• Bachelor of Arts degree from St. John’s University, Collegeville, MN with majors in Psychology and Philosophy
• Master of Science degree from St. Cloud State University, St. Cloud, MN with majors in Rehabilitation Counseling and Employment Counseling
Credentials:
M.S. means that I have a Master of Science degree.
CRC/Retired means that I am a Certified Rehabilitation Counselor/Retired.
EDPNA means Eligible for Direct Pay - Non Attorney. I passed the Social Security Law test which was administered on 12/14/2011 and met the other requirements.
Work Background:
• 36 years as a vocational rehabilitation counselor, 18 of those in a correctional facility and 18 more years in a general community caseload
• As a vocational rehabilitation counselor I helped many of my clients fill out the forms for Social Security disability applications and I helped them to develop their medical records including obtaining psychological reports.
Encore Career:
Established the business, Disability Representative Services LLC, on 8/31/2007.
Non-attorney disability representative having received my first social security disability case in 2007.
Continuing Education:
• As a member of the National Association of Disability Representatives (NADR), I have daily contact with my professional organization on an e-mail talklist. Over the years I have collected over 54,000 e-mails which have a wealth of information about social security disability practice. Whenever I have a question that is not readily answered by my other resources, I go to the talklist for answers.
• Attend annual Social Security Disability Law Conferences which are presented by NADR.
• Subscribe to four major legal books on social security disability practice. These publications provide me with a number of forms that I use. They also help me write appeals and help to understand medical and vocational issues.
Other ventures:
• As I was learning the disability representation business, I struggled to learn the vocational issues. I have been a database software developer for many years, having programmed my previous job as a vocational rehabilitation counselor. I have two brothers who are full time database software developers who have helped me over the years. Using the 4th Dimension database programming language and my brother Tony Ringsmuth’s “programming shell,” I wrote software incorporating the Dictionary of Occupational Titles, General Aptitude Test Battery scores, the Medical Vocational Guidelines otherwise known as the GRIDS, and the vocational profile. The software is called RepToolsSSD and is sold here.
• Continue to write a complete caseload management database which I use in my daily practice.
• Active with the St. Cloud Area Disabilities Council from about 1991 to 2014. It is a great organization that connects me with the disability community, both providers and receivers of various disability related services.
• Former city council member with the City of Waite Park. Former Chairman of the St. Cloud Metropolitan Transit Commission - Completed 15 years on the Commission ending 6/30/13.
• Active in my church.
• Proud husband and father of two daughters, one who is a professional in a library and another who is a speech therapist in a school district.
Member of National Association of Disability Representatives
