Texas Sources of Funding for Employment Supports

WHERE THE $ COMES FROM FOR SUPPORTED EMPLOYMENT SERVICES IN TEXAS:

1. Mental Health General Revenue: Contracted funds between Texas Mental Health Mental Retardations (MHMR) and a local Community Center. Typically a clinic or psychosocial program will offer a supported employment services as an add-on to their program. Local MHMR Centers can contract supported employment out to private providers.

2. Mental Health (MH) Medicaid Rehabilitation Funds: Created about 1991, community MH services can bill for the supports for the individual before they obtain employment and for on-going support needs. Lack of utilization information has limited this program.

3. Mental Retardation General Revenue: A substantial amount of funding under 'vocational services' covers an array of vocational placements from employment in community settings to sheltered workshops. Both State schools and community centers receive vocational funding. Community Centers have minimum targeted numbers for supported employment placements under a contract with Texas Mental Health Mental Retardation (MHMR). Some Community Centers have developed contracts with private providers (i.e. Johnson Co. MHMR; Austin Travis County MHMR; Tarrent Co.; Gulf Coast Center; Harris Co.) but many Centers provide their own services.

4. HCS, CLASS, ICFMR: Both public and private providers can bill directly for this relatively new reimbursement possibility. Unfortunately, the mandate to refer to TRC first, and the TRC policy of funder of last resort makes moving through the systems a little difficult, and in some areas, impassable. Each Medicaid program has a different method of reimbursement, documentation, and monitoring, often making supported employment services too costly or difficult to implement from a provider perspective.

5. ERS: Historically, both public and private providers used these funds, although most funds have moved out of the community MHMR system as a result of the last TPR report. Funds can be used for both sheltered workshop and SE services. Private providers are rather dependent on these funds for their workshops. It is one of the few resources available to persons with developmental disabilities who need on-going supports and do not receive mental retardation services.

6. Texas Rehabilitation Commission & Texas Commission for the Blind Title 6c Federal funds: Both private and public providers have tapped this resource, although I have heard occasionally that some money gets sent back.

7. Texas Rehabilitation Commission & Texas Commission for the Blind General 110 Funds: Both private and public providers use this for SE in areas where the Area Manager is flexible and willing to render it as a resource.

9. Social Security Work Incentives: Possibly the best for the consumer because they actually could go to the provider of choice. However, Texas does not have a good track record on getting PASS and IRWE's approved......they take a long time to get through Social Security and a lot of advocating. Most people can't break the system. But, we're trying.

10. Local School Districts: Students in special education can be given the opportunity to develop employment skills through Community Based Instruction (CBI). Utilizing both the transition planning process and the individual education plan, the student and parent direct the funding received by the school towards an employment objectives. Between the ages of 18 and 22, students can be supported by the school district in a paid job setting. The job should stay with the student after school districts supports are discontinued.