Texas

“Goal 1: Create and support promising practices that enable people with developmental disabilities to be fully included in their communities and to have control over their own lives by September 30, 2021.

Goal 2: Improve and/or expand community-based systems to better support people with developmental disabilities or families of children with developmental disabilities to be fully included in their communities by September 30, 2021.

Goal 3: Increase the access that individuals with developmental disabilities and families of individuals with developmental disabilities have to information, training, and support to advocate for themselves and/or to collaborate with allies to impact public policy, service systems, and community supports.

Goal 4: Ensure there is ongoing support and technical assistance for the Council to identify and engage in issues according to the Council’s priorities and mission.”

“In 2015, Texas Health and Human Services (HHS) began a transformation effort to produce a more efficient, effective, and responsive system. In September of 2016 the first phase of that effort became operational.

The goals of the transformation are to create a system that:

“The purpose of this guide is to provide information on how to support and assist working-age people with disabilities who are receiving DADS services to obtain and maintain competitive, integrated employment. Through this guide, DADS intends to provide information on best practices and resources that can help improve employment outcomes for people with disabilities. The guide includes success stories of people with disabilities who, as a result of receiving the appropriate supports and services, have secured fulfilling employment...”

“TEA hereby adopts the state's policy that earning a living wage through competitive employment in the general workforce is the priority and preferred outcome for working age individuals with disabilities who receive public benefits. TEA will evaluate recommendations made by the Employment-First Task Force and will adopt rules as necessary that are consistent with the policy.”

“The Division for Rehabilitation Services (DRS) recognizes that collaboration with community organizations and other state agencies is essential to achieving successful employment outcomes for consumers with the most significant disabilities. DRS seeks opportunities to identify, develop, and implement cooperative agreements with other state agencies and appropriate entities, particularly when these agreements establish a framework to assist with the provision of supported employment services and extended services for consumers with the most significant disabilities.

Plans for Improving Supported Employment Services: DRS plans to…develop and implement an improved benchmark system for the provision of specific supported employment services statewide; explore complimentary services for specific populations like persons with autism and mental health diagnoses; develop a supported employment technical assistance training model for DRS staff members to improve their ability to determine when supported employment services are needed; and develop tools that will help staff members monitor and provide guidance to supported employment contract providers.”

This diagram serves as a guide for Dept. of Assistive and Rehabilitation Services providers for the process of supported employment, It contains guidelines and benchmarks, including an emphasis on the process of Discovery.

“TWC will promote competitive employment of individuals with disabilities and the expectation that they are able to meet the same employment standards, responsibilities and expectations as other working-age adults. TWC acknowledges that it is the policy of the state, as set forth in Texas Government Code §531.02447, ‘that earning a living wage through competitive employment in the general workforce is the priority and preferred outcome for working-age individuals with disabilities who receive public benefits.’”

The Texas Department of Assistive and Rehabilitative Services (DARS), in conjunction with Office of the Federal Contract Compliance Program (OFCCP) and a group of local businesses has produced this guide on attracting and hiring people with disabilities. DARS works in partnership with Texans with disabilities and families with children who have developmental delays to improve the quality of their lives and to enable their full participation in society. The DARS Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) program helps people with disabilities to prepare for, find and keep employment. DARS services can reduce the need for support from other public benefits and services.

This document represents findings from a comprehensive state needs assessment of the rehabilitation needs of individuals with disabilities. The Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended calls for periodic comprehensive statewide needs assessments that will result in recommendations to the goals, priorities, and strategies of the state plan. Two divisions within the Department of Assistive and Rehabilitative Services (DARS), the Division for Rehabilitation Services (DRS) and the Division for Blind Services (DBS) contracted with the Child and Family Research Institute at The University of Texas at Austin to conduct this needs assessment. This needs assessment addresses the federal requirements related to the Title I state plan for vocational rehabilitation (VR) services and its title VI B supplement related to supported employment services by including: 1. The results of the needs assessment describing the rehabilitation needs of individuals with disabilities residing within the state, particularly the vocational rehabilitation services needs of: a. individuals with the most significant disabilities, including their need for supported employment; b. individuals with disabilities who are minorities; c. individuals with disabilities who have been unserved and underserved by the VR program; and d. individuals with disabilities served through other components of the statewide workforce investment system (other than the VR program), as identified by such individuals and personnel assisting such individuals through the components. 2. An assessment of the need to: a. establish community rehabilitation programs (CRPs); b. develop CRPs; or c. improve CRPs within the state.

