Amendments to Chapters852, 854 and 856

Criss Cole Rehabilitation Center and Purchasing

Policy Concept

Background

Senate Bill 208, 84th Texas Legislature, Regular Session (2015),transferred the administration of vocational rehabilitation(VR) servicesfrom the Texas Department of Assistive and Rehabilitative Services (DARS) to the Texas Workforce Commission (TWC), effective September 1, 2016. The programs and services that were transferred includegeneral VR services as well as VR servicesfor the blind, the Criss Cole Rehabilitation Center (CCRC), Business Enterprises of Texas, Certificate of Blindness for Tuition Waiver, and Independent Living Services for Older Individuals Who Are Blind.

On October 1, 2017, the VR programs for individuals with visual impairments and for individuals with other disabilities became integrated into a single VRprogram. The rules to support this integration were effective November 2017.

Issue

CCRC is a VR program and is available to VR customers who are blind or deafblind. CCRC provides evaluation, training, and related services in a residential and community setting to help customers who are blind or deafblind accomplish their employment goals. In their present form, the CCRC rules are not aligned with current TWC operation of this program.

Other rule revisions will be needed to add the deafblind definition and service eligibility criteria. Services must be added to accommodate the deafblind community, including but not limited to, communication tools. The independent living case designation and plan also would need to be removed from the eligibility criteria.

Additionally, the rules require restructuring. To integrate within TWC Chapter 856rules more effectively, the Chapter 854, Subchapter A, CCRC rules should be moved to Chapter 856, new Subchapter G,Criss Cole Rehabilitation Center, and the current Subchapter G,Certificate ofBlindness forTuition Waiver,should be moved to Chapter 856, new Subchapter H.Chapter 852, Purchase of Medical Goods and Services, only has one rule. To align this rule with other purchasing and provisions of services, it will be necessary to repeal it from Chapter 852 and move to Chapter 856, Subchapter C, Provision of Vocational Rehabilitation Services.

Furthermore, the following terms and references should be updated throughout allthe rules, changing:

  • “Department of Assistive and Rehabilitative Services” to “Texas Workforce Commission”;
  • “DARS” to “TWC”;
  • “Division for Rehabilitation Services (DRS)” to “Vocational Rehabilitation Division (VRD)”;
  • “Division for Blind Services (DBS)” to “Vocational Rehabilitation Division (VRD)”;
  • “consumers” to “customers”; and
  • “assistant commissioner” to “VRD director.”

The cross-references to §856.59, 856.60, and 856.71, relating to customer participation and comparable benefits,also will need to be added to Chapter 856, new Subchapter G.

Decision Points

Staff seeks direction on amending TWC Chapter 854 to repeal Subchapter A,CCRC rules, and to adopt the rules into Chapter 856, new Subchapter G, with some revisions to align the VR program at CCRC with the current TWC operation of the program.

Staff seeks direction on amending the rules by moving TWC’s Chapter 856, current Subchapter G,Certificate of Blindness for Tuition Waiver, to Chapter 856, new Subchapter H. The relocation of current Subchapter G to new Subchapter H would make possible the movement ofthe Chapter 854 CCRC rules toChapter 856, new Subchapter G.

Staff seeks direction on repealing TWC’s Chapter 852, Purchase of Medical Goods and Services by the Texas Workforce Commission—Vocational Rehabilitation Services, and adopting the rules in Chapter 856,incorporating revisions to align this purchasing rule with TWC procurement and programmatic operation.

CCRC Amendments to Chapters852, 854 and 856_Policy Concept_12-29-20171