Changing Circumstances: Experiences of Child SSI Recipients Before and After Their Age-18 Redetermination for Adult Benefits

This paper provides an analysis of the dynamics of the transition of child Supplemental Security Income (SSI) recipients into adulthood using linked 2001-2002 National Survey of Children and Families (NSCF) survey and Social Security Administration (SSA) administrative data. We examine the interaction of impairment status, reported health needs, and other self-reported indicators of human capital on SSI program and employment outcomes after age 18. Our primary objective is to examine the differences in pre-age-18 individual characteristics across subgroups of recipients by impairment status and determine whether these differences influence post-age-18 SSI participation and employment outcomes. We find that after controlling for measures of disability severity, duration, and human capital, youth with other mental and behavioral disorders are much less likely to receive SSI at age 19. The findings also suggest that non-health factors, particularly education, employment, and social indicators, play an important role in the probability of a child SSI recipient being on adult SSI after age 18. Our findings indicate that, while some youth appear to be making a successful transition from child SSI benefits to adult benefits or other activities (off of SSI), others appear to have limited prospects for long-term self-sufficiency. A major concern is that some youth no longer on SSI after age 18, particularly those with other mental and behavioral disorders, may not have been sufficiently prepared for life without SSI and might not have enough human capital or other supports to become self-sufficient during their adult years

How Postsecondary Education Improves Adult Outcomes for Supplemental Security Income Children with Severe Hearing Impairments

This is a case study of SSI children who apply for postsecondary education at the National Technical Institute of the Deaf (NTID) within the Rochester Institute of Technology. We estimate the likelihood that an SSI child will graduate from NTID relative to other hearing impaired NTID applicants and estimate the influence of graduation from NTID on participation in the SSI adult program and later success in the labor market. To do so we create a unique longitudinal administrative records data set (n=5,638) based on administrative records from NTID linked to Social Security Administration (SSA) microdata. We find that SSI children who graduate from NTID spend less time on the SSI adult program and have higher earnings than those who do not graduate. However, we also find that SSI children who apply to NTID have a greater risk of not graduating than their fellow deaf students who did not participate in the SSI program as children. Our findings suggest that greater effort may be necessary to prepare SSI children for postsecondary education and that the currently SSA-funded youth transition demonstration projects are necessary to explore how such efforts can improve adult outcomes for SSI children with disabilities

Bright light treatment of depression for older adults [ISRCTN55452501]

BACKGROUND: The incidence of insomnia and depression in the elder population is significant. It is hoped that use of light treatment for this group could provide safe, economic, and effective rapid recovery. METHODS: In this home-based trial we treated depressed elderly subjects with bright white (8,500 Lux) and dim red (<10 Lux) light for one hour a day at three different times (morning, mid-wake and evening). A placebo response washout was used for the first week. Wake treatment was conducted prior to the initiation of treatment, to explore antidepressant response and the interaction with light treatment. Urine and saliva samples were collected during a 24-hour period both before and after treatment and assayed for aMT6s and melatonin respectively to observe any change in circadian timing. Subjects wore a wrist monitor to record light exposure and wrist activity. Daily log sheets and weekly mood (GDS) and physical symptom (SAFTEE) scales were administered. Each subject was given a SCID interview and each completed a mood questionnaire (SIGH-SAD-SR) before and after treatment. Also, Hamilton Depression Rating (SIGH-SAD version) interviews were conducted by a researcher who was blind to the treatment condition. A control group of healthy, age-matched, volunteers was studied for one day to obtain baseline data for comparison of actigraphy and hormone levels. RESULTS: Eighty-one volunteers, between 60 and 79 years old, completed the study. Both treatment and placebo groups experienced mood improvement. Average GDS scores improved 5 points, the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HDRS) 17 scores (extracted from the self-rated SIGH-SAD-SR) improved 6 points. There were no significant treatment effects or time-by-treatment interactions. No significant adverse reactions were observed in either treatment group. The assays of urine and saliva showed no significant differences between the treatment and placebo groups. The healthy control group was active earlier and slept earlier but received less light than the depressed group at baseline. CONCLUSION: Antidepressant response to bright light treatment in this age group was not statistically superior to placebo. Both treatment and placebo groups experienced a clinically significant overall improvement of 16%

Three Essays in Public Economics

109 p.Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 2004.Local public services often must compete for funding from their providing governments. Public libraries have also had to endure the rise of large bookstores offering similar services. This may have motivated libraries to behave in a more cost efficient manner. Alternatively, monitoring of libraries may have decreased as patrons shift from library use to bookstore use, increasing inefficiency. In the final chapter of this dissertation a stochastic cost frontier and the determinants of cost inefficiency are estimated using a one-step maximum likelihood technique. The results suggest that libraries operate at roughly 44% greater costs than is efficient. Inefficiency is found to be largely due to the size of the population served, the source of funding, and improper staffing ratios. Private sector competition was found to slightly increase library cost inefficiency, consistent with a decrease in monitoring.U of I OnlyRestricted to the U of I community idenfinitely during batch ingest of legacy ETD

How Postsecondary Education Improves Adult Outcomes for Supplemental Security Income Children with Severe Hearing Impairments

For more information on this paper, contact Robert Weathers: [email protected] is a case study of SSI children who apply for postsecondary education at the National Technical Institute of the Deaf (NTID) within the Rochester Institute of Technology. We estimate the likelihood that an SSI child will graduate from NTID relative to other hearing impaired NTID applicants and estimate the influence of graduation from NTID on participation in the SSI adult program and later success in the labor market. To do so we create a unique longitudinal administrative records data set (n=5,638) based on administrative records from NTID linked to Social Security Administration (SSA) microdata. We find that SSI children who graduate from NTID spend less time on the SSI adult program and have higher earnings than those who do not graduate. However, we also find that SSI children who apply to NTID have a greater risk of not graduating than their fellow deaf students who did not participate in the SSI program as children. Our findings suggest that greater effort may be necessary to prepare SSI children for postsecondary education and that the currently SSA-funded youth transition demonstration projects are necessary to explore how such efforts can improve adult outcomes for SSI children with disabilities.DE95A_PDF1.pdf: 143 downloads, before Oct. 1, 2020