Ernest has found it difficult in the past to maintain employment due to his mental health issues. He feels that he works best when he can work with his hands, and when he has a consistent work schedule. With the help of his job coach, Ernest found a job with a local auto repair shop where he works 10:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. – a flexible schedule that works very well for him.
Benefits Challenges:
Ernest worries about maintaining his Medicaid Purchase Plan for health insurance and low cost prescription drug coverage.
How ERI’s Ticket to Work Program Helped:
By assigning his ticket to ERI PLUS, Ernest was able to:
- meet with a benefits specialist who helped him understand how employment and ticket share payments would impact his Medicaid Purchase Plan (MAPP). The benefits specialist also provided information on low cost prescription drug coverage.
- maintain his connection with a local community service provider even after his DVR case was closed. TicketShare payments enabled him to pay for job coaching services essential for him to maintain his employment.
UPDATE
Ernest is very happy at his new job; however, experience tells him he would have difficulty maintaining his job if it were not for weekly meetings with his job coach. Now that his case is closed at DVR, he can use his TicketShare payments to pay for his job coaching services.