Community rehabilitation programs (CRPs) are responsible for adhering to a specific set of guidelines and requirements in order to be considered eligible for participation within the State Use WorksWonders Program. To aid CRPs in maintaining compliance with these requirements, WorkQuest hosts annual compliance and training seminars.
Beginning this summer and continuing through this fall, these compliance and training seminars cover a range of topics relating to CRP participation within the WorksWonders Program, such as reviewing requirements to participate in the Program, governmental contracting, and procurement procedures and laws. These seminars serve as an invaluable tool for members who wish to utilize the benefits of the Program to their full potential, all in the aim of employing Texans with disabilities.
The seminars cover general informational items about the Program and its administrative body, the Texas Workforce Commission (TWC), such as the statutes and rules that govern the Program, the role of the TWC Purchasing from Persons with Disabilities (PPD) Advisory Committee, and the role WorkQuest plays acting as a liaison between TWC, the PPD Advisory Committee, state agency and political subdivision customers, and the CRPs themselves. More specifically, the seminars review the documentation required of each CRP to be eligible for participation – certification and recertification forms, state use wage reports, documentation of disability forms, state set-aside agreements, and cost analysis forms – as well as provide an overview of the processes by which products and services contracting are completed and assigned – cost analysis, cost proposal, cost breakdown, program eligibility requirements, product assignment processes and criteria, and value added statements.
Since 2015, WorkQuest has been implementing Competitive Integrated Employment (CIE) curriculum into its yearly trainings. This year, staff from TWC’s Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) department were in attendance to review these criteria with seminar attendees. Topics covered during their presentation included a review of the components that constitute competitive integrated employment – competitive earnings, integrated location, and opportunities for advancement – as well as an overview of the considerations that VR counselors follow when determining if a particular workplace setting can be considered competitive and integrated.
If you wish to learn more about attending a seminar near you, please visit the WorkQuest website, WorkQuest.com, or call our main office to receive more information. Seminars are also available to view online at WorkQuest.com
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