Employment Resources Incorporated

Programs: The work incentives planning and assistance (wipa) program is funded by a grant from the social security administration. Eri is the grantee to provide services in wisconsin. Eri has two subcontracting partners: independencefirst in milwaukee and the university of wisconsin-stout vocational rehabilitation institute in menomonie, wisconsin. The wipa program provides people with disabilities information about how earnings from work will affect their benefits. People are then able to make informed decisions about work based on accurate and timely information. The wipa program serves over 300 beneficiaries annually.

ticket to work is a program that supports workers with disabilities to maintain long-term employment and confidently leave social security benefits. The ticket to work program is funded by the social security administration and is available to people ages 18-64 who receive disability related benefits. Several clients that completed the program are considered high-level earners.

the wisconsin disability benefits network (wdbn) is a comprehensive training and technical assistance center that makes benefits counseling information available across wisconsin, including building awareness of the benefits counseling profession. The wdbn provides statewide benefits counseling training and technical assistance for both the consumers of services, as well as the practitioners. The wdbn provides a library of e-learning training materials to serve the needs of all wisconsin benefits specialists for basic training, continuing education, and distance learning. In 2017, wdbn staff conducted two training events attended by approximately 100 people and hosted five webinar trainings attended by approximately 75 attendees. Wdbn staff maintains over 80 e-learning topics for distance learning purposes.