Partnership Plus and Incentive Payments
Some VR agencies are exploring ways to provide ENs some form of compensation for the loss of the Phase 1 Milestone payments under Partnership Plus. Such incentive payments take the form of a:
- a payment when an EN assist a beneficiary to attain 3 months of SGA level earnings (i.e., for cases closed in employment with earnings below SGA).
- a payment when the beneficiary attains 9 months of SGA level earnings
- payments for post-employment services after VR case closure and before the beneficiary attains 9 months of SGA level earnings
- money being provided to supplement an existing VR grant
Regardless of the type of payment being made, a written agreement is advisable to clearly spell out the criteria, frequency, and amount of the payments.
To learn more about some creative approaches to VR/EN partnerships being explored by six State VR agencies (CT, IN, MD, UT, VA, and WI), check out the brochure Partnership Plus: Creating Opportunities for Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment Networks to Work Together (PDF). The approaches described in this brochure are evolving and they represent only a few of the many opportunities for meaningful cooperation under the new Ticket regulations.