TWC-VR Credentials & Endorsements

The Texas Workforce Commission-Vocational Rehabilitation (TWC-VR) has partnered with the University of North Texas (UNT) to develop a training, credentialing, and endorsement program for providers. The credentialing and endorsement program ensures service providers for TWC-VR are fully equipped to provide the highest quality services to Texans with disabilities who need support obtaining and maintaining competitive integrated employment.  

 

Director Credential

For most services included in the TWC-VR Standards, the provider must have at least one individual who obtains and maintains the Director Credential. The purpose of the Director Credential is to ensure a person in the contractor's leadership is educated in Vocational Rehabilitation Best Practices, TWC-VR business practices, service delivery requirements, obtaining and maintaining a contract, provider marketing with VR, ethics and other relevant topics.

Contractors who provide services described in the Standards for Providers must have at least one individual who is designated as a Director. Role of the Director is expected to:

• Handle routine communication
  
• Address compliance issues
• Ensure that staff qualifications are documented and up-to-date
• Supervise staff and subcontractors, if any
• Ensure that the contractor meets the requirements explained in the contract, VR-SFP manual, and service authorizations

The purpose of the Director Credential is to ensure a person in the contractor’s leadership, the designated director, is educated in:

• Vocational Rehabilitation Best Practices
• Texas VR business practices
• Service delivery requirements
• How to obtain or maintain a contract
• Provider marketing with VR
• Ethics
• Other relevant topics

To maintain the Director credential, a renewal course must be completed prior to expiration of the credential. 

Pre-Requisite: none

Contact Hours: 15 contact hours available for completing the course requirements.

Platform: Online, self-paced

This course is self-paced and hosted completely online in the Canvas learning system.  A score of 75% or higher must be achieved to receive the credential.

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Employment Service Credentials:

Job Skills Training Credential:

This credential is the first and most basic in the employment service credential series. It is required for anyone who will be providing work experience training or job skills training to TWC-VR customers, and is the prerequisite for all other employment service credentials.

Job skills trainers and work experience trainers teach skills, reinforce learned skills, and set up accommodations and/or compensatory techniques to increase the customer's independence and ability to meet the employer's expectations. The Job Skills Training Course is designed to provide you with the skills and knowledge to effectively provide job skills training to VR customers. This course is a prerequisite for all other employment credentials.

This course will provide information on:

• Aspects of Community Employment
• The Employment Process
• Knowing Your Customer
• The Job Skills Trainer
• Communication
• Workplace Behavior
• Training Techniques
• Extended Services & Ongoing Supports
• The Employment Services Credential

To maintain the Job Skills Training credential, continuing education credits are required to be completed prior to expiration of the credential. 

Pre-Requisite: none

Contact Hours: 15 contact hours available for completing the course requirements.

Platform: Online, self-paced

This course is self-paced and hosted completely online in the Canvas learning system. A score of 75% of higher must be achieved to receive the credential.

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Job Placement Credential:

This is the second credential in the series and is required for anyone wanting to provide job placement services to TWC-VR customers. It is also a prerequisite to complete the Supported Employment and/or Work Readiness Credentials. Individuals must have successfully obtained the Job Skills Training Credential as a prerequisite for the course.   

The role of the Job Placement Specialist is to teach and assist the customer in executing the skills necessary to prepare for and complete job searching activities necessary to obtain competitive integrated employment. The Job Placement course is designed to review and teach the most up to date strategies and necessary services to individually assist customers in executing the skills needed to prepare for and complete job searching activities, such as: 

• Gathering information for a customer’s employment data sheet
  
• Application completion
  
• Creating individualized resumes
  
• Interviewing 
  
• Job searching for open positions that meet the customer’s individual needs, wants and desires in employment
  
• Job acceptance
  
• Addressing employment barriers

The course provides strategies to develop curriculum, implement training activities, access and monitor a customer’s abilities, and complete job searching activities while meeting each customer's needs, including, but not limited to, literacy and disability needs. The course explains the TWC-VR Job Placement Services outlining the required outcomes for payment, and teaches how to document a customer’s progress on required reports.

This online, 6-week, course is instructor-led, providing personalized feedback on assignments and requires the student to complete assignments to earn points to advance through the course to be eligible to take the competency test. A participant not earning the required points will not be offered an opportunity to take the final test. A score of 75% or higher must be achieved to receive the credential.

Please note that this course has assignments that are due weekly.

 

To maintain the Job Placement credential, continuing education credits are required to be completed prior to expiration of the credential. 

