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TITLE 26HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
PART 1HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES COMMISSION
CHAPTER 260DEAF BLIND WITH MULTIPLE DISABILITIES (DBMD) PROGRAM AND COMMUNITY FIRST CHOICE (CFC) SERVICES
SUBCHAPTER FSERVICE DESCRIPTIONS AND REQUIREMENTS
DIVISION 3REQUIREMENTS FOR OTHER DBMD PROGRAM SERVICES
RULE §260.341Employment Services

(a) A program provider must ensure that a service provider of employment assistance or a service provider of supported employment meets the qualifications described in §260.203(g) of this chapter (relating to Qualifications of Program Provider Staff).

(b) Before including employment assistance on an individual's IPC, a program provider must ensure and maintain documentation in the individual's record that employment assistance is not available to the individual under a program funded under §110 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 or under a program funded under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (20 U.S.C. §1401 et seq.).

(c) A program provider must ensure that employment assistance:

  (1) consists of a service provider performing the following activities:

    (A) identifying an individual's employment preferences, job skills, and requirements for a work setting and work conditions;

    (B) locating prospective employers offering employment compatible with an individual's identified preferences, skills, and requirements;

    (C) contacting a prospective employer on behalf of an individual and negotiating the individual's employment;

    (D) transporting the individual to help the individual locate competitive employment in the community; and

    (E) participating in service planning team meetings;

  (2) is provided in accordance with the individual's IPC and with Appendix C of the DBMD waiver application approved by CMS and available on the HHSC website;

  (3) is not provided to an individual with the individual present at the same time that one of the following services is provided:

    (A) day habilitation;

    (B) transportation provided as a residential habilitation activity;

    (C) supported employment;

    (D) respite; or

    (E) CFC PAS/HAB; and

  (4) does not include using Medicaid funds paid by HHSC to a program provider for incentive payments, subsidies, or unrelated vocational training expenses, such as:

    (A) paying an employer:

      (i) to encourage the employer to hire an individual; or

      (ii) for supervision, training, support, or adaptations for an individual that the employer typically makes available to other workers without disabilities filling similar positions in the business; or

    (B) paying the individual:

      (i) as an incentive to participate in employment assistance activities; or

      (ii) for expenses associated with the start-up costs or operating expenses of an individual's business.

(d) Before including supported employment on an individual's IPC, a program provider must ensure and maintain documentation in the individual's record that supported employment is not available to the individual under a program funded under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (20 U.S.C. §1401 et seq.).

(e) A program provider must ensure that supported employment:

  (1) consists of a service provider performing the following activities:

    (A) making employment adaptations, supervising, and providing training related to an individual's assessed needs;

    (B) transporting the individual to support the individual to be self-employed, work from home, or perform in a work setting; and

    (C) participating in service planning team meetings;

  (2) is provided in accordance with the individual's IPC and with Appendix C of the DBMD waiver application approved by CMS and available on the HHSC website;

  (3) is not provided to an individual with the individual present at the same time that one of the following services are provided:

    (A) day habilitation;

    (B) transportation provided as a residential habilitation activity;

    (C) employment assistance;

    (D) respite; or

    (E) CFC PAS/HAB; and

  (4) does not include:

    (A) sheltered work or other similar types of vocational services furnished in specialized facilities; or

    (B) using Medicaid funds paid by HHSC to a program provider for incentive payments, subsidies, or unrelated vocational training expenses, such as:

      (i) paying an employer:

        (I) to encourage the employer to hire an individual; or

        (II) to supervise, train, support, or make adaptations for an individual that the employer typically makes available to other workers without disabilities filling similar positions in the business; or

      (ii) paying the individual:

        (I) as an incentive to participate in supported employment activities; or

        (II) for expenses associated with the start-up costs or operating expenses of an individual's business.


Source Note: The provisions of this §260.341 adopted to be effective February 26, 2023, 48 TexReg 896

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