Pathways to Employment
The Pathways to Employment website is a set of tools to help you make decisions about going to work. Going to work does not have to mean you will lose your healthcare benefits. This website can
show you how things could change if you work and earn money. If you do decide to go to work, this website can help you make that path a smooth and rewarding one.
You can use most sections of the website without signing in. But you must register and sign in to use the online Resume Builder or to save the Benefits Estimator information that you enter.
The pages of this website have important tips for use displayed in the left sidebar of each screen.
General Information
Navigation
The site menu is on the top of every page of the website. You can move around and use the tools in the site in any order by pointing your mouse and clicking on the boxes and page tabs.
If you do not use a mouse, keyboard commands will also let you move around the website. You can see the list of commands by clicking on the keyboard commands option shown on the bottom right part of the home page.
Sign In
You must be signed in to save any Benefits Estimator entries or to use the online Resume Builder. The next time you sign in, you can view and make changes to your saved information as needed.
To Sign in:
1) Enter your User ID.
2) Press [enter] or the [tab] key to move to the password box.
3) Enter your password. You picked your password when you setup your account.
4) Press [Sign In] button.
My Account
Registering sets up your account and lets you save your entries and come back to your benefit estimates and your online resume content to make changes whenever you need to.
You can use this website as a guest, without registering and signing in. But, guests cannot save the information that they enter. Users who register can sign in and save entries, make changes to their information, and run the Benefits Estimator as often as needed.
To Register:
1) Enter a User ID name. This is the name that the site will use to recognize you each time you sign in. Your User ID can be up to 25 characters long and can include letters and numbers.
2) Enter and re-enter a password. Passwords must meet the guidelines in the information box on the left side of the page or it will not work. Your User ID and password helps us to protect the privacy.
3) Enter your First Name and Last Name.
4) Pick a security phrase from the dropdown box and type in your answer. We use the question and answer to verify who you are if you ever forget your Sign In information.
5) Click [Register] to complete the account setup.
If your registration information is not right, the screen will tell you why. Make the needed changes and click [Register] to try again.
If you need help, please select Contact Us.
Contact Us
This option lets you send us an email. We want to hear your comments and feedback about ways to improve how this website works.
To Contact Us:
1) Click on the Contact Us option.
2) Enter Name and Email.
3) Enter your comment or question.
4) Click the [Submit] button.
Benefits Estimator
The Benefits Estimator is a useful tool that can show how your benefits could change if you go to work and earn money.
Important: Before you begin, you need to know:
• How much money you and your spouse get each month
• The amount you or your spouse pays for child support
• An idea about how much money you will be earning from working.
If you get SSI or SSDI benefits, you can ask for a free Benefits Planning Query (BPQY) that shows your benefits and work history from your local Social Security office.
The Benefits Estimator has five tabs. The first four tabs are for you to enter information about your household, income and potential employment. The "Calculate" tab shows what you entered. After checking to make sure your entries are correct, click [Run Estimator] to see the results.
If you saved your Benefits Estimator entries the last time you used the website, you can get that data back by signing in and clicking on the Benefits Estimator tab.
If you use this tool to make an estimate for someone else, use the "Prepared by" dropdown box on the calculate page to tell us about it before you click on [Run Estimator].
Some words displayed in the Benefits Estimator pages are underlined and highlighted. Clicking on the word will show you a "pop-up message" that gives the meaning of that term.
You can move back and forth between tabs, and you can enter information in any order. Remember that the more complete and correct the information you enter, the more correct your estimate results will be.
Miscellaneous Calculators (Work Incentives Calculators)
The Misc Calculators tab in the Benefits Estimator module of Pathways offers a set of Work Incentives Calculators that allow you to enter potential wages and one or two key incentives to see what your income might be.
Calculators include SSI with IRWE, SSI with BWE, and the (SSDI) SGA Calculator.
The SSI calculators can give you an approximation of your monthly SSI & wages income. Enter wages, enter either IRWE or BWE as appropriate, and click Run.
The (SSDI) SGA calculator will estimate whether your monthly gross wages, with IRWE and Subsidy and Special Conditions (SBSC), is above or below Substantial Gainful Activity. The value of SBSC is applied to wages to determine the actual value of employment income. The amount you enter into the calculator can be the value determined by SSA or an approximation of your own.
None of the values entered into the calculators are saved.
These calculators are high level and are not as comprehensive as the Benefits Estimator. They are intended to provide a very rough estimate only. You should contact a Service Provider or Benefits Planner to discuss your specific circumstances.
Resume Builder
You must sign in and set up your account to use this part of the website.
The Resume Builder lets you enter information about yourself and then uses it to build a resume from one of the three resume types that you choose. Your resume can be saved and you can reuse your resume as often as you wish.
The Resume Builder has seven tabs. You enter your information in the spaces on each of the tabs. The last final tab is where you pick the resume form you want to use and build your resume from your saved information.
When you sign in and come back to the Resume Builder later, you will see the saved information.
You can move back and forth between tabs to edit your resume by clicking on the numbered tabs. You can also go to the "Build / Print" tab and click [View Resume] to see your progress at any time in the resume building process.
It is a good idea to try to enter information in every field of the resume builder. Complete information lets you pick and build the resume form that is best for the employer you plan to give it to. You can change it later if you want to use another type of resume. Your situation may change and you may want to use a different resume form.
Click on the links in the Examples of Resumes box to see examples of completed forms. The "Which resume form should I use" link can help you decide which form is best for you.
As you move through each of the tabs, use the Important Tips shown on the left side of the page to help make it easier to build your resume.
When you are ready to view your finished resume and have picked which form you want it to be in, select the “Build / Print” tab. (If you are preparing this resume for someone else, choose the appropriate item from the dropdown box to tell us about it.)
Remember, you can try any or all templates to see what works best for you.
You can make changes to your resume to make it look the way you want it to. For example, you can add or remove words, move sentences or paragraphs, add or remove past work or training experience, education, awards, or reference items.
Making changes like these can add to the overall look and make your resume look better.
Your completed resume will show in a separate Acrobat Reader window that you can print or save, or just close it and try another.
Work Near My Home
The Work Near My Home tool can help you see where potential employers are in your area to help you in your job search.
Enter your address and click on [Search Maps] to see where the different employers or businesses are located in your area and how far it is to each place.
Although not all the businesses listed will be hiring, this tool can help you to start your job search.
Use the numbers above the list to see more business names, phone numbers, and how far away they are.
Veterans Page
Each year thousands of disabled military personnel return to the civilian labor force seeking rewarding and meaningful work.
Click the links located on the employment and other resources tabs to access valuable tools available on the Internet to veterans and veterans with disabilities.
If you need someone to talk to, call the Veteran’s Crisis Hotline. The toll free number is displayed in the sidebar.
For information and assistance for issues related to post-traumatic stress, click the link for the National Center for PTSD, located in the sidebar.
Behavioral Health Page
The Behavioral Health module offers a number of resources for people with mental illness.
Click the links located on the individual tabs to access valuable tools in employment and other resources.
In addition to links directing you to resources available on the Internet, there are a number of documents providing useful and important information.
Justice Involved
The Justice Involved module can assist you with your re-entry process by providing resources to help you get work and set a positive direction for your life.
Click the links located on the individual tabs to access valuable tools in re-entry, employment, education and other resources.
In addition to links directing you to resources available on the Internet, there are a number of documents providing useful and important information.
Youth in Transition
The Youth in Transition module offers young people a number of resources designed just for them.
Click the links located on the individual tabs to access valuable tools on getting started in employment, education and training, coping skills, and other resources.
Vocational Rehab (a.k.a. Division of Vocational Rehabilitation)
The Vocation Rehab module provides access to resources and services designed to help people with disabilities prepare for and find employment.
Click the links located under the Division of Vocational Rehabilitation heading to learn more about these services.
Developmental Disabilities (Administration)
The Developmental Disabilities links provide access to information desciribing how disabled persons can get individualized services designed to help them get and continue integrated employment at or above the state’s minimum wage in the general workforce.
Click the links located under the Developmental Disabilities Administration heading to learn more about these services.
Adult Care
The Youth in Transition module offers young people a number of resources designed just for them.
Click the links located under the Aging and Long-term Care Administration heading to learn more about these services.
See Success Stories
The See Success page will let you view inspiring videos about other people with disabilities who have gone to work or who have been able to do good things for themselves.
The video titles are links to pages on websites outside Pathways. Click on the title of any video you want to see and it will play in a separate window. You are still connected to the Pathways to Employment website while viewing videos.
More Information
The Information Pages section contains links and documents with information that may help as you make your way along your Pathway to Employment. This page can help you get more information like when and how to disclose a disability or assistance in understanding SSI.
Note: With some listings, the "document" is a link to a page on another website. If you click on a link to look at something that is not on our website, we will show you a message to let you know before you
see the website. The Pathways to Employment website will stay open in another window on the computer.
Individual Work Plan
The Individual Work Plan (IWP) is an agreement between a beneficiary and an Employment Network (EN) outlining employment services, vocational rehabilitation services, and other support services that the two parties determine are necessary to achieve the beneficiary's stated employment goal and provide a roadmap for financial independence.
This worksheet will help the beneficiary and the EN to work together in defining that roadmap.
Enter your information into the worksheet and click the Save Worksheet button to save your data. The completed worksheet is your Individual Work Plan. You can view it by selecting the View Individual Work Plan option in the Report tab. This will generate the Individual Work Plan and load it into the Adobe Reader.
You can edit your information in the worksheet and rerun your report at any time.
To send a copy of your completed Individual Work Plan to the Ticket to Work Employment Network, choose the View and email Individual Work Plan option. This option will send the document to Ticket to Work as an email attachment.
If you have an Employment Network other than DSHS Division of Behavioral Health and Recovery (DBHR), you should choose use the first option and save your work plan to your computer.
For a list of Employment Networks, go to TTW Find Help.
The contact for DBHR’s Employment Network is Ticket to Work.
Note: You must have a Pathways ID and be logged in to access this part of the website. If you are not logged in, you will be directed to the “Sign in to Your Account” screen where you will be given the option of signing in or becoming a registered Pathways user.
Continuing Education
Washington has a significant peer support workforce in place. Yet, Peer Counselors in Washington have had limited opportunities for continuing education as it is not required in the formal licensing and certification requirements.
The Becoming Employed Starts Today (BEST) grant has funded the development of a 'continuing education curriculum' incorporating peer services and supported employment services.
This continuing education curriculum, funded by the Substance Abuse Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) grant #SM061705, was developed by the Washington Institute for Supported Employment (WISE).
Click a training title link from the menu to load a course in a new window and follow the training as instructed.
Supported Employment
According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s (SAMHSA) research, about 70 percent of adults with serious mental illnesses desire work.
Supported Employment, also known as the Individual Placement and Support (IPS) model, has been proven effective in 24 randomized controlled trials.
Pathways’ Supported Employment module offers links to tools for both providers and those seeking IPWS services. Click the links located on the individual tabs to access these valuable tools.