DB101 California - Programs That Support Work: Next Steps

Ticket to Work

If you get Supplemental Security Income (SSI) or Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI), you can find a Ticket to Work Employment Network (EN) in your area by searching the Employment Network Directory. If you need additional help choosing an EN, you can:

Call the Ticket to Work help line at 1-866-968-7842 or 1-866-833-2967 (TTY)
Email the Ticket to Work customer service office at support@chooseworkttw.net

Find a Job

California Department of Rehabilitation (DOR)

DOR can help you apply, prepare for, and find a job. There are a few ways to apply for DOR services:

You can apply online.
You can download an application form, complete the form, and hand it in or mail it to your local DOR office.
You can also complete an application at your local DOR office.

If you have a disability:

To find out more about DOR’s services for people who are visually impaired or blind, click here
To read about the Orientation Center for the Blind (OCB), a residential program in Albany (in the San Francisco Bay area), that helps people who have recently become blind or visually impaired adjust to their vision loss, click here
To learn more about DOR’s services for people who are Deaf, hard of hearing, or late deafened, click here

One-Stop Career Centers

One-Stop Career Centers offer many free tools, resources, and services that can help you find employment or training and get help with other work-related needs. To learn more about One-Stop Career Centers, click here. For a map of One-Stop Career Centers, click here. You can also download the complete list of California One-Stop Career Centers (PDF).

Other Resources

The U.S. Department of Labor's sponsors the My Skills, My Future website which helps job seekers match their skills with new careers and find out what training is needed to move from one job to another.

The Employment and Development Department (EDD) sponsors CalJOBS, which lists jobs at employers across California.

Finding a Benefits Planner

The federal government pays benefits planners in communities around the country to help people think ahead about benefits issues. Social Security's Work Incentives Planning and Assistance (WIPA) Program provides counseling to people who are planning for work and receive Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) or Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits.

To find a benefits planner near you, use DB101's Benefits Planners Directory.

Community Based Organizations

Various community-based organizations provide staff to work with people concerning a range of options on state, federal, public, and private health and income programs. Counseling about benefits, as a community service, is an emerging field of expertise with different levels of services available. Some organizations may work with specific populations while others work with individuals with any type of disability.

Goodwill Industries services range from personal evaluation and office skills training to career counseling, childcare, and transportation. Some of these centers conduct Benefits Planning Assistance and Outreach for Social Security and Medicare beneficiaries related to work activity.

Find locations at http://www.goodwill.org, or by calling (voice) 1-800-664-6577.

The California Foundation for Independent Living Centers lists 29 centers serving individuals with all disabilities. Many of these centers conduct Benefits Planning Assistance and Outreach for Social Security and Medicare beneficiaries related to work activity. Most independent living centers can refer callers to local benefit program information if they do not have these services.

Find the list of independent living centers at http://www.cfilc.org, or by calling (voice) 916-325-1690 or (TTY) 916-325-1695.

The AIDS Hotline database contains 1,300 organizations providing HIV/AIDS services throughout California. Some of these organizations offer case management, benefits planning, and benefits counseling services that can include assistance with public and private benefits programs.

Find the list of AIDS organizations at http://www.aidshotline.org, or by calling (voice) 1-800-367-AIDS (2437) or (TTY) 1-888-225-AIDS (2437).

Disability Rights California provides representation for consumers of public programs who are disabled. Website publications include topics on health care, benefit programs, and In Home Supportive Services.