Next Steps

Talk to people and organizations who can help your child take the next steps to find work. Here are some options:

• Your child’s IEP team. If your child has an Individualized Education Program (IEP), tell the team you want your child to work.
• The Alaska Division of Vocational Rehabilitation (DVR). DVR's services help people with disabilities find work.
• A local Alaska Job Center. Ask them about their youth programs.
• The nonprofit Alaska Center for the Blind and Visually impaired. Ask about their youth programs.

Talk to a benefits planner to learn more about options and discover other helpful resources.

Use DB101’s School and Work Estimator to get a sense of how work could impact your child’s benefits.

For more about benefits programs and their rules, read DB101’s articles about:

• Benefits for Young People, including details about many different benefits and how rules change as your child gets older.
• Supplemental Security Income, which covers SSI’s rules in detail and also introduces Adult Public Assistance (APA).
• How Health Benefits Work, which introduces the different ways a person may qualify for Medicaid health coverage.

If you're currently on SSI, SSDI, or CDB benefits, and you're looking for a job, a trained benefits planner can help you avoid complications when you are working on a job plan for your future. For questions or guidance specific to your situation, you can speak to someone at the Ticket to Work Help Line at 1-866-968-7842 or 1-866-833-2967 (TTY) Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. - 8:00 p.m. EST.

View DB101's full list of experts who can help you understand different benefits.