Economics and Workplace PAS 
- About this project
- Resources
- State Medicaid Infrastructure Grants
- Job Accommodation Network
- State by State Workplace PAS Data
- Tax Issues
- Promising Practices
- PAS Center publications
- Library
- Presentations
- Links
- Ticket to Work
About this project
Among the many issues affecting people with disability, the socio-economic factors have a major impact on PAS. With a greater understanding of socio-economic factors, policies and access to PAS services can be improved as well as providing greater information for PAS planning.
For many working-age people with a disability, there are many barriers that prevent working or returning to work. Lack of PAS at work is one key barrier. There is little public funding for workplace PAS, and the ADA does not require employers to provide PAS.
PAS in the workplace are typically construed much more broadly than just help with personal care ADLs, such as eating and toileting. At the PAS Center, we have defined "workplace PAS" to also include "task-related assistance at work, such as readers, interpreters; help with lifting or reaching; re-assignment of non-essential duties to co-workers". Job-related PAS is, in effect, the equivalent of receiving assistance with instrumental activities of daily living (IADL) at home, in that it enables the person to fulfill his or her role, either of maintaining the household or performing the job. At the workplace, some forms of job-related PAS could reasonably be requested as a job accommodation under the Americans with Disabilities Act, but it is generally understood that non-job-related PAS (e.g., for personal care) could not.
To help provide a better understanding of the socio-economic factors effecting PAS, the Center is looking into the two areas of research.
First, this research activity will analyze the relationship between employment and employment supports, the use of technologies, and PAS. Five separate research activities will be conducted.
- Analyze the relationship between workplace PAS and AT job accommodations and employment outcomes. This study is being conducted by Stephen Kaye.
- Collect and analyze primary data on workplace PAS, AT, and employment supports. This study is being conducted by Stephen Kaye.
- Analyze barriers to employment among Medicaid PAS beneficiaries. This study is being conducted by Wayne Anderson and Josh Wiener.
- Analyze whether AT lessens the need for PAS among older persons with disabilities. This study is being conducted by Marc Freiman and Josh Wiener.
- Understand the complexity of the economics of PAS differences by age in paying for PAS in the community. Study conducted by Mitchell LaPlante.
Second, this research activity will analyze the role of tax laws that affect reimbursement for PAS. Although tax policies are one way to improve assess to PAS and provide economic support to family caregivers, current federal and state policies offer limited assistance and these are typically in the form of tax credits and deductions. This will involve two projects.
- Examine federal tax policies related to reimbursement for PAS. Study conducted by Michael Morris and Steve Mendelsohn.
- Collect and examine state tax policies related to reimbursement for PAS. Study conducted by Michael Morris and Steve Mendelsohn.
Resources
- NCWD InfoBrief: Personal Assistance Services on the Job
- Personal Assistance Services (PAS) in the Workplace - Job Accommodation Network
Tax Issues
Information regarding tax laws that affect PAS users:
- State Tax Law and People with Disabilities
- State Tax Law and People with Disabilities: Opportunities for Supporting Fuller Participation in Community and Society (2012)
- State Tax Law and People with Disabilities: Opportunities for Supporting Fuller Participation in Community and Society (2011)
- State Tax Law and People with Disabilities: Opportunities for Supporting Fuller Participation in Community and Society (2010)
- Frequently Asked Questions: Tax Coverage of Expenses for PAS
- Tax credits for household and dependent care services
- Federal Tax Provisions that Help Meet the Costs of Home and Community-based Care
State Medicaid Infrastructure Grant2
Since 2001, the Medicaid Infrastructure Grant (MIG) program has provided federal funding for state initiatives to support the competitive employment of people with disabilities. States can use MIGs to develop Medicaid supports for working people with disabilities, such as Medicaid Buy-In programs and greater availability of personal assistance services. The program is administered by the Center for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) within the Department of Health and Human Services.
Actvities in Workplace PAS of the Medicaid Infrastructure Grantees
State Medicaid Infrastructure Grants contact list
West Virginia University's International Center for Disability Information/Job Accommodation Network
The Job Accommodation Network is a service run by the West Virginia University's International Center for Disability. JAN's mission is to facilitate the employment and retention of workers with disabilities by providing employers, employment providers, people with disabilities, their family members and other interested parties with information on job accommodations, entrepreneurship, and related subjects.
JAN Resources:
- JAN Home Page
- Services for Employers
- Services for Individuals
- Searchable Online Accomodation Resource (SOAR)
Workplace PAS Teleconferences
New! The ICDI is involved in hosting a series of free teleconferences that will allow employers to learn more about PAS, as well as to tell JAN what their experiences have been with PAS in the workplace.
Learn more: http://pas.icdi.wvu.edu
State by State Workplace PAS Data Available
State Resources for Employment of Persons with Disabilities
A compilation of agencies and resources available, by state, for people searching for information, advocacy or assistance with employment of persons with disabilities.
Promising Practices
The Center for Personal Assistance Services is conducting a study of employers and workplace personal assistance services. The study involves interviewing businesses and organizations of all types to determine the criteria for selecting promising practices. Then, case studies are conducted on companies and organizations that provide PAS in the workplace. Below are the promising practices.
- Support Services Assistants - California Department of Rehabilitation
- Outsourced PAS to a qualified agency - Connecticut Bureau of Rehabilitation Services
- Shared Personal Assistance Services - Granite State Independent Living
- Security Clearance for Personal Assistant - Horizon Air Industries, Inc.
