The following words and terms, when used in this subchapter,
have the following meanings unless the context clearly indicates otherwise.
(1) Allowable costs--Expenses relating to case management
services that are reasonable and necessary in the normal conduct of
operations.
(2) Blind--A visual loss that results in the best corrected
visual acuity of 20/200 or less in the better eye, or a visual loss
that results in a limitation in the field of vision such that the
widest diameter of the visual field subtends an angle no greater than
20 degrees, which means a field of view no greater than 20 degrees
in the better eye.
(3) Case management--Assisting an eligible child under
this subchapter in gaining access to medical, social, educational,
vocational, and other appropriate services to help the child reach
or maintain an optimal level of functioning in a community-based setting.
(4) Case management bundled monthly rate--A prospective
rate based on the average monthly cost of providing case management
services for an eligible child under this subchapter.
(5) Case note--A record of significant interactions
in the provision of services. Case notes should document:
(A) the place of service;
(B) who was present when the service was provided;
(C) the BCVDD Program Specialist's participation in
the provision of services;
(D) the relationship of the services provided to the
child's plan of care/identified needs;
(E) a summary of the child's response to services provided
and observations of skills assessed;
(F) impact of the identified need on the consumer;
and
(G) the plan for services to meet the identified needs
or account of follow-up on services delivered.
(6) Comparable services and benefits--Any service,
benefit, or resource available to a child from another public or private
source that provides in whole or in part the services that the child
would otherwise receive from DARS DBS.
(7) Comprehensive Assessment--An assessment, completed
by the BCVDD Program specialist, for each consumer, in order to identify
and describe the consumer's and family's needs.
(8) Consumer--A child and/or family of a child with
a visual impairment who has applied for, or who is receiving BCVDD
Program services.
(9) Contact--An action taken by a BCVDD Program specialist
on behalf of an eligible child under this subchapter to locate, coordinate,
and monitor necessary and appropriate services with a specific person
or organization. A contact may be face-to-face or by telephone.
(10) Core Service Areas--Service areas that all consumers
need to master in order to successfully achieve personal and vocational
goals, including: Adjustment to Blindness, Independent Living skills,
Travel skills, Communication skills, Support Services, and Vocational
Discovery and Development.
(11) Deafblind--A combined loss of vision and hearing
that significantly affects access to communication, learning, socialization,
activities of daily living, and mobility.
(12) Developmental services--Services that increase
the capabilities and functional abilities of a child in a noneducational
setting.
(13) Educational support services--Services that help
a child gain the maximum benefit from educational services provided
by others.
(14) Family service plan--A formal plan that is responsive
to the child's needs; is developed and approved by the BCVDD Program
specialist, family, and/or child; and contains a description of the
child's planned services, agreements between the parent and DARS DBS,
and other information necessary to administer the provisions of this
subchapter.
(15) Federal poverty guidelines--The poverty guidelines
updated periodically in the Federal Register by the U.S. Department
of Health and Human Services under the authority of 42 U.S.C. §9902(2).
(16) Habilitation services--Services that develop a
severely visually impaired child's skills for independent living and
potential employment.
(17) Nonsevere visual loss--A visual acuity in which
one eye meets the definition of blind or severe visual loss and the
acuity in the other eye with best correction is better than 20/70,
or the visual acuity in both eyes with best correction is better than
20/70.
(18) Parent--The child's natural or adoptive parent;
or the spouse of the child's natural or adoptive parent; or the child's
guardian or surrogate parent; or the spouse of the guardian or surrogate
parent; or a person or spouse of the person who is acting as the child's
parent. The person who is authorized to sign the application and plan,
and who is authorized to make decisions regarding the child's services.
(19) Permanent severely visually impaired child--A
child with a visual impairment that has resulted in a permanent condition
of blindness or severe visual loss; or a child who has been certified
as blind or severely visually impaired by a local education agency;
or a child who has been determined to be functioning as a person who
is blind or who has a severe visual loss.
(20) Referral--A child who has been referred to the
BCVDD Program for services but for whom an application has not been
completed.
(21) Restoration services--Services to eliminate or
reduce limitations imposed by a visual impairment on the functioning
of a child and cosmetic services necessary to improve the physical
appearance of the child's eyes when the eyes are abnormal to the extent
that they negatively affect the child's social and emotional well-being.
(22) Severe visual loss--A loss of vision in which
the best corrected visual acuity is between 20/70 and 20/200 in the
better eye; or a visual loss in which the visual field is 30 degrees
or less but greater than 20 degrees with best correction.
(23) Technology services--Services to provide a child
access to an item, piece of equipment, or product system that maintains
or improves the child's communication, independent living, social
skills, or prevocational skills.
(24) Visual impairment--An injury, disease, or other
disorder that reduces, or if not treated will probably result in reducing,
visual functioning; or a visual condition requiring cosmetic treatment,
psychological assistance, counseling, or other assistance that DARS
DBS can render.
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| Source Note: The provisions of this §359.5 adopted to be effective June 13, 2013, 38 TexReg 3810; transferred effective February 1, 2022, as published in the January 7, 2022 issue of the Texas Register, 47 TexReg 35 |
