Through the Kansas Department of Health and Environment Working Healthy Program, Independence, Inc. offers services through the “Work Opportunities Reward Kansans” (WORK) and “Supports and Training for Employing People Successfully” (STEPS) programs.
Contact: Jennifer Moore, WORK ILC Manager
jmoore@independenceinc.org
785-841-0333 ext. 146 (office)
785-371-0888 (direct)
Working Healthy
The Kansas Working Healthy Program is a Medicaid Buy-In program that acts as an employment incentive to help ensure that people with disabilities who want to work are able to do so. It is a designed for those whose income exceeds the Medicaid limit and whose health needs are considered significant. The Working Healthy Program incentivizes employment by allowing participants to increase their income without being subject to a higher spend down or losing Medicaid eligibility altogether. Working Healthy offers an affordable premium in place of the spend down. The two services Independence, Inc. provides under the Working Healthy Program are:
- Working Healthy WORK Program (Work Opportunities Reward Kansans) – Independent Living Counseling Services (ILC)
- Working Healthy STEPS Program (Supports and Training for Employing People Successfully)
WORK Program
Independent Living Counseling (ILC) is a service offered by Independence, Inc. under the Kansas Working Healthy/Work Opportunities Reward Kansans (WORK) Program and is offered across the entire state of Kansas. If you choose Independent Living Counseling Services through Independence, Inc., you will be paired with an experienced, knowledgeable, caring professional who will be there to help guide you through the employment process, listen to your goals and provide supports to help achieve those goals. Independent living, self-direction and inclusive workplaces for people with disabilities are the philosophies that guide our work. We are ready to put those values to work for YOU!
This ILC service is available to qualified persons with disabilities in the Working Healthy Program who are employed or wish to become employed in the state of Kansas.
Our Independent Living Counselors provide case management to help navigate the employment process and help to ensure success in employment through discussing WORK policies, procedures and options, assisting with budgeting and other independent living needs, identifying and accessing supports and training as needed, and more…
To qualify for Working Healthy, one must:
- Be 16-64 years of age
- Meet the social security definition of disability
- Have verified earned income from competitive employment
- Earn a min. of $65.01/month
- Earn at least minimum wage
- Be a Kansas resident
- Have significant health needs
STEPS Program
STEPS is a program that can help people with disabilities or behavioral health needs find jobs and live more independently. It can help them work without losing their Social Security benefits or health insurance.
People with at least one of the behavioral health diagnoses below and who get Supplemental Security Income (SSI) and or Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) may be able to join STEPS:
- Schizophrenia
- Bipolar or major depression
- Delusional disorders
- Personality disorders
- Psychosis not otherwise specified
- Obsessive-compulsive disorder
- Post-traumatic stress disorder; or
- Substance use disorder (SUD) or co-occurring SUD
People on the Home and Community Based Service (HCBS) waitlist for the Intellectual Developmental Disability (I/DD) or Physical Disability (PD) waiver OR those already on the IDD, PD, or Brain Injury (BI) HCBS waiver and willing to leave may also be able to join STEPS if they get SSI-only. STEPS is not an HCBS waiver and people cannot be on both programs at the same time. HCBS waiver and waitlist spots may be able to be kept safe for people wishing to try STEPS.
STEPS services include:
- Pre-Vocational Services
- Independent Living Skills Training
- Personal Assistant Services
- Transportation
- Supported Employment
- Assistive Technology
- Community Service Coordination
To join STEPS and get services, someone must be interested in finding and keeping a job as well as the following:
- Be a Kansas resident
- Be between 16 and 65 years old
- Enrolled in or applying for KanCare (Kansas Medicaid)
- Meet the Social Security Administration definition of disability
- May have countable income up to 300% of the Federal Poverty Limit