- Multi-disciplinary support team - Large multifaceted financial services company
- Orientation with PAS - Microsoft
- Pool Program of Full-time Equivalent Holds - Social Security Administration
PAS Center publications
A list of reports and publications produced by the Economics of PAS project and its staff. Included in this lists are reports and publications related to PAS in the Workplace. The citations provide links to abstracts, press releases, and either the entire publication, or information about where to obtain it.
All PAS Center publications related to the Economics of PAS
Annotated Bibliography on Workplace Personal Assistance Services
Recent additions:
(2013). The Woodwork Effect in Medicaid Long-Term Services and Supports. Journal of Aging & Social Policy, 25:2, pp.161-180. doi: 10.1080/08959420.2013.766072 Read more about the publication, The Woodwork Effect in Medicaid Long-Term Services and Supports.
(2012, September). The Need for Personal Assistance Services. 2012 Center for Personal Assistance Services State of the Science Conference. San Francisco, CA: University of California, San Francisco. Read more about the publication, The Need for Personal Assistance Services. 2012 Center for Personal Assistance Services State of the Science Conference.
(2012, September). Access to Home and Community Based Services. 2012 Center for Personal Assistance Services State of the Science Conference. San Francisco, CA: University of California, San Francisco. Read more about the publication, Access to Home and Community Based Services. 2012 Center for Personal Assistance Services State of the Science Conference.
Library
Important publications related to the Economics of PAS. Included in this lists are publications related to PAS in the Workplace. Abstracts and information on how to obtain the complete publication is provided with each citation.
All publications related to the Economics of PAS
Recent additions:
(2013). The Woodwork Effect in Medicaid Long-Term Services and Supports. Journal of Aging & Social Policy, 25:2, pp.161-180. doi: 10.1080/08959420.2013.766072 Read more about the publication, The Woodwork Effect in Medicaid Long-Term Services and Supports.
(2013, April). Medicaid Long-Term Services and Supports: Key Considerations for Successful Transitions from Fee–For–Service to Capitated Managed Care Programs. Washington, D.C: Kaiser Commission on Medicaid and the Uninsured. Read more about the publication, Medicaid Long-Term Services and Supports: Key Considerations for Successful Transitions from Fee–For–Service to Capitated Managed Care Programs.
(2012, September). The Need for Personal Assistance Services. 2012 Center for Personal Assistance Services State of the Science Conference. San Francisco, CA: University of California, San Francisco. Read more about the publication, The Need for Personal Assistance Services. 2012 Center for Personal Assistance Services State of the Science Conference.
Presentations
Presentations related to the Economics of PAS. Included in this lists are presentations related to PAS in the Workplace. Links to abstracts, PowerPoint files and summaries are provided.
All presentations related to the Economics of PAS
Recent additions:
Kraus, L. (2007, Nov 06) New promising practices in workplace personal assistance services. Presented at the 2007 Annual Meeting & Exposition hosted by American Public Health Association (APHA).
Kraus, L. (2007, Nov 06) Facilitating workplace personal assistance services (PAS): The role of employment service providers. Presented at the 2007 Annual Meeting & Exposition hosted by American Public Health Association (APHA).
Jans, L. (2007, Nov 06) Perspectives of people with disabilities who use workplace personal assistance services. Presented at the 2007 Annual Meeting & Exposition hosted by American Public Health Association (APHA).
Links
The Center for PAS has assembled a list of links to organizations, resources and information available on the web related to the Economics of PAS. Included in this lists are links related to PAS in the Workplace.
All links related to the Economics of PAS
Recent additions:
Disability.gov, is a redesigned federal Web site that connects more than 50 million Americans with disabilities to thousands of trusted resources on disability-related issues, programs and services. Formerly known as DisabilityInfo.gov, the site has been completely redesigned and updated with new social media tools, such as a blog and a Twitter feed, to encourage feedback and interaction among visitors. Disability.gov is not just for Americans with disabilities, but also for parents of children with disabilities, employers, workforce and human resource professionals, veterans, educators, caregivers and many others.
On January 1, 2009, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Amendments Act of 2008 went into effect, making some major changes to the way the definition of disability has been interpreted in the past. The changes apply to both the ADA and the Rehabilitation Act. Very few people argue that these changes were not needed - the courts had interpreted the definition of disability so narrowly that hardly anyone could meet it - but the challenge now is understanding what the changes are and who is covered as of January 1st. We do not yet have any regulations nor do we have any court interpretation; all we currently have are the words of the Amendments Act and its legislative history. With that said, let's take a look at what we know so far.
The Center, an affiliate of the National Association of State Medicaid Directors (NASMD), is a technical assistance center that is dedicated to helping states enhance employment support programs. One of the Center's six task forces addresses current rules and regulations for workplace PAS, factors in the work place, and related concerns. Minutes of task force meetings, beginning in January 2003, as well as a small list of publications on workplace PAS are available.
Ticket to Work
The Ticket to Work and Self-Sufficiency (Ticket) program is an employment program created in the Ticket to Work and Work Incentives Improvement Act of 1999 and administered by the Social Security Administration (SSA). It is a voluntary program that offers individuals, age 18 through 64, who are receiving cash benefits under the Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) program and/or the Supplemental Security Income (SSI) program based on disability or blindness, expanded choices for obtaining the services and supports to enter and maintain employment. The ultimate goal of the Ticket to Work program is to assist people receiving Social Security disability benefits in reducing their reliance on disability benefits. The Ticket program also seeks to promote increased self-sufficiency and greater independence for people receiving Social Security disability benefits through work.
For more information please go to the "frequently asked questions" page.
An included table in the website contains Ticket to Work Program statistics for State Vocational Rehabilitation Agencies: View the State Agency Ticket Information table.