LAC 67:VII.209. Personnel Administration and Staff Development

A. Providers of vocational rehabilitation services shall use qualified personnel, in accordance with any applicable national or state-approved or recognized certification, licensing, or registration requirