The Choice Group

“All my life I have had to prove people wrong… but I am not easily intimidated.” Alberto Gamboa shares about the career he has built, in spite of expectations from a young age that he would not accomplish much because of his disability.  Alberto was born in Columbia with Cerebral Palsy. Doctors feared he would not live, much less lead a successful life. He defied all expectations by making a life for himself and building a meaningful career that has lasted decades.   As a teenager, Alberto came to the United States and worked his way through college as a dishwasher in Florida. He began his professional career working with the children of migrant families through the Palm Beach County School Board and received a Masters of Science in Organizational Leadership.  For twenty years, Alberto worked full time in spite of the physical limitations he experienced as a result of Cerebral Palsy. He began as a community resource facilitator for migrant families and grew wit...

The Consumer Protection Bureau has developed an amazing resource called Your Money, Your Goals . The aim of this program is to help individuals gain financial independence through strategy, planning and goal setting.  Feeling out of control of your own situation is something that many individuals who receive Social Security experience.  At The Choice Group, we offer benefits counseling so you know exactly how your benefits will be affected by employment.  We set goals to maintain them while supplementing your income through employment or figure out how to reach complete financial independence - it depends on you!  These tools work in quite the same way, letting you choose your path to independence and the freedom of choice! These tools and more can be found at consumerfinance.gov !

Our staff is always learning and training for better ways to serve our clients!  This was just last week when a group of us came together from all of our locations across Virginia for a two-day training on Ticket To Work services. From left to right: Katelynn Denny – TTW Admin Assistant Jonathan May – TTW/WISA Manager Laura May – Voc Counselor/WISA Erin Lloyd – Regional Manager/WISA Milton Johnson – WISA Buddy Blatz – Lead Counselor/WISA Greg Bell – TTW Senior Consultant David Leon – DARS Ticket to Work Coordinator Shane Rocheleau – WISA Scott Fraley – Quality Assurance/Vocational Evaluator/WISA Rachel Hoffman – Lead Counselor/TTW Lead Chandra Goodman – WISA Not pictured: Erica Johnson – Regional Manager/ WISA Angela Volkening – Vocational Counselor/TTW Lead Michelle Champion – WISA Admin Assistant Sherman Gifford – TTW/WISA Director

Next Round of the National Beneficiary Survey Begins in February 2017 ( http://www.ssa.gov/disabilityresearch/nbs.html ) The Social Security Administration will launch the next round of the National Beneficiary Survey (NBS) in February 2017. The NBS is an important survey sponsored by the Social Security Administration to collect information about beneficiaries and recipients with disabilities. We need your help! If a beneficiary asks you about the NBS, please encourage them to participate in this very important survey. The NBS collects information on the programs and services used by beneficiaries and recipients with disabilities, their health, and any employment goals they may have. SSA will use this information to gain a better understanding of the characteristics of beneficiaries that are not available from our administrative records. We use the information to assess how well our programs are meeting the needs of disability beneficiaries and developing policy. The ...

There are many ways to remove stigmas and eliminate barriers for the employment of people with disabilities.  Many people with disabilities actually avoid seeking employment in fear of losing their disability financial assistance.  The Choice Group has Benefit Counselors to help those seeking more independence through employment understand exactly what it means for their Medicare or Medicaid. Many of our clients have been able to find work while keeping the assistance they currently receive.  Not only do we make sure our clients get the financial assistance that they need, we provide ongoing support to make sure they continue to be successful in their jobs.  Whether you want part-time work, or want to eventually become a full-time financially independent employee, The Choice Group will help you find the path that’s best for you. This story is about a woman living in the U.K. with a learning disability, how she finally reached her goal of full-time employm...