The contractor and contractor staff that provide services described in this chapter also must comply with Chapters 1–3 of the VR Standards for Providers manual.
On this page:
Independent Living Services for Older Individuals Who Are Blind (ILS-OIB) focuses on adjustment to blindness and development of skills so that customers can live confidently and independently in their homes and communities. The program's goals are to empower individuals with disabilities; maximize their leadership potential, independence, and productivity; and ensure their integration and full inclusion in society.
The ILS-OIB program promotes independent living by encouraging self-control, self-help, and self-determination, and by promoting equal access and individual and systemic advocacy. The program assists customers address the impact of their loss of vision so that each customer can achieve their independent living goals.
ILS-OIB helps customers:
IL services provided by a contractor can only be provided when authorized by the TWC-VR OIB worker to address goals in a customer’s Independent Living Plan (ILP).
IL services are provided in person with the trainer and customer at the same location. IL services within this chapter cannot be provided remotely.
Any request to change a Service Definition, Process and Procedure, or Outcomes Required for Payment must be documented and approved by the VR director, using the VR3472, Contracted Service Modification Request for Blind and Visually Impaired Services, before the change is implemented. The approved VR3472 must be maintained in the provider’s customer case file. For more information, refer to VR-SFP 3.4.11 Contracted Services Modification Request.
A provider's services can include one or more of the following:
For information on O&M training and Diabetes Management Training, see Chapter 5: Orientation and Mobility Services and Chapter 7: Diabetes Self-Management Education Services.
Other services include referral to and information to outreach services such as visual screening, surgery, or therapeutic treatment to prevent, correct, or modify disabling eye conditions, and hospitalization related to these services.
For information on acceptable signatures refer to VR-SFP sections 3.2.14 Documentation and 3.2.16 Signatures.
All IL skills trainers must have accomplished the following:
Providers of IL skills services offer a variety of services in the customer's home or community.
Providers may provide one or more of the following, as authorized by the OIB worker:
The OIB worker coordinates casework and directs the IL skills provider in the provision of services.
The OIB worker:
The OIB worker:
The authorized IL skills provider:
The IL skills provider must make the initial contact with a customer who is referred for independent living skills training within 15 working days of the referral.
The application assessment must be completed within one to two hours of the initial contact.
The initial contact and application assessment must be conducted individually and must be documented using the following forms:
The IL skills provider must contact a customer who is referred for a comprehensive assessment within 30 calendar days of the referral.
The IL skills provider must document the comprehensive assessment on VR2954, Comprehensive Assessment for Independent Living Program. The recommendations section of the form must list the IL skills training sessions and services that the IL skills provider has identified for inclusion in the customer's ILP.
After the OIB worker has developed the ILP, the IL skills provider provides monthly training services as authorized by the OIB worker. The OIB worker documents the services each month using VR2891, Customer Services Report: ILS-OIB Progress Report.
The monthly progress report (VR2891) must:
Services must not begin until a service authorization has been issued.
Providers must have written authorization from ILS-OIB before providing services to a customer. If a service is provided before a service authorization is issued by ILS-OIB and received by the provider, ILS-OIB will not authorize payment for the service.
For additional information about provider authorization, see
To facilitate payment after the assessment and/or training period, the provider of IL skills services submits the following (as applicable) at least every 35 days, using clear and descriptive terms:
The information entered must demonstrate the following:
ILS-OIB does not pay fees related to excused or unexcused absences or holidays.
Payment for IL skills services is made when the OIB worker approves a complete, accurate, signed, and dated:
For more information, refer to 10.6 IL Skills Training Fee Schedule.
Orientation and Mobility (O&M) services prepare blind and visually impaired customers to travel independently with competence and confidence. O&M trainers offer complex, interrelated services designed to enable customers to travel independently. O&M training begins with an assessment and may include training held in environments frequently visited by the customer.
For the definition of O&M services and for information on related guidelines, processes, and fees, refer to Chapter 5: Orientation and Mobility Services.
Diabetes self-management and education services are used to:
For the definition of this service and for information on related guidelines, processes, and fees, refer to Chapter 7: Diabetes Self-Management Education Services.
The fee for providing IL skills training—that is, training the customer directly or discussing the customer's training with the OIB worker—is $75 per hour.