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For context, the vocational rehabilitation (VR) system manages cases for people with disabilities and helps them prepare for, obtain and maintain employment through various services. The agency is upgrading its existing ReHabWorks (RHW) system used in VR.
The first upgrade took place in April and involved moving RHW to the cloud, adding additional cybersecurity protections, updating core technologies, enhancing the system’s database structure and modernizing operations by moving from a monolithic application to a container-based application that uses SQL RDS.
A second upgrade in June implemented the following changes:
- Integrating the VR virtual assistant with the RHW system
- Enhancing communication channels with VR customers
- Automating alerts and providing follow-up messages for outstanding tasks
- Streamlining the process of sending and receiving documents online
- Simplifying the customer appointment processes
- Automating customer communication documentation to support efficient case management and follow up on tasks
- Updating the system’s individualized plan for employment processes
- Enhancing social security and Title II benefits tracking
- Updating processes for the commission’s Older Individuals Who Are Blind program
- Implementing system and process updates to better serve individuals ages 14-22
Overall, “TWC wanted to upgrade the system to a cloud environment and implement some system enhancements the VR team needed,” an agency spokesperson said via email.
Furthermore, they added, “TWC’s goal is always to improve the customer experience for all Texans, and in this case, especially for Texans with disabilities. With the integration of the VR virtual assistant, we have seen an influx of positive engagement with customers and feedback from staff regarding time-saving benefits of reducing some administrative tasks the virtual assistant now helps to complete.”
The agency anticipates completing a third update by the end of August, with a release to production in September.
Major upgrades during this third update include integrating TxROCS (Texas Review, Oversight and Coaching System) with RHW, which would facilitate the following:
- Staff will no longer have to log in to TxROCS as a separate system.
- Staff will have access to case reviews even if those reviews were done before the VR counselor was assigned to the caseload.
- Staff will have access to reviews for cases on vacant caseloads.
- The presentation, navigation and appearance of TxROCS will align with RHW.
- The planned enhancements for TxROCS include the addition of a case review dashboard.
More information about the system can be found online.
