A demonstration project being designed by the Social Security Administration (SSA) and Rutgers University may provide an effective option for assisting eligible offenders with mental illness in obtaining employment during re-entry to their communities. The project, Early Intervention (EI), will provide temporary cash stipends, immediate Medicare, and innovative employment services and supports to eligible applicants for Social Security disability insurance (DI). The EI project is a broad departure from previous SSA employment initiatives in both philosophy and structure, addressing a host of commonly cited barriers to employment for persons with disabilities in new and different ways. Should the demonstration project prove successful and be adopted into a national program, EI has the potential to provide an important source of support to eligible offenders with mental illness who are transitioning back to their communities.
