reported directly to SSA
Program for Achieving Self Sufficiency (PASS)
Social Security Administration
Consumer pays for work-related service(s) with amount paid subtracted
from income figure used to calculate SSI benefits; limited to SSI recipients;
awarded for up to 48 months, but person may re-apply
Private Payment
Consumer/Family
Consumer and/or family pays cost of support and other services
Medicaid
State Medicaid plans through DMR and DMH
Section 1619(b) continues Medicaid coverage for most working SSI beneficiaries
under age 65 when their earnings become too high to allow an SSI cash payment
*The funding sources mentioned here can be
used alone or in conjunction with start-up funding to develop SE programs
and provide initial training.
Note: Along with the funding sources already mentioned, a wide variety
of funding is available through federal, state, and local grants (demonstration
projects), private nonprofit organizations (e.g., United Way), private
foundations (e.g., Boston Foundation), and large corporations (e.g., AT&T,
Mitsubishi). Most of these sources are time-limited (1-3 years) and many
require matching funds.
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