Since the calls for Caryl never stopped, we're glad to say that she's back! Positive Solutions is glad to announce that a favorite Benefits Specialist and now certified CWIC is back in the office. So now when you call and ask for Caryl we can actually put Caryl on the phone!

In 2007 Caryl took a year long break due to some personal medical issues. “At any rate, a year was eaten up, but I'm back. I am getting stronger; I love working with my clients; and so onward and upward.” Her stay in the hospital has not changed her desire to help clients figure out their benefits or kept her from becoming a certified CWIC in 2008.

When we switched to the new Work Incentives Planning and Assistance program (WIPA) the Social Security Administration required all of our specialists to be certified in this new program.  Positive Solutions program director Bob Leeds explained, “In January 2008 Social Security announced that all Benefits Specialists had to be recertified under the new program. The training for both groups was very intense, and consisted of six informational modules with testing on each module.  The focus of the new program is to concentrate on those people who receive Social Security Disability Benefits who are working, or have been offered a job, or who are looking for work,” he continued, “that is different from the old program which focused on giving out information about how working would affect their Social Security benefits to anyone who called.”