WORK INCENTIVES TRANSITION NETWORK
WORK GROUPS
    POLICY GROUP

    Valerie Brooke (Chair), Dave Auxter, Bill Kiernan, Ann Cook, and Steve Weinstein

    Mission Statement:

    The mission of the Policy Group of the Work Incentive Transition Network is to provide rapid responses to administrative and legislative developments of positions to be taken with specialized strategies and dissemination to targeted groups.

    It is important to note that public policy, for the most part, in the area of SSI work incentive is extremely dynamic. Therefore, there is a need for the WIT Net policy group to be in a position to rapidly respond to changes as they develop. These responses or actions taken by WIT Net will be proactive or retroactive in nature. Proactive responses will attempt to assist with making policy. While our reactive responses will be designed to inform groups how the implementation of policy decisions will impact on the lives of transition aged students in special education and their families/guardians.

    Legislation and/or regulations will be selected for study based upon their potential impact on the effectiveness of special education programs for transitions aged students. The five areas of concern targeted by the policy group are as follows:
1 Special Education/SSI redetermination and implications of SSI Work Incentives
2 Inclusion of VR funded supported employment and SSI Work Incentives into the IEP
3 Increased opportunities for supported employment through HCBW.
4 Work Incentive Counseling Assistance to be provided by special education personnel similar to that, which currently exists within VR agencies.
5 Employment Networks assume the responsibility for coordination and delivery of services under a program for which the "ticket to work" can be used.

    These five public policy areas of concern have led the policy group in the tracking of the following legislation and regulation:
S.1858: "Work Improvement Act
H.R. 3433: "Ticket to Work and Self Sufficiency Act of 1998"
Reauthorization of the Vocational Rehabilitation Act
Balanced Budget Act of 1997
Redertermination of SSI Children and SSI youth at age (SSA)
Loosening standards of the Medicaid Home and Community Based Waivers (HCBW)