Discussion Boards

Projects

Vocational Rehabiliation: An Overview

About the Presenters

Cheryl Bates-Harris is a Senior Disability Advocacy Specialist for the Training and Advocacy Support Center (TASC) of NAPAS where she has over 20 years experience and expertise working with people with disabilities.  Cheryl has an in-depth knowledge of cross disability issues and continues to focus on employment issues of people with disabilities, including Vocational Rehabilitation, Social Security Return to Work, TANF, and other work programs that impact people with disabilities, including DOL OneStops.  Has developed a complete knowledge and understanding of Social Security programs and work incentives beginning with the Social Security Alternate Participant Program for which she was responsible for the development of the SSA Protection and Advocacy Dispute Resolution Project, and later the development of the Protection and Advocacy for Beneficiaries of Social Security (PABSS).   In addition she has lead responsibilities for technical assistance and training to the Client Assistance Programs (CAP) nationwide.   Since the passage of Ticket to Work and Work Incentive Improvement Act she has conducted national training on TWWIIA and Vocational Rehabilitation Services and is considered a leading expert on the intersection issues of the Ticket to Work with state vocational rehab services.  She was an invited participant in the TW & WI AP 2003 EN Summit and was appointed in September 2004, by President Bush, to the Ticket to Work and Work Incentives Advisory Panel. Cheryl currently co-chairs the CCD Work Incentives Implementation task force and CCD Employment and Training task force and is an active member of the CCD Social Security Task Force.   She continues to conduct numerous training programs and provides ongoing training and technical assistance to the P&A/CAP network on employment issues that impact people with disabilities.

David Hutt, Disability Advocacy Specialist at NDRN, is responsible for coordinating training and technical assistance for the Client Assistance Program (CAP). David is a former staff attorney at Legal Services of Central New York, and successfully negotiated and litigated cases involving vocational rehabilitation, Medicaid, consumer debt, accessibility, and employment discrimination.  He also advised clients on various return-to-work issues, such as social security benefits planning, the Ticket to Work program, self advocacy with the New York State VR agency, and conducted training programs on employment law and the Ticket to Work program. David earned a B.A. from Le Moyne College in Syracuse, NY, and holds a J.D. and Ph.D. in political science from the State University of New York at Buffalo.