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A quick reference guide to government benefits and back-to-work programs
Legislated changes in Government Social Service Programs in 2005 included eligibility, procedure, privatization and
consolidation. The rules are likely to become more complex in 2006. Timely, accurate and easy to understand information for
providers has become critical if they are to help persons in need acquire basic services.
At the Center, we believe the ideal solution is a provider guide to government programs. A Toolkit, which would enable
casemanagers to manage the complexity of federal, state, and local benefit and back to work programs. A Toolkit that would
promote client stabilization in the community and when ready, return to self-sufficiency.
We began our search for a comprehensive resource of federal, state and local benefits and back to work services with an
internet search, a provider survey of case managers, government agency personnel, academics, consumers and their families and,
a literature survey of the leading vocational research authorities; Bond, Becker, Anthony, Drake and Mowbrey.
While we found a number of sites which contained benefit forms or links to forms, a simple summary of the essential programs
for the majority of clients, which contained precise eligibility criteria, benefit amounts, earnings caps, exceptions and allowances
from the consumer's perspective and in plain English, were not found.
Thru the internet search and surveys we learned...
- The overwhelming majority of consumers, their families, professionals, educators and government officials simply do not
know enough about the majority of critical services available to optimize timely treatment. ( Our surveys of over one-hundred
casemanagers' knowledge of basic benefits (their Benefits IQ) among community, Federal, State and local Government agencies
averaged 26 percent correct!)
- Government agencies have different program eiligibility criteria, earned income penalties and language which makes it very
difficult to comprehend, compare and evaluate.
In response to this universal need for an easy to use quick reference source of accurate, up to date information of the essential
benefits, forms and economics of recovery, we developed the Center for Career Freedom's Case Manager's Toolkit. It consists of three
parts:
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