Protection and Advocacy for Beneficiaries of Social Security (PABSS)

Protection and Advocacy for Beneficiaries of Social Security (PABSS) The PABSS Program is a federally funded program authorized by the Ticket to Work and Work Incentive Improvement Act of 1999. The Act authorizes the Social Security Administration (SSA) to fund ADAP to provide work incentive assistance to SSDI and SSI beneficiaries seeking vocational rehabilitation, employment and other support services or seeking to secure or regain employment.
ADAP Social Security Brochures
  • Beneficiaries of Social Security - a brochure to assist Social Security beneficiaries with return to work issues.
  • Get Ready for Work!- brochure describing the assistance provided to Social Security beneficiaries to help them overcome barriers that are preventing them from working or from pursuing high education opportunities.
  • SSI for Youth Who Want To Work - Employment Supports for Youth Who Receive Supplemental Security Income (SSI)

State Resources
  • The Alabama Work Incentives Network (Ala-WIN) - Ala-WIN helps SSI and SSDI beneficiaries, between the ages of 14 and 64, understand their work options so that they may make more informed choices regarding employment. Ala-WIN is administered by Independent Living Resources of Greater Birmingham, Inc. and United Cerebral Palsy of Greater Birmingham and serves 38 central and northern Alabama Counties.
  • Alabama Department of Rehabilitation Services (ADRS) Social Security Disability Programs - Serving 29 counties in the southern part of the state, ADRS operates a work incentives program to help SSI and SSDE beneficiaries make informed decisions regarding issues related to returning to work and how employment may affect their current and future benefit status

National Resources
Other
  • Supplemental Security Income (SSI): The Bridge to Work This parent training curriculum from PACER Center was developed for Partners for Youth, a Minnesota Disability Employment Initiative project funded by a U.S. Department  of Labor grant to the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development. It provides answers to common questions families have about Social Security benefits and highlights federal and state training programs and Social Security Work Incentives that can help transition-age youth reach their educational and work goals while receiving Supplemental Security Income (SSI). The curriculum can be used by parent centers and other organizations or individuals offering training to parents of youth with disabilities in middle school or high school. (Download only.) Trainer's Manual (pdf)  PowerPoint Presentation
 
  • Social Security Disability Benefits in Transition Planning - This resource from VCU's Work Incentive Planning & Assistance National Training Center provides a thoughtful discussion of factors that contribute to the fact that benefits counseling is seldom considered a part of the special education transition planning process–even when youth currently receive or are potentially eligible to receive them. It also offers strategies Community Work Incentive Coordinators (CWICs), educators, vocational rehabilitation professionals and others can use to help youth with disabilities and their families make informed decisions and strive towards youth employment goals. Benefit planners will appreciate the in-depth information; non-specialists will be able to find information to combat misinformation, reassure families, and promote high expectations. Read more (pdf).
 
  • How to Make SSI Work for You: Simply Said - This youth- and family-friendly video focuses on how to find help available to young adults with disabilities after they leave high school. Several federal government programs that help eligible youth work toward their postsecondary and employment goals are featured, including SSI, Social Security Work Incentives, and Vocational Rehabilitation. This video was also developed for the Minnesota Disability Employment Initiative Partners for Youth project. Watch the Video  or paste this link in your browser: http://www.pacer.org/transition/video/player.asp?video=103