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.
Credentials:
A credential is proof that an individual has completed assignments, and a required
competency test that demonstrates the individual has base-line knowledge and/or skills
related to the subject matter. To maintain TWC-VR credentials, either renewal courses
or continuing education units are required every 3 years to support the ongoing professional
development and expansion of new knowledge or skills for the credentialed individual.
For additional information on the credential renewal requirements and process, click
on Credential & Endorsement Renewal Requirements.
Below are descriptions of currently available credentials:
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.
Return to Top
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.
Return to Top
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
Return to Top
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
Return to Top
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
Return to Top
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
- 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
- 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.
Return to Top
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:
- NRTC Improving Business Development Skills: A Training for Rehabilitation Professionals.
- This course was created 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.
- 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.
Return to Top
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.
Return to Top
University of North Texas 
