Virginia Commonwealth University has received a $5.4 million contract aimed at helping people with disabilities find jobs and reduce their dependence on Social Security.

A three-year contract from the Social Security Administration will let the VCU School of Education train 500 professionals from public, private and nonprofit agencies to help people with disabilities move into the work force.

About 11 million people in the United States are on Social Security disability benefits, and many of them could return to work, said John Kregel, associate director and research director of the VCU School of Education's Rehabilitation Research and Training Center.

Many don't, however, because they fear they would lose all of their benefits.

"While that used to be the case, that is not true anymore," Kregel said. "There are opportunities that exist now for people on Social Security benefits that weren't there in the past. The rules have changed and have made it much easier for Social Security beneficiaries to go back to work, while maintaining some or all of their benefits."

The program's goal is to provide accurate information to Social Security beneficiaries about the complex rules, so they can make the best choices for themselves. VCU, which competed with other universities for the contract, will provide training to professionals from every state and several territories who will work with Social Security recipients in their own communities. The instructors are faculty members in the VCU School of Education.

The latest grant continues work performed by VCU since 2000. The school's Work Incentives Planning and Assistance National Training Center has received more than $14 million in federal contracts to provide training and technical assistance to 800 community-based professionals providing service to more than 250,000 Social Security beneficiaries.
Contact John Reid Blackwell at (804) 775-8123 or jblackwell@timesdispatch.com.