Pre-Requisite: Successful completion of the Job Skills Training Course is a pre-requisite for this course.

Contact Hours: 20 contact hours available for completing the course requirements.

Platform: Online, instructor-led

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Supported Employment Credential:

This is considered an advanced course for individuals who have experience providing employment services and working with individuals with the most significant disabilities. Supported Employment enables customers with the most significant disabilities to obtain and maintain competitive integrated employment. Individuals must have successfully obtained the Job Skills Training and Job Placement Credential as prerequisites for the course.

Supported Employment Specialists assist customers with the most significant disabilities to obtain or maintain competitive integrated employment by:

• Providing individualized assistance in finding an appropriate job match
• Providing ongoing support services
• Establishing extended services, sometimes called long-term supports

The course curriculum includes topics such as:

• Criteria for customers in supported employment
• Discovery, Person Centered Planning (PCP) and the Career Planning Assessment (CPA)
• Situational assessments and job analysis
• Individual job development and job placement
• Worksite training strategies 
• Job stability
• Workplace supports, natural supports, paid supports and use of compensatory techniques
• Funding and resources for Extended Services
• Documentation requirements and required outcomes for payment for each supported employment benchmark

 

This online, 6-week, course is instructor-led, providing personalized feedback on assignments and requires the student to complete assignments to earn points to advance through the course to be eligible to take the competency test. A participant not earning the required points will not be offered an opportunity to take the final test. A score of 75% or higher must be achieved to receive the credential.

Please note that this course has assignments that are due weekly.

 

To maintain the Supported Employment credential, continuing education credits are required to be completed prior to expiration of the credential. 

Pre-Requisite: Successful completion of the Job Skills Training and Job Placement courses are pre-requisites for this course.

Contact Hours: 30 contact hours available for completing the course requirements.

Platform: Online, instructor-led

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Work Readiness Credential:

This is considered an advanced course currently geared for Vocational Readiness. The Work Readiness Credential will train an individual in skills necessary to address disability issues, interpersonal skills, daily living skills, and vocational impediments that interfere with a TWC-VR customer obtaining and maintaining employment. The course reviews and teaches the skills necessary to implement prescribed curriculums and how to develop curriculums that cover the required content as described in the VR-Standards for Providers. Individuals must have successfully obtained the Job Skills Training and Job Placement Credentials, and have completed at least 60 college credit hours as a prerequisite for this course.

The Work Readiness Credential allows Vocational Adjustment Trainers to train individuals in skills necessary to address disability issues, interpersonal skills, daily living skills, and vocational impairment issues that interfere with a VR customer obtaining or maintaining employment. Work Readiness Services benefit customers who have never worked, have not worked for a long time or have a sporadic work history, and prepares customers for successful employment so they can manage or address vocational impairments and be self-sufficient.

The course reviews and teaches the skills necessary to implement prescribed curriculums and to develop curriculums that cover the required content as described in the VR Standards for Providers. Upon completion of the course, individuals will be able to:

• Use various instructional approaches such as discussion, inquiry-based instruction, handouts, PowerPoint presentations, “hands on” experimental learning, problem-based learning and computer aided instruction
• Demonstrate knowledge of universal design for learning
• Understand the service requirements for all Vocational Adjustment Services
• Obtain materials and resources to include in curriculums and use these materials to design the curriculum, which the Standards for Providers identifies will be created by the Vocational Adjustment Trainer
• Understand how to administer prescribed curriculums published by resources such as Department of Labor's Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP), National Collaborative on Workforce and Disability, and Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC)
• Understand the documentation requirements and required outcomes for payment for each Vocational Adjustment Training service

This online, 6-week, course is instructor-led, providing personalized feedback on assignments and requires the student to complete assignments to earn points to advance through the course to be eligible to take the competency test. A participant not earning the required points will not be offered an opportunity to take the final test. A score of 75% or higher must be achieved to receive the credential.

 

Please note that this course has assignments that are due weekly. 

To maintain the Work Readiness credential, continuing education credits are required to be completed prior to expiration of the credential. 

Pre-Requisite: Completion of at least 60 college credit hours, and successful completion of the Job Skills Training and Job Placement courses are pre-requisites for this course.

Contact Hours: 24 contact hours available for completing the course requirements.

Platform: Online, instructor-led

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Endorsements:

By obtaining an endorsement, an individual is identified as having the knowledge and skills related to a specific subject area, such as a disability group or common employment barrier. Contractors that have staff with endorsements may be provided the opportunity to earn additional monies when their skills are necessary to support a customer in achieving an employment outcome.

