Objective

To determine whether the Office of Mental Health (OMH) has ensured that State agencies and employment service providers are taking full advantage of the New York Employment Service System (NYESS) and the Ticket to Work (TTW) program to promote and place individuals with a disability in competitive employment. The audit covered the period from July 2016 through March 2022.

About the Program

According to the 2020 American Community Survey (ACS), there were approximately 1 million working-age adults (ages 21–64) with a disability in New York State. The employment rate of working-age adults with a disability was 33% compared to 74% for working-age adults statewide. Further, working-age New Yorkers with a disability are more than twice as likely to be living in poverty than working-age New Yorkers statewide (28% vs. 12%, respectively).

The New York Employment Service System (NYESS), which is administered by OMH, was cited by New York’s 2015 Employment First Commission as a key resource for improving competitive employment opportunities and outcomes for all individuals with a disability who desire services and supports. NYESS is a statewide comprehensive, single point of access to job matching, employment supports coordination, and data warehouse system.

The goals of NYESS include providing a statewide collaborative resource for all things related to disability and employment to promote and improve employment outcomes for individuals with a disability as well as providing a powerful data system offering providers and policy makers access to several data metrics that can be used for policy development, quality control, and outcome measurement. OMH is also responsible for operating the NYESS Administrative Employment Network, which provides employment services and support for individuals including those with a disability in the Ticket to Work program (TTW). TTW is a voluntary program funded by the Social Security Administration (SSA) with the goal of assisting SSA beneficiaries (i.e., Supplemental Security Income and Social Security Disability Insurance recipients) reach employment goals and reduce reliance on benefits.

Six State agencies in addition to OMH, including the Department of Labor (DOL), Office of Addiction Services and Supports, Office for People With Developmental Disabilities, New York State Commission for the Blind, Office for the Aging, and the State Education Department’s Adult Career and Continuing Education Services – Vocational Rehabilitation, are responsible for licensing or contracting with providers for employment-related supports and services.

Key Findings

• We found low utilization of NYESS by State agencies and employment service providers. Of the approximately 621 employment service providers, only about a third (199) participate in NYESS and only one of the seven State agencies uses NYESS. In addition, the TTW provider affiliates do not fully utilize NYESS’ reporting capabilities.
• OMH has not developed written policies and procedures related to NYESS or TTW, nor does it monitor the TTW provider affiliates and their efforts to ensure that customers are provided services as set forth in their individual work plans and that services are properly entered into the NYESS system and tracked to ensure progress toward achieving employment goals.
• We found data entered into NYESS is not actively monitored or verified for completeness, accuracy, and validity.

Key Recommendations

• Take steps to increase utilization of NYESS such as:
  • Better informing State agencies about NYESS’ capabilities and benefits so agency officials may educate their employment service providers about NYESS; and
  • Collaborating with State agencies and employment service providers to assess their needs.

• Ensure TTW provider affiliates have the knowledge and resources available to use NYESS to monitor the TTW program, including periodic refresher trainings on generating reports.

• Develop written policies and procedures related to NYESS and the monitoring and administration of the TTW program.

• Monitor and verify data entered in NYESS to ensure its completeness, accuracy, and validity.