In August of 2004, SSA announced its
intention to award grants to establish community-based protection
and advocacy projects in every State and U.S. Territory, as
authorized under Section 1150 of the Social Security Act. Potential
awardees were protection and advocacy organizations established
under Title I of the Developmental Disabilities Assistance and Bill
of Rights Act, which submitted a timely application conforming to
the requirements listed in the 2004 announcement. The projects SSA
funds under PABSS program are part of SSAs strategy to increase
the number of beneficiaries who return to work and achieve
self-sufficiency as the result of receiving advocacy or other
services. The overall goal of the program is to provide information
and advice about obtaining vocational rehabilitation and employment
services, and to provide advocacy or other services a beneficiary
with a disability may need to secure, maintain, or regain gainful
employment. The PABSS Semi-Annual Program Performance Report
collects statistical information from the various protection and
advocacy (P&A) projects to manage program performance. SSA uses
the information to evaluate the efficacy of the program, and to
ensure beneficiaries are receiving the dollars appropriated for
PABSS services. The project data is valuable to SSA in its analysis
of, and future planning for, the Social Security Disability
Insurance (SSDI) and Supplemental Security Income programs. The
respondents are the 57 designated P&A project system sites (in
each of the 50 States, the District of Columbia, and the U.S.
Territories), and beneficiaries of SSDI and SSI programs. Staff
from the advocacy organization interview beneficiaries and the
interviewer inputs the information into the database. The database
is accessible via the Internet, but is only accessible by the
interviewers, the contractor, and SSA. The advocacy groups collect
the data electronically from the beneficiaries using telephone
interviews as well as face-to-face interviews during which the
interviewer keys the responses into a computerized system. Each of
the advocacy groups has their own, individual data system through
which they collect information.
On behalf of this Federal agency, I certify that
the collection of information encompassed by this request complies
with 5 CFR 1320.9 and the related provisions of 5 CFR
1320.8(b)(3).
The following is a summary of the topics, regarding
the proposed collection of information, that the certification
covers:
(i) Why the information is being collected;
(ii) Use of information;
(iii) Burden estimate;
(iv) Nature of response (voluntary, required for a
benefit, or mandatory);
(v) Nature and extent of confidentiality; and
(vi) Need to display currently valid OMB control
number;
If you are unable to certify compliance with any of
these provisions, identify the item by leaving the box unchecked
and explain the reason in the Supporting Statement.
Addendum - 0768.doc
Protection and Advocacy for Beneficiaries of Social Security (PABSS)--Beneficiaries