Excerpt from: Social Security Administration (click for more information)
Jason Faust read these words, posted by an anonymous writer with mental illness, and shuddered. He’s been there. Bipolar disorder took hold when he was a young teen. He missed school, drank, and spent time in several group homes. No medication helped to calm the turbulence that characterized his youth. At the time, he could not have imagined that his future would bring a dream job, greater independence and pride. Jason just needed to find the right support to get there.
At 18, he began receiving Supplemental Security Income (SSI), and considered where his life was headed without a diploma. Not liking the prospects, he struggled, and managed to earn a GED. By 2004, Jason found a good doctor with the right treatment plan, and his symptoms stabilized. Structure and productivity were part of this plan, and he found help at Nebraska’s Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) agency.
With help from VR, Jason put together a resume and tightened his interview skills. He focused on the job hunt, spending his days in the agency’s Job Search Center combing through leads. “You’ve got to buckle down and be serious about it”, he acknowledges. “It was amazing what they offered! They helped me navigate through the entire job hunt. I got the support I needed and I’m grateful for that.”
Jason was offered a job working as a Community Support Professional at Region Five Services, a local agency that helps adults with developmental disabilities integrate into the community. He would be able to put his life experience to work developing programs for independent living. The position seemed
to be a good fit. However, Jason had many concerns about how work would affect his Social Security
disability benefits. What if this job didn’t work out? Would he lose the Medicaid and SSI benefits he relied on? Most people who become employed with help from their state VR agency find that VR services end approximately 90 days after they start working. Jason worried about what would happen after his case with VR closed and he was on his own. Given the unpredictable nature of his condition, he knew he
would continue to need support to keep his job and earn a living.
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