This policy manual contains up to date information on the Texas Department of Assistive and Rehabilitation Services standards for providers. The employment services mentioned included work readiness services, jot skills training, supported employment services, and supported self-employment services, among others. The services also address a wide range of disabilities including acute brain injury, deaf, and speech and hearing impaired.

This policy manual contains up to date information on the Vocational Rehabilitation services provided by the Division for Blind Services (DBS). The services include community rehabilitation programs, employment assistance, job readiness training and job placement, job coach services, and on-the-job training, among many others.

This policy manual contains up to date information on the services provided by the Dept. of Assistive and Rehabilitation Services. The employment services in particular include job readiness, counselor-directed placement, on the job training, apprenticeship opportunities, supported employment, job coaching and self-employment services, among others.

“The Texas Department of Assistive and Rehabilitative Services' (DARS) Division for Rehabilitation Services (DRS) and Division of Blind Services (DBS) have implemented a detailed Discovery process, one of the key elements of Customized Employment (CE), as the center point of the agency's person-centered planning mechanism. By adding depth and direction to the basic concept of Discovery in its policy, the agencies incorporated a more thorough and person-centered planning process in the field. DRS and DBS contract with Community Rehabilitation Providers (CRPs) for delivery of all Supported Employment services, including CE.”

• Texas law explicitly prohibits the employment-related discrimination due to disability; “Promotes competitive employment opportunities for people with disabilities,… Requires the Health and Human Service Commission (HHSC), the Texas Education Agency (TEA) and the Texas Workforce Commission (TWC) to adopt and implement an employment policy that ensure that all working-age people with disabilities are offered information and trainings about employment and assist employers, community providers, public school staff and vocational service programs with achieving the employment policy goals; [and] Provides assistance finding and sustaining employment to individuals in specific Medicaid waiver programs.”

“Transition is the term used for the time when you are changing from a student to an adult. You, your parents, and your school begin to plan for transition while you are still a student.

Your parents and the school need to understand your wants and needs to make sure they are included in your plan. You need to talk to your parents and your teachers about how you can become more involved in making decisions about your educational program and your plans for the future.

There are several work choices:

          • competitive employment – a job done by a person with a disability, in the same job setting, and at a pay rate that is the same as a worker without a disability

          • customized employment - a job based on what people know how to do, their needs, what they like, and that is designed to meet the specific needs of the employer

          • integrated employment – a job at a work site at which the person routinely interacts with people without disabilities in addition to the work site supervisor or service providers

          • supported employment - a job with supports by service providers done by a person with a disability in the same job setting as a worker without a disability

          • self-employment – making money from services or products a person provides to his or her customers instead of working for someone else.”

“The Employment First Task Force, authorized by Senate Bill 1226 (83rd Legislature, Regular Session, 2013), was established by the Texas Health and Human Services Commission executive commissioner to promote competitive employment of people with disabilities and the expectation that individuals with disabilities are able to meet the same employment standards, responsibilities, and expectations as any other working-age adult.”

“Senate Bill 1226 (S.B. 1226), 83rd Legislature, Regular Session, 2013, promotes employment for individuals with disabilities by establishing an Employment First policy for the state of Texas and also creating an Employment First Task Force (the Task Force). …” “’Employment First’” is an approach to facilitating the full inclusion of individuals with disabilities in the workplace. This approach states that integrated, competitive employment should be the first option considered for individuals with disabilities and should be the expected outcome of education and publicly-funded services for working-age youth and adults.”