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DPN Individual FAQ
Benefits Planning, Assistance and Outreach
FAQ:
Q: I have recently become disabled and cannot do the work I had been doing in the past. Where can I get financial assistance for training or retraining?
A: Financial assistance for persons with disabilities preparing for entry or re-entry into the workforce may be available through your local One-Stop Career Center and your local state vocational rehabilitation agency. You may also locate your One Stop Career Center by calling 1-877-US2JOBS (1- 877-872-5627).
Q: What can I do if I think my employer or supervisor is discriminating against me because of my disability?
A: The Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP) has a helpful fact sheet, Employment Rights, Who Has Them and Who Enforces Them, which summarizes the federal laws that prohibit discrimination against people with disabilities and provides contact information for further information and assistance.
There may also be applicable laws in your state. Contact your State Department of Labor office for more information.
Q: Is there anything that my employer must provide to help me do my job and accommodate my disability?
A: The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and other disability-related nondiscrimination laws have specific requirements regarding reasonable accommodations. ODEP's Job Accommodation Network (JAN) has a wealth of information on accommodations for both employers and employees on the JAN website or by calling 800-526-7234. The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) also has an excellent resource for employers regarding accommodations, "Small Employers and Reasonable Accommodation."
BENEFITS PLANNING, ASSISTANCE, AND
OUTREACH (BPAO) PROGRAM
The BPAO project is assisting beneficiaries in understanding available work incentives which will make it easier for persons with disabilities make an informed decision regarding returning to work without fear of losing supports essential to their survival. When the Ticket to Work and Work Incentives Program began, the Social Security Administration (SSA) established a Benefits Planning Assistance and Outreach Program (BPAO) to help SSA beneficiaries with disabilities make use of the right services and programs and make better choices about the work options available to them. For people with disabilities who receive SSA benefits but would like to work, the road to employment and economic self-sufficiency can travel a variety of routes and lead to a number of destinations.
Many community-based agencies, such as independent living centers, advocacy groups, Vocational Rehabilitation offices, and rehabilitation centers, now have staff members trained in the BPAO program who can offer SSA beneficiaries with disabilities timely and accurate information about work incentives and other available programs. More than half of these BPAO specialists are themselves people with disabilities. They help draw a map through the landmass of confusing information that can keep people with disabilities from exploring and pursuing the career and work goals that interest them.
BPAO program specialists do not tell beneficiaries what to do. Instead, they help people with disabilities explore ways to take charge of their work lives and enhance their economic self-sufficiency, while still maintaining necessary supports and services.
For more information contact the BPAO in your area or use the below website
http://www.ssa.gov/work/ServiceProviders/bpaofactsheet.html
Legal Services of Northern California
Address: 515 12th Street, Sacramento, CA 95814
Phone: (916) 930-4950
Serving: Amador, Butte, Calaveras, Colusa, Eldorado, Glenn, Lassen,
Modoc, Nevada, Placer, Plumas, Sacramento, Shasta, Sierra,
Siskiyou, Sutter, Tehama, Yolo, and Yuba Counties.
Community Resources for Independence, Inc.
Address: 1040 N. State Street Suite E, Ukiah, CA 95482
Phone: (707) 463-8875
Phone: 800-528-7704
Serving: Del Norte, Humboldt, Lake, Mendocino, Napa, Sonoma, and Trinity Counties
The BPAO Program
- The Social Security Administration (SSA), as authorized by the Ticket to Work and Work Incentives Improvement Act of 1999, awarded 116 cooperative agreements to a variety of community organizations called Benefits Planning, Assistance, and Outreach (BPAO) projects. These BPAO projects provide all SSA beneficiaries with disabilities (including transition-to-work aged youth) access to benefits planning and assistance services. Cooperative agreements were awarded throughout every State, The District of Columbia, and the U.S. Territories of American Samoa, Guam, Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands.
The Goal of the BPAO Program
- The goal of the Benefits Planning, Assistance, and Outreach (BPAO) Program is to better enable SSA`s beneficiaries with disabilities to make informed choices about work. Each BPAO Project has Benefits Specialists who will:
- Provide work incentives planning and assistance to SSA`s beneficiaries with disabilities
- Conduct outreach efforts to those beneficiaries (and their families), who are potentially eligible to participate in Federal or State work incentives programs; and
- Work in cooperation with Federal, State, and private agencies and nonprofit organizations that serve beneficiaries with disabilities.
BPAO Agencies by State
Contacting Social Security with Questions About the BPAO Program
If you have questions about the BPAO Program, you can write to:
Social Security Administration
Office of Employment Support Programs
6401 Security Boulevard
107 Altmeyer Building
Baltimore, MD 21235-6401
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