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State wants to improve rate, mother says it is a difficult process Disability employment an uphill climb THAD ALLTON/THE CAPITAL-JOURNAL Holly Lofton of Lindsborg addresses the media after speaking at a KanCare public forum this week. Lofton said her experience with her son, who has autism, and other Kansans with disabilities has taught her that finding employment for them can be difficult. By Andy Marso andy.marso@cjonline.com http://cjonline.com/news/2013-07-20/disability-employment-uphill-climb Holly Lofton was so successful in finding a job in which her son, who has autism, could succeed, the state of Kansas contracted with her to try and find employment for other Kansans with intellectual and developmental disabilities. It didn’t turn out the way either she or the state had hoped. “Out of the clients I placed, my son is the only one who is still employed," said Lofton, who did the work for about a year and half. “The rest did not have long-term successful outcomes, which is commonly the case.” Lofton, of Lindsborg, told her story last week at the Ramada Inn Hotel and Convention Center during a public comments session dedicated to changes in KanCare, Gov. Sam Brownback's plan to place nearly all of the state's Medicaid services under managed care. Among the changes proposed for Jan. 1, 2014, is including long-term support services for about 8,000 Kansans with developmental disabilities in managed care, following a one-year "carve-out" for which concerned advocates lobbied. State officials say they will provide incentives for the three managed care companies — Amerigroup, Sunflower State Health Plan and UnitedHealthcare — to increase the percentage of Kansas citizens with developmental disabilities who are "competitively employed." The state's current employment rate for that population is 10 percent , while the national average is about 20. Shawn Sullivan, secretary of the Kansas Department for Aging and Disability Services, said the managed care companies' innovations should change that. "It will be up to them to think outside the box, work with their providers and local businesses here in town, look at things like apprenticeships, so people who want to work can work," Sullivan said. Lofton said upping the state's rate will be a challenge. The state's proposed KanCare changes must still be approved by the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. They also include pilot programs to help Kansans with disabilities transition into the workforce without losing needed benefits as they gain income. "That will be one of the things we test through that, if approved by CMS," Sullivan said. Lofton said reforms to that transition process are much-needed. Her son, Tyler, works about 32 hours a week at Wal-Mart, but a $500 chunk of his monthly check goes back to the state because of the government assistance he receives. Still, Lofton said Tyler's gross income makes him ineligible for other types assistance, including food stamps. Tyler, 25, loses some eligibility because he remains at home, but Lofton said her family believes caring for him is its responsibility. Still, she would like to see him be able to put some of his check aside in a retirement account without the savings further jeopardizing the benefits he does receive. “There needs to be a reward for work," Lofton said. Tyler has received non-monetary rewards in his four years with Wal-Mart, including two Employee of the Month awards. But Lofton said that success isn’t typical for those with his type of disabilities, and has entailed vigilant participation on her part. For example, she said, the company has submitted its employees to several written tests — tests her son isn’t capable of completing. "I told them, 'I want you to know, I’m taking them for him,' ” Lofton said. “They said, 'We know.' Most employers won’t do that.” Tyler is Lofton's middle child. Her oldest son recently graduated from the Air Force Academy and her youngest is attending college without assistance despite his Asperger's Syndrome. “We believe in high standards in our family, period,” Lofton said. Getting more Kansans with developmental disabilities competitively employed isn’t just a matter of motivation, though, she said. In some cases, she said the rewards weren’t great enough when compared to the loss of benefits. In other cases, she said some have disabilities so severe, their employment options are simply limited. Sullivan said the state is approaching the issue realistically. "It's a challenge for many people," Sullivan said, "and for many it's not possible to be competitively employed." Related Stories • State working on disability employment program