Boone Center, Inc. (BCI) has been approved as a service provider for Social Security’s Ticket to Work (Ticket) program. BCI is the first Employment Network (EN) in St. Charles County for this national program and one of only three in St. Louis County.
ENs help people who receive Social Security disability benefits prepare for, find, or maintain employment. Participation in the Ticket program is free and voluntary. Everyone aged 18 through 64 who receives Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) or Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits because of their disability may participate in the Ticket program.
“We are very excited about offering this much-needed service to qualified participants in St. Charles and St. Louis Counties,” said BCI Benefits Case Manager Sandy Weitkamp. “Social Security offers participants a variety of work incentives and may allow them to keep their Medicare or Medicaid coverage as they transition to work.”
BCI is one of Missouri’s largest disability employment services providers. The agency offers a continuum of job and training opportunities as well as competitive employment services including discovery and exploration, job development and coaching, supported employment follow-along, and benefits planning.
“Choosing to work changes lives,” said Weitkamp. “And receiving Ticket services while transitioning from unemployment or underemployment to full-time work can bring much-needed peace of mind for those moving toward greater self-sufficiency and independence.”
For more information on BCI’s Ticket services, call 636-875-5253. For more information on the national Ticket to Work program, visit www.ssa.gov/work or call 1-866-968-7842 or 866-833-2967 (TTY) Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. ET.
The BCI Skills Center receives funding from the Developmental Disabilities Resource Board of St. Charles County and the Productive Living Board of St. Louis County. These are public taxing entities, commonly known as a “Senate Bill 40 Boards”, which enter into funding contracts with agencies that serve individuals with developmental disabilities.