Vocational Rehabilitation Standards for Providers Manual

The VR Standards for Providers:

• helps ensure TWC customers receive quality services to assist them in achieving a successful outcome to their vocational rehabilitation or independent living goals;
• helps to ensure taxpayer funds are spent wisely and each purchase paid for with public funds represents full value to the taxpayer;
• provides published standards for maintaining compliance; and
• provides criteria in order to meet TWC performance expectations for each purchase.

The latest update to this manual is reflected in the chapters below. Any printed versions may not contain the latest policy changes.

For purposes of the VR program, the Federal VR grant paid 78.7 percent of the total costs of the program. In Federal fiscal year (FFY) 2019, the VR agency received $221,936,258 in Federal VR funds. Funds appropriated by the State paid 21.3 percent of the total costs ($60,066,611) under the VR program.

For purposes of the Supported Employment program, Federal funds paid 90 percent of the total costs. In FFY 2019, the VR agency received $1,446,266 in Federal Supported Employment funds. State appropriated funds paid 10 percent ($80,348) of the total costs under the Supported Employment program.

For purposes of the OIB program, Federal funds paid 90 percent of the total costs incurred under the program. In FFY 2019, the agency received $2,159,283 in Federal grant funds for this program. Funds appropriated by the State paid 10 percent ($239,920) of the total costs incurred under the OIB program.

Previous communication related to 30-day review postings of changes, clarifications or expectations to the VR Standards for Providers are listed here. Current Notices to Providers are located on the Vocational Rehabilitation Providers’ Resource page.

02/15/2018 Notice to Providers:

The revised Travel Premiums will go into effect on Monday, March 15, 2018. Existing content in sections 20.6 Travel Premium and 20.9 Fee Table of the manual will be replaced. Refer to the VR-SFP Revision Log for archived copies of these sections.

01/10/2018 Notice to Providers:

A TWC GovDelivery list was created to notify contractors and providers every time revisions are posted to the Standards Manual and other important information. To subscribe for these notifications, visit the TWC GovDelivery website: https://public.govdelivery.com/accounts/txwc/subscriber/new, enter an email address, and select the topic ‘Vocational Rehabilitation Contractors and Providers News.’

10/01/2017 Notice to Providers:

On October 1, 2017, Texas Workforce Commission’s Blind Services Division and Rehabilitation Services Division combined to create a single designated state unit (DSU) to administer the vocational rehabilitation program for Texans with disabilities. The combined VR Standards for Providers (VR-SFP) manual has been published.

09/01/2017 Notice to Providers:

October 1, 2017 Texas Workforce Commission’s Blind Services Division and Rehabilitation Services Division will combine to create a single designated state unit (DSU) to administer the vocational rehabilitation program for Texans with disabilities. This process includes replacing our existing divisions specific standards for providers’ manuals with a single combined standards manual. The new providers’ manual will be called the Vocational Rehabilitation Standards for Providers’ Manual (VR-SFP). While some content is still under development, the VR-SFP chapters that are posted on September 1, 2017 will go into effect on October 1, 2017.

The new and revised VR forms referenced within the VR-SFP will be published on Oct. 1, 2017. Questions about the content of the Standards for Providers manual and related forms can be emailed to vr.standards@twc.state.tx.us.