It's time for the latest NENA E-News!

Your source for news, resources, and advocacy 

for your Employment Network (EN).


Conference Update - Registration Coming Soon!



The NENA Conference Committee has been hard at work to get registration open earlier than ever this year. Keep an eye on your inbox for the official announcement coming soon!


Kansas City Sponsorship Opportunities 

Enhance brand exposure at NENA's National Training Conference. Connect with industry leaders, showcase to a national audience, and contribute to the success of the Ticket to Work Program stakeholders.

This year's exhibitor hall is already filling up. We are pleased to welcome: Text-Em-All, Therap Services, Coursera Inc. and more!

Explore sponsorship benefits today!


Tentative Conference Agenda available! (Click to enlarge)

Member Tip:

Do you find yourself searching for Zoom links right before a NENA call? All links to member calls can be found in the member section of the NENA website on THIS PAGE 

Bookmark it and you'll never be caught without the log-in credentials again!

May All Calls

The month of May provides a unique opportunity for someone considering a NENA Membership to see what NENA is all about, risk free! All of our calls for our interest areas are open to the public.

Register for the events listed below and you will be sent the Zoom link to join us!

May Schedule:

Operations May 2, 2024 3pm EST

Advocacy May 9, 2024 2pm EST

Quarterly Training Call May 15, 2024 3pm EST

Ticket Talk May 21, 2024 2pm EST

VR/EN Partnership Plus May 23, 2024 2pm EST



NENA Board Elections – Call for Nominations

NENA is now accepting nominations for candidates interested in serving on the 2024-2025 NENA Board of Directors. There are three (3) Board positions to be filled during this election.

We invite NENA members to nominate themselves or another eligible candidate. NENA needs an array of expertise and perspectives represented on our Board to continue to successfully support the evolving needs of all Employment Network organizations!

NENA Board members typically spend several hours per week working on:

  • advocating for the EN perspective and needs;
  • developing NENA's capacity to serve ENs, VRs, and AJCs;
  • helping to solve Ticket Program special challenges.

The schedule for this year’s nomination and election process is:

  • Nominations open on May 2, 2024
  • Nominations close on May 16, 2024
  • Voting opens on June 13, 2024 (Following Annual Member Meeting)
  • Voting closes on June 26, 2024

Visit the NENA Elections webpage for additional information on submitting your nomination. 

Remember to submit nominations by May 16, 2024.



Tell NENA what you think!

As part of our ongoing commitment to improve the Ticket to Work Program, bring value to your NENA membership, and gather valuable insights, we've developed a Ticket to Work Enrichment Form. Please take a few moments of your time to complete this form regarding your experiences with the Ticket to Work Program, the Social Security Administration and Ticket Program Manager. Your insights will help us understand how we can better advocate for you and the Ticket to Work Program.

Please click the link below to access the feedback form:

Feedback Form

Please note that this feedback form is part of an ongoing collection process and can be completed at any time in the future. Your input is always welcome and appreciated.



News to Know

April 18, 2024

Social Security Matters


SSA Talks: Commissioner O’Malley’s Top Priorities

04/03/2024 03:00 PM EDT

 

SSA Talks - Commissioner O'Malley's Top Priorites

Commissioner Martin O’Malley joined SSA Talks to discuss his top priorities. Since being sworn in on December 20, 2023, Commissioner O’Malley has been focused on the most pressing issues facing the agency and three top priorities: 1) Reduce call wait times, 2) Issue faster disability decisions, 3) Resolve inequities in overpayments and underpayments. In this 18-minute […]

Social Security Matters


March 27, 2024

Social Security to Remove Barriers to Accessing SSI Payments

Today, the Social Security Administration published a final rule, “Omitting Food from In-Kind Support and Maintenance (ISM) Calculations.” The final rule announces the first of several updates to the agency’s Supplemental Security Income (SSI) regulations that will help people receiving and applying for SSI.

“A vital part of our mission is helping people access crucial benefits, including SSI,” said Martin O’Malley, Commissioner of Social Security. “Simplifying our policies is a common-sense solution that reduces the burden on the public and agency staff and helps promote equity by removing barriers to accessing payments.”

SSI provides monthly payments to adults and children with a disability or blindness, and to adults aged 65 and older, who have limited income and resources. SSI benefits help pay for basic needs like rent, food, clothing, and medicine. People applying for and receiving SSI must meet eligibility requirements, including income and resource limits. Under our old rules, ISM includes food, shelter, or both a person receives – the agency counts ISM as unearned income, which may affect a person’s eligibility or reduce their payment amount.

Under the final rule, beginning September 30, 2024, the agency will no longer include food in ISM calculations. The new policy removes a critical barrier for SSI eligibility due to an applicant’s or recipient’s receipt of informal food assistance from friends, family, and community networks of support. The new policy further helps in several important ways: the change is easier to understand and use by applicants, recipients, and agency employees; applicants and recipients have less information to report about food assistance received from family and friends, removing a significant source of burden; reducing month-to-month variability in payment amounts will improve payment accuracy; and the agency will see administrative savings because less time will be spent administering food ISM.

The agency continuously examines programmatic policy and makes regulatory and sub-regulatory changes as appropriate. Look for more SSI announcements in the coming weeks.

For more information on the SSI program, including who is eligible and how to apply, visit Supplemental Security Income.

To read the final rule “Omitting Food from In-Kind Support and Maintenance Calculations,” visit Federal Register: Omitting Food From In-Kind Support and Maintenance Calculations.

Click here to view the original article on the SSA website.



United by our NENA Mission

Do you know what the NENA mission is? It is now prominently featured on our homepage!




Stay Connected


Add the following Upcoming Events to your calendar:


Bulletin Board

Work Incentives Training 

Interested in learning more about Work Incentives Planning? Opportunities are available!

Help Wanted Job Board


Org: American Dream Network

Position: Payments Manager

The ADEN Payments Manager should be familiar with the Ticket to Work program, detail-orientated, initiative-taking and prepared to work within a sophisticated web-based portal. Read More...

For additional information and to apply Click HERE

Does your member organization have an internal position available within your organization that you would like to post in the NENA E-News?

As a member courtesy, we will post your opening in our next E-News update one time.


Posting requirements:

• The posting must be for a specific, EN-related position within your organization (i.e., career specialist, career services provider)

• Email admin@nenaticket.org to submit your post

• Include the title, location, a brief description (25 words) and contact information on the form.


*Those interested in applying should contact the EN directly. NENA will have no further information about any posted positions.


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The National Employment Network Association (NENA) serves Employment Networks (ENs), American Job Centers (AJCs), State Vocational Rehabilitation Agencies (SVRAs) and other Stakeholders involved in the Social Security Administration's Ticket to Work and Self-Sufficiency Program.

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