Autism Endorsement:

 

Completion of the Autism Endorsement demonstrates an individual has the foundational knowledge about Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), behavior concepts, social skills strategies and best practices for working with individuals with Autism and other neurodevelopmental disorders. Individuals must have successfully obtained the Job Skills Training and Job Placement Credential as prerequisites for the course, and must complete the Relias Academy Autism specialization course OR hold a BCaBA, BCBA, or BCBA-D.       

Individuals who successfully complete the Autism endorsement demonstrate foundational knowledge about Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), behavioral concepts, social skills strategies and best practices for working with individuals with Autism and other neurodevelopmental disorders.

An Autism Specialization endorsement is required to conduct the Environmental Work Assessment (EWA). Provider staff with an Autism Endorsement may be eligible for the Autism Premium when the criteria under TX-VR Standards for Providers Chapter 20, section 20.3.1 Autism Premium Service Description is met.  ASD Supports may also be provided by Autism Endorsement holders when an appropriate referral is received.

This course is self-paced and hosted completely online in the Canvas learning system. Pre-requisites must be met and a score of 75% or higher must be achieved to receive the endorsement.

 

To maintain the Autism Endorsement, a renewal course must be completed prior to expiration of the Endorsement, however you do not need to retake the Relias courses. 

Pre-Requisite: Hold a current Job Placement credential; and

1. Proof of successful completion of the Relias Academy Autism specialization courses ($299) found at https://reliasacademy.com/rls/store/browse/productDetailSingleSku.jsp?productId=p95028; OR
2. Proof that participant holds one of the following:​

• • Board Certified Assistant Behavior Analyst (BCaBA)
  • Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA)
  • Board Certified Behavior Analyst - Doctorate (BCBA-D)
  • When then the above pre-requisites have been confirmed, the Autism Endorsement Course may be taken and if passed, the Autism Endorsement earned.

Contact Hours: 3 contact hours available for completing the course requirements.

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Blind Premium Endorsement:

 

A service provider with a Blind Premium Endorsement, may help identify, address, and remove barriers related to the customer's visual impairment which could include developing compensatory strategies, skills training, setting up accommodations,  and more. (Effective Nov. 1, 2022).

Individuals who successfully complete the Blind Premium Endorsement will be able to demonstrate foundational knowledge about blindness, low vision, and other significant visual impairments. The endorsement will also focus on how to remove employment barriers through use of interventions such as compensatory strategies, skills training and establishing accommodations.

Prerequisites include successful completion of the following free courses:

1. NRTC Improving Business Development Skills: A Training for Rehabilitation Professionals. 

• This course was created to address to improve knowledge and skills related to business development.
• 11-hours of CRC points earned when completed successfully.
  • The following required sections of the course must be completed, and you must earn CRC credit for each section. 

• Section 1 - A Recommended Approach to Business Development
• Section 2 - What You Need to Know Before Making Employer Contacts
• Section 3 - Connecting with Employers
• Section 4 - Being Prepared for a First Meeting
• Section 5 - After the First Meeting, Making Time, and Other Issues Specific to Business Development for People who are Blind
  • Enrichment Activities are encouraged to be completed throughout the course but are not required. CRC points earned in completing the enrichment activities do not count toward the 11 required CRC points obtained through the completion of the 5 required sections. 
  • Content in Section 6 - Resources and Tools should be kept for future reference.

2. NRTC Advice for VR Professionals: Evidence for Effective Meetings with Employers.

• This course will describe a research study that examines these questions and offers practical advice for engaging employers to facilitate job placement for consumers who are blind or visually impaired.
• 1-hour of CRC points earned when the course is completed successfully.

Note:

• To receive CRC credits, you will be required to answer questions related to the course material and complete an evaluation for each section. You must earn a score of 80% or greater for each section.
• Should you fail to pass one of the required sections, you must wait 1 year before retaking NRTC prerequisite courses, and you cannot register in the UNT WISE Blind Endorsement class.

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Additional Endorsements will be added as they become available.

If you require accommodation, please email your request to UNTWISE@unt.edu. Please include your name and registration date in the email.

Administrative Fees

Employment service credential courses are eligible for the expedited verification process with a nominal fee. For more information on the expedited verification fee and other fees, click below:

Please contact UNTWISE at (940) 565-4000 or UNTWISE@unt.edu for further assistance.

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