Tiffany's Success Story

Tiffany became a participant of the MS Model Youth Transition Innovation (MYTI) Project her junior year of high school. Her MYTI circle of support consisted of her immediate family members (parents, grandparent and siblings), High School teacher, Transition Specialist, Project Navigator, Project Counselor and Benefits Specialist. This circle of support facilitated Tiffany’s discovery planning process. One piece of the process is to “Discover” the person, to find out what Tiffany’s contributions, preferences, and conditions of employment are, and then to use this information to customize a job that will be a match for success. During the Discovery process, MYTI staff learned that Tiffany works at a routinely set pace, likes to be around people, but have her own space, computer, and a phone. Then, during the employment planning phase, Tiffany and her family decided which employers to target in order of her preferences.

Tiffany graduated from high school in May 2005 with valuable work experience that would benefit her in the business world. Through this work experience in a local school, Tiffany learned general office practice skills such as filing, shredding, copying and collating papers that she was able to offer an employer. A significant barrier to Tiffany’s employment centered around transportation issues. Through the establishment of a MYTI Student Budget for Tiffany, she was able to utilize some of her student budget dollars for expenses needed to travel to Tennessee to pick up the accessible van that had been donated to her.

In February of 2006, with Tiffany’s transportation issues resolved, the MYTI Project Navigator and Benefits Specialist approached WIN (Workforce Investment Network) Center Director to schedule a tour of the center with the possibility of identifying employment for Tiffany. Upon completing staff identified unmet needs of the partners within the One Stop Career Center, the MYTI Project Navigator and Benefits Specialist pursued funding made available though a Katrina relief grant, the Reintegration Grant for Public Service Employment (PSE). By way of customized employment processes and the assistance of grant funding, Tiffany’s dream of becoming a productive citizen of her community with paid employment has become a reality, working 12 hours a week at $8.00/hour.

Tiffany started work as a PSE with the support of a job coach in March 2006. She no longer needs job supports. She is utilizing the $3 for $4 waiver exclusion for SSI and an approved transportation IRWE (Impairment Related Work Expense). Tiffany is asserting her independence, making money, and has new friends. She is learning how to report her earnings to SSA and be a responsible adult.

MYTI staff is currently pursuing other avenues of employment for Tiffany within the gaming industry with the possibility of increasing her work schedule to 20 hours per week. Recently, through a partnership effort with the Mississippi Department of Rehabilitation Services, Tiffany received a new larger wheelchair which she says will help her in her quest for future employment opportunities.