When we switched to the new Work Incentives Planning and Assistance program (WIPA) the Social Security Administration required all of our specialists to be certified in this new program.  Positive Solutions program director Bob Leeds explained, “In January 2008 Social Security announced that all Benefits Specialists had to be recertified under the new program. The training for both groups was very intense, and consisted of six informational modules with testing on each module.  The focus of the new program is to concentrate on those people who receive Social Security Disability Benefits who are working, or have been offered a job, or who are looking for work,” he continued, “that is different from the old program which focused on giving out information about how working would affect their Social Security benefits to anyone who called.”

A CWIC is a Community Work Incentives Coordinator  which is the replacement term for Benefits Specialist.  When the Social Security Administration switched over to using CWICs as a title it raised some questions.  A CWIC can help provide some information on health benefits coverage that are offered to workers with a disability and the extent to which other health benefits coverage may be available. 

Bob was the first person in our national region to complete and pass the test.  Bob said that it took about 140 hours of reading and studying to complete the testing and that it was probably the hardest testing he had ever taken.  Positive Solutions is proud that all three of our employees passed the certification with scores greater than 90%.  We are the only agency in the state to have all of our specialists certified under the new program. Positive Solutions' Bob Leeds and Caryl Wolf took classes online.

If you have any more questions about CWICs use the "Contact Us" link to the left so we can answer your questions.