Speeches - President's Committee

Chuck Elliot 5-20-93
Statement as Designated Speaker for Teleconference

President's Committee on Employment of People with Disabilities

-----------------------------------------------------------------
    Thank you.

    This teleconference is about empowering people with disabilities "in the
decisions and actions of society". To me there are 2 major topics for this empowerment--
Social Security and Employment Services. My area is Mental Health.

    My first topic is Social Security.
    Social Security claims to encourage disabled people to return to work but it
discourages almost 100% of the mentally ill from returning to work. For SSI recipients,
50% of one's wages are seized by Social Security after the first $65. That is, the minimum
wage is not $4.25/hour but 2 dollars and 12 cents! How many of you would work for half
salary?
    For regular Social Security, one can only make an average of $499 per month
before benefits are seized. Mental Health Clients are reluctant to earn this much because
they could first lose their Social Security and then lose their job due to a relapse.
    I strongly urge that there be an investigation and reform of these Social Security
policies that are negative incentives. Mental Health Clients should participate in these
actions.

    My second topic is Employment Services. I was a client for 4 months of a
federally-funded program for Mental Health Clients called Employment Services. The
funding was about $700 thousand but I and many other clients as well as some staff were
"disgruntled" at best.
    Clients were repeatedly led to believe that they would get jobs but after a few
months, the director said that she was sorry if we got that impression. She said that the
program was only to get us "job ready", e.g., interview techniques and aptitude testing.
    The state of employment placement and training for Mental Health Clients in San
Diego through other programs is dismal. Very few clients are served.
    Two possible solutions are 1.) providing more SBA loans so clients can start their
own businesses and 2.) using closed military bases as sites for training and rehabilitation
of Mental Health Clients.
    Clients should participate in developing these and other solutions.

    Thank you.
-------------------------------------------------------------------

top

home

contact