~~At the federal, state, and local levels, Texas Workforce Commission (TWC) continues to make great strides toward a streamlined and coordinated one-stop delivery system serving adults and youth with disabilities and employers that employ these individuals. TWC’s executive director and the commissioner of assistive and rehabilitative services (transferred to TWC as of September 2016) participate as ex officio members of the Governor’s Committee on People with Disabilities. TWC also serves on state-level interagency councils and workgroups supporting gateways for individuals with disabilities, such as the Employment First Task Force and the Texas Department of Aging and Disability Services’ (DADS) Promoting Independence Advisory Council. Other memberships have included the Texas Department of Assistive and Rehabilitative Services’ (DARS) Medicaid Infrastructure Grant Advisory Council, and HHSC’s House Bill 1230 Workgroup on Transition Services for Youth with Disabilities. TWC will also continue to coordinate with the State Independent Living Council (SILC) and the Centers for Independent Living (CILs) to serve mutual consumers who need employment assistance as well as assistance with independent living resources. In this vein, TWC has collaborated with a number of agencies in developing guidance, such as a transition and employment guide for Texas students with disabilities.
On a local level, MOUs established between Boards and one-stop partners set forth the operation of the one-stop delivery system to seamlessly and meaningfully serve individuals with disabilities. The elements included in each MOU describe the referral processes between partners and funding of infrastructure costs for one-stop offices and the process for negotiation of the MOUs, as proposed under regulations §678.500 through §678.510 of WIOA. (Page 74) Title I
Evidence of Collaboration, Contracts, and Agreements To provide seamless service delivery to customers and ensure effective use of resources, TWC Vocational Rehabilitation Division (VRD) maintains the following collaborations with community partners and other state agencies:
• VRD Program Specialists provide information and technical assistance to the appropriate Texas Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) Medical and Social Service Divisions when changes to VR employment services occur.
• VRD works with the appropriate HHSC Medical and Social Service Divisions to ensure that service definitions in the 1915(c) home- and community-based waivers accurately reflect Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and Rehabilitation Services Administration regulations. This partnership allows services that result in competitive integrated employment to be delivered efficiently and timely through the payer of first resort.
• VRD offers free intensive training and technical assistance to HHSC’s Medical and Social Services Divisions’ Behavioral Health and Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (IDD) Services Departments Special Projects Unit and community providers to become Benefits Subject Matter Resource staff.
• VRD partners with HHSC’s Medical and Social Services Divisions’ Behavioral Health and IDD Services Departments Special Projects Unit to provide cross training on the VR Long-Term Supports and Services System;
• VRD uses its current partnership with the Social Security Administration (SSA) to encourage CRP providers to become employment networks (ENs) under the SSA Ticket to Work Program. VRD offers incentive payments to CRP-ENs that provide:
• supported employment or job placement services during the provision of VR services; and
• extended support to Ticket to Work customers after VR case closure in order to advance employment or increase customer earnings. •
VRD partners with school districts that provide transition services to youth, and considers all aspects of the cooperative agreements in place to ensure continuity and timeliness of services for those school districts that initiate supported employment services before or after a student graduates.
VRD maintains membership and participation in the Association of People Supporting Employment First (APSE).
VRD has representation in the following:
- The Texas Council for Developmental Disabilities
- The Council for Advising and Planning for the Prevention and Treatment of Mental and Substance Use Disorders
- Texas Coordinating Council for Veteran Services
- State Independent Living Council
- Texas Technology Access Program Advisory Council
- Texas Council on Consumer Direction
- The Promoting Independence Advisory Council
- HHSC Statewide Behavioral Health Coordinating Council
- HHSC Office of Mental Health Coordination Cross Agency Liaison Committee
- Governor’s Committee on People with Disabilities Contracts
VRD has bilateral service contracts with CRPs to provide specific employment services, which include supported employment services. VRD counselors may refer customers with all disabilities, including blindness and visual impairments, to CRPs with contracts for supported employment services. The terms and conditions of CRP service contracts are provided in the VRD Standards for Providers manual. (Page 247-248) Title IV
To improve employment rates, suggestions include flexibility in opportunities, increases in on-site work experiences, automated systems to assist providers in managing the reporting requirements of the services, and protections for the customer. All are under review for implementation. Continued data tracking will help identify effectiveness in technology or work experience training and may define service options that can be added for enhanced successes. Furthermore, the provision of SE services for customers will undergo an Rapid Process Improvement (RPI) process to identify opportunities for new or enhanced strategies for greater successes. The VR division has executed a memorandum of understanding with the Texas Education Agency (TEA) that includes prohibiting contracts between TEA or local education agencies (LEAs) and employers who pay subminimum wage. Customers already served in subminimum employment receive counseling consistent with Employment First principles and WIOA requirements to encourage meaningful employment in an integrated environment with or without supports. (Page 268) Title I
To improve employment rates, suggestions include flexibility in opportunities, increases in on-site work experiences, automated systems to assist providers in managing the reporting requirements of the services, and protections for the customer. All are under review for implementation. Continued data tracking will help identify effectiveness in technology or work experience training and may define service options that can be added for enhanced successes. Furthermore, the provision of SE services for customers will undergo an RPI process to identify opportunities for new or enhanced strategies for greater successes. The VR division has executed a memorandum of understanding with the Texas Education Agency (TEA) that includes prohibiting contracts between TEA or local education agencies (LEAs) and employers who pay subminimum wage. Customers already served in subminimum employment receive counseling consistent with Employment First principles and WIOA requirements to encourage meaningful employment in an integrated environment with or without supports. Finally, the VR division is also launching a capacity-building project for VR and LEA staff to develop skills for practical application through joint training. (Page 278) Title IV
VRCs work with Community Rehabilitation Program (CRP) SE specialists, HHSC providers, or service coordinators/case managers, and customers’ natural support networks to develop short- and long-term support strategies based on individual needs. This ensures the appropriate amount of support is available and provided so that employment can be maintained. Extended services, known in Texas as long-term support and services, can be publicly funded, “natural” or “in-kind,” or paid by the customer through SSI, Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI), or another Social Security Administration Title II work incentive program. Examples of extended services include, but are not limited to, consulting with a customer’s job supervisor regarding areas of concern or training needs; creating supports and strategies to improve work performance through job coaching; providing services such as medication management or hygiene; and identifying and training on transportation options. (Page 305) Title IV