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Resources for Agencies Who Hire Employees with Disabilities
by Regina Shoen, NYCPS, FPA-C, NYS Office of Mental Health, Director | Upstate Bureau of Regional Advocacy and Peer Support Services
Are there incentives for hiring peer support staff?
If you are considering peer support staff into your organization, it may be helpful to know about Federal and State incentives available to employers that hire people with disabilities.
Federal Tax Incentives
The Employer Assistance and Resource Network (EARN) provides information about Federal tax incentives available to employers who hire employees with disabilities. These include:
Learn more about tax incentives for employers that are available from the Federal Government, including employer incentives for hiring veterans with service-connected disabilities.
New York State Incentives
The Employment First policy is part of a national movement to support the employment of people with disabilities. The employment rate for a New Yorker with a disability (aged 18-64) is 31.2% compared to 72% for a person without a disability, resulting in a gap of 40.8 percentage points. In addition, the poverty rate for New Yorkers with disabilities aged 18-64 living in the community is 28.6%, which is more than twice that of people in New York State without disabilities (12.3%). The Governor has set a tentative goal of a 5% increase in the employment rate and a 5% decrease in the poverty rate among this population. (NYESS)
In New York State, the Workers with Disabilities Employment Tax Credit provides up to $2,100 per person for the second year of employment (35% of the first $6,000 wages) for people receiving vocational rehabilitation services (with a written individual employment plan) from the state, or those who qualify for a Federal Work Opportunity Tax Credit (WOTC) for the first year.
Understanding Disability
It should be noted that not everyone who has the lived experience of being in the behavioral health system will identify as having a “disability” or will have received Social Security Benefits. A good rule of thumb is to have a hiring protocol that offers onboarding supports to anyone who may want to utilize them.
Rather than inquiring if someone is currently receiving SSA or other social benefits, you can explain there are supports that are available to assist someone who may be receiving social benefits to navigate work and provide the onboarding packet with resources and supports.
Employer Resources
Here are some helpful resources for agencies who hire employees with disabilities:
US Dept of Labor, Hiring People with Disabilities:
https://www.dol.gov/general/topic/disability/hiring
Supports could include local agencies that employ Benefits Navigators, Work Incentives Practitioners (WIP-C or WIPA) and links to the Social Security website so that individuals can find help themselves.
- https://choosework.ssa.gov/findhelp
- https://choosework.ssa.gov/about/work-incentives
- https://choosework.ssa.gov/library/fact-sheet-benefits-counseling-and-the-path-to-employment
Interviewing Peer Support Staff