There was so much I didn’t know…and was afraid of…

Hello and thank you for joining us on our journey today!

I want to talk a little about how much I didn’t know about the Ticket to Work Program and the fear of losing my SSDI benefits. After all, it can be a painful process to be awarded SSI and/or SSDI benefits in the first place. The fear of losing them comes from an internal place and external places; our own fears and that of family and friends who are concerned about us losing our SSA benefits, if we return to work. The thought of losing our benefits and having to go back through the process can be emotionally paralyzing. After all, it becomes our reliable source for livelihood. The desire and need to work can be very strong, but the fear of losing the safety net of our benefits is real. The only thing that can help calm the fear, is information…accurate information from a trusted source. This empowers us to make an informed decision for what’s best for our individual circumstances.

Being afraid to try is natural, because if we can’t…what happens to our benefits? I would like to offer, what if we can, and don’t. We can find ourselves stuck some place that we aren’t supposed to be, not just financially, but in other aspects of our lives. Even though we may have to do things differently from the way we used to or can’t work the same job that we used to, doesn’t mean that our lives aren’t still relevant, and without purpose. The mode of transportation we have to take to get back into the workforce may be different and for some of us, we may need some assistance. But we can still get there or at least have the satisfaction of knowing that we tried. And through trying, we often discover other possibilities that we may never have imagined.

There seem to be more companies that are recognizing how impactful the abilities of one who has a (dis)ability can be for their corporation or organization. They are disability friendly, inclusive, which brings about opportunities for those of us who know, without a doubt, that having a (dis)ability doesn’t mean the end, but the beginning of doing things a different way. Fear is darkness and the only way to remove it is to shed some light on it. That often comes in the form of information. That’s what we do at MEO…shed light on the Ticket to Work Program. We are a source of information that helps our clients make informed decisions, which enables them to try working without losing their SSDI benefits during the Trial Work Period. After the Trial Work Period, for those receiving SSDI, the client decides what they would like to do going forward. SSI works a little differently. Our Certified Benefits Specialist is a guide, compass and navigator through the SSA benefits waters. 

In a world of automation and difficulty getting a human on the phone, MEO clients are assigned an employment counselor. Which means a specific employment counselor is assigned to assist you on your job search journey. One who learns your pluses and deltas. One who’s extension, email and appointment calendar is available to assist with keeping the lines of communication always open. One who already knows your story, you don’t have to tell it over and over again. I exposed my fears with my employment counselor and, eventually, I no longer had to, she already knew and was always available to help me navigate through them. And so it is with our Certified Benefits Guru, who has an amazing capacity to answer all of our questions, regarding the relationship between the Ticket to Work Program and our Benefits.

Don’t allow fear to stop you from ‘living’ again. Keep asking the questions until you get the answers that you need. Sometimes it doesn’t just stop with answers to a few questions, but we need a guide, someone to show us the way and be there to answer the questions that we don’t know to ask, yet. That’s what MEO did for me and does for others. We don’t just provide a service, we do it through relationships. We walk it with you. We get to know you, your goals, gifts and talents, your transferable skill set, and that thing that you are most passionate about…that makes you want to get up morning after morning and try again, even when you don’t feel like it.

We very often get to know our clients well enough to know their behavioral patterns and if there is anything that is hindering them from gaining or maintaining employment. We work with them to figure out what…why…and what’s needed to bring about a change in that area, so that it doesn’t continue to be a stumbling block that’s in the way of gaining or maintaining a job that’s a good fit.

I will wrap up with, I had to learn to move through my fear in order to work again. Not blindly, but with a trusted guide. For me, that was MEO. I do not believe that it was an accident that I found them, and I do not believe that it’s an accident that you are reading this blog. I found the resources that I needed to guide me back into the workforce and it has grown my confidence and reminded me that my life didn’t stop having purpose just because I have a (dis)ability.  Honestly, I found my purpose after my (dis)ability…and you’re witnessing it right now. Don’t stop searching or reimagining.

Thank you so much for stopping in today. I hope you join us next time as we continue our journey…discovering the stepping stones that lead us back into the working world…

**If this is your first visit to our blog site, please feel free to visit previous blogs. If you’re interested in more information regarding applying for the MEO Ticket to Work Program…click here: https://myemploymentoptions.com/apply-now/