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Self Employment Pilot Project

This project aims to empower individuals with disabilities by providing training sessions on utilizing Social Security Administration (SSA) work incentives for self-employment. Participants develop business plans and are guided through the PASS (Plan for Achieving Self-Support) approach. Three states - Indiana, New York, and Tennessee - hosted collaborative training with diverse professionals, facilitating over 25 clients' self-employment considerations. The project highlights successes, challenges, and essential partnerships needed for effective support in self-employment ventures and navigating SSA and vocational rehabilitation complexities.

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Self Employment Pilot Project

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  1. Self Employment Pilot Project

  2. Project Design • Three training sessions • How to utilize Social Security Administration Work Incentive programs with Self Employment • How to Develop Business Plans and Market • Develop PASS (Plan for Achieving Self Support) plans for chosen participants

  3. Project Design • Individualized technical assistance to clients to develop business plan and find funding strategies • Identify and establish Business Development Teams

  4. Outcomes

  5. Pilot Project Participants • Three state projects hosted 4 training sessions with Griffin-Hammes Associates • Indiana • New York • Tennessee *Missouri attended TN sessions

  6. AgrAbility Client Participation • Approximately 25 clients considered self employment plans • Many more discussed options but didn’t pursue any further • 6 wrote business plans • 3 business plans were directly in production agriculture

  7. Professionals attending training • Vocational rehabilitation counselors and supervisors • Extension specialists • Benefits Planning Assistance and Outreach (BPAO) specialists • High school transition specialists • Nonprofit rehabilitation agencies • Small Business Development Center staff • Credit unions • People with disabilities

  8. What Did Staff Report Learning • Interactions between SSA work incentives, VR and self employment incredibly complex • Clients motivations and fears significant factors • Need to be well organized • Better understanding of SSA/Medicare • How to get started and what’s out there • AgrAbility would be a good place to apply the work incentives for our clients

  9. Obstacles • Disincentive in losing guaranteed SSA income, when farming success uncertain • Pilot training not geared specifically to agriculture and individual state regulations • Skills of client in understanding and trusting work incentive programs • Getting clients to work with all the different assistance programs

  10. VR not used to dealing with farm plans • Variability in how VR treats farm plans • Interpretation of VR rules varied by states • VR not cooperating with small business planning • Acceptance of self employment with VR • VR making client chose either /or in program plan rather than a ‘fused’ or creative plan (school and farm)

  11. Couldn’t get some important partners involved in training; SBDC, BPAO • Different agendas of different agencies • Honesty of clients

  12. Successes • Working with new partners; like Center for Profitable Agriculture, New Ventures, Small Business Development Centers, BPAO • Business Development Team because brought partners together who are in the know on SE, SSA, VR, Extension etc

  13. Elements Needed to Move Forward • Staff person genuinely interested in learning and offering this to clients as an option • Business Development Team • Ability and time to advocate within various agency systems; i.e., SSA, VR

  14. What would you need to continue with this • Changes in VR rules or practices to make more consistent and client friendly • Time to learn, coordinate and advocate for clients on SSA and VR as relates to SE • Need more experience doing this • Need guidelines or booklet with step by step procedure describing SE rules with SSA etc

  15. Real examples on how this works in agriculture • More training on how a client can market their products • Practice writing a PASS plan • AgrAbility Resource person

  16. Why would we pursue these options • About 42% of AgrAbility clients receive SSA benefits and 62% receive services through VR • 10% more AgrAbility clients may be eligible for SSA benefits • 83% of farmers and ranchers are self employed

  17. SSA Work Incentive programs may be able to….. • help build capital for business expenses (vans, lifts, computer etc.) • retain medical insurance until able to buy independently • increase personal income and quality of life

  18. SSA Work Incentive programs are designed to help people transition back to employment

  19. Should we pursue this?

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