The Maryland Mental Health Employment Network & the Ticket to Work Program

We believe that employment is an important part of recovery and a path to economic and personal independence.

The Maryland Mental Health Employment Network (MMHEN) is a project that encourages individuals with serious mental illness to use Social Security’s Ticket to Work and Evidence-based Supported Employment Services to become employed. The Maryland Mental Hygiene Administration funds the project.  

There are also practical reasons to work:

1. You are usually better off financially if you work than if you don’t.
2. There are safety nets to keep SSDI checks for at least a year after you start work.
3. If you work your way off checks, you can get them back again if you later stop working or your earnings drop low enough.
4. If you work your way off checks, you can keep Medicare for years longer, and often permanently.
5. You can qualify for Medicaid if you work, which can save you thousands of dollars a year in medical costs.
6. You may get good tax refunds.
7. If you use the Ticket to Work program or have an open case record with the Maryland Division of
   Rehabilitation Services (DORS), you may be protected from continuing medical reviews from the Social Security Administration.