If you help Social Security disability beneficiaries become employed - or you're exploring this field - the National Employment Network Association (NENA) is here to serve you. Visit us often!
ENs that frequently call Maximus for ticket assignability data will be glad to hear about a project intended to end those calls. The EN Portal will give ENs a secure internet portal to seek program information.
SSA sent an emergency request to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) asking them to approve testing of the Portal right away. The request asks for comments by May 17. NENA supports SSA's request with some reservations. NENA encourages your organization to consider whether to support SSA's request. Click here to read SSA's request (look for item 2 about Ticket to Work).
If you believe that's appropriate for your organization, NENA has provided a template email of support in a link below.
The link will build an email for you that is already addressed to the right person. It includes a sample letter you can use as-is or personalize for your organization. The email relies on your email system to add your address as it usually does; please double-check to ensure your preferred contact information is in the email. Without a signature, the email may not be recorded by OMB.
Click here to email Office of Management and Budget
The precise rollout schedule for the EN Portal is unknown. In the OMB request, SSA stated: "the agency is only planning to pilot this collection with a limited number of ENs after receiving emergency OMB approval. We will not expand rollout to all ENs until seeking standard OMB clearance."
NENA has sent OMB a letter supporting SSA's authorization request to launch the EN Portal. NENA did this for two reasons:
--Maximus was required to reduce staff and the EN Portal is an inevitable step of automation to continue to serve the Ticket Program with reduced staff.
--As part of the process of providing the EN Portal, SSA must secure OMB authorization.
There are many questions about whether the EN Portal is fully functional. Some ENs who have piloted the EN Portal say it still has challenges to iron out.
Nonetheless, given that the EN Portal is an inevitable response to required staff reductions, NENA has supported SSA's request to OMB. Click here to see NENA's letter to OMB.
Thank you for considering this opportunity to comment.
NENA's 2nd Annual Training Conference is scheduled for Sept. 5-7, delivering the best of last year and more:
* A day longer, now 2.5 days
* More training sessions
* More networking opportunities
* Advanced training on select topics
Learn the techniques, tips, and tools of leading ENs to improve Ticket client outcomes and get paid!
Same Conference Venue: Golden Nugget Hotel, Las Vegas.
NENA members voted for this location again this year. Your hotel room is separate from registration, with fabulous Golden Nugget room rates. Overall costs are extremely low, and if you Renew your NENA membership when you Register, the savings are even greater.
If you want R&R time in Las Vegas, low room rates begin on Sunday, Sept. 2, three days before the Conference. And on the Friday and Saturday preceding and following the Conference, rates have been reduced from the hotel's usual weekend rates. Monday Sept. 3 is Labor Day.
NENA held an important Members meeting on Wednesday, April 1. The meeting discussed NENA's action plan to help meet and exceed the challenges of the Ticket to Work Program. On the conference call, we shared ideas and obtained feedback from Members about several initiatives related to networking, marketing, training and other topics.
The meeting covered NENA's ambitious plan to increase services to Members, Associates and Ticket Partners. We all want to succeed as individual provider organizations and to expand the Ticket program capacity to help more SSA disability recipients achieve self-support through employment. As the meeting will have an ongoing impact on NENA and the Ticket Program in 2012, we encourage you to review the meeting agenda and contact us with any questions.
Click here for the revised, final meeting agenda.
For questions, contact us at nena@nenaticket.com.
To become a NENA member, click here.
NENA Annual Reports
To view the 2011 Committee Reports, click here
NENA's Form 990 to the IRS is available for Members to view on the Member page (password required). If you're not a Member but need to view the 2011 Form 990, call us at 541-434-9029 or email us at nena@nenaticket.com.