In 2016, Alabama’s Department of Mental Health (ADMH)/Division of Developmental Disabilities (DDD) contracted with the Alabama Department of Rehabilitation Services (ADRS) to train Community Partner Work Incentive counselors (CPWICs) to provide benefits counseling to individuals served by ADMH who were moving from facility-based day services into competitive integrated employment. State agency staff were aware that many individuals and their families chose not to pursue integrated employment for fear of losing Medicaid, cash benefits, and other income support programs. Over time, ADMH determined that there was a need to increase the number of Certified Work Incentives Counselors (CWICs) and CPWICs in the state. This is the second of two stories describing Alabama’s efforts to expand benefits counseling services.
