For over 20 years, the Rehabilitation Research and Training Center has housed the VCU Social Security National Training and Data Center. The mission of the National Training and Data Center (NTDC) is to promote the employment and economic self-sufficiency of Social Security disability beneficiaries.
Researchers estimate that nearly 3 million disability beneficiaries who receive Supplemental Security Income or Social Security Disability Insurance are currently working or plan to seek employment in the near future. However, many of these individuals face obstacles as they pursue their careers, including (1) the complexity of the Social Security rules and regulations that affect working beneficiaries, and (2) the difficulty in finding accurate information beneficiaries can use to make major decisions regarding disability benefits, health care coverage, and service providers.
To address these concerns, Social Security has established 74 Work Incentive Planning and Assistance programs that enable beneficiaries with disabilities in all 50 states to receive complete and accurate information about their benefits and use that information to make a successful transition to work. The key to these programs is a group of highly trained Community Work Incentive Counselors (CWICs) who provide in-depth counseling to individuals that enables them to manage their benefits and make informed choices about their career goals.
Since 2007, the VCU National Training and Data Center has been the only program funded by Social Security to provide training and support to over 1,000 Work Incentive Counselors across the country. We operate a large number of on-site and distance-based training classes, a rigorous testing and certification program, web courses, live webinars, on-demand learning modules, an ongoing continuing education program, and extensive individualized technical assistance to individuals serving beneficiaries. All the center’s services are free of charge to eligible individuals.
Initial Training and Certification - The NTDC operates the only Social Security-funded Work Incentive Counselor training and certification program, which has trained over 2,000 counselors in all 50 states and territories since the NTDC’s inception. For more details visit: CWIC and Community Partner Initial Training and Certification.
Continuing Certification Program – The NTDC operates a large continuing certification credit (CCC) program, designed to help ensure the quality and accuracy of the services provided to beneficiaries by the CWICs. Over 900 individuals are currently participating in the NTDC’s continuing certification program each year. For more details visit: Supplemental Trainings.
"The Utah Work Incentive Planning Services (WIPA) has used VCU and the NDTC since 2001 to get high quality training on Social Security and Work Incentive Counseling. Their training and briefing papers are the "Gold Standard" of our practice. It is wonderful to have Social Security vetted training and certification in one place which we can rely on to serve our clients in the highest quality possible."
-Jolene Wyler, Program Director, Utah Work Incentive Planning Services
Technical Assistance – The NTDC provides in-depth technical assistance to all individuals participating in the NTDC’s introductory web course, initial training and certification activities, or supplemental trainings. We also provide technical assistance on individual cases to CWICs who provide counseling services to beneficiaries. Our highly experienced staff provide over 5,000 technical assistance contacts each year. For more information visit: Technical Assistance Liaisons.
The national WIPA Program is about building trust. For the beneficiaries who decide to obtain employment or return to work, they need to be able to trust the information they receive and the service providers that assist them. If beneficiaries are told that employment will affect their benefits in a certain manner, they have confidence that they are acting on complete and accurate information. The 300 highly trained professionals working daily in the 74 WIPA programs need access to the detailed training and supports necessary to effectively meet the needs of over 30,000 beneficiaries each year. The NTDC is grateful to have the opportunity to assist these professionals in their efforts to promote the economic self-sufficiency of individuals choosing to pursue their employment goals and reduce their reliance on federal disability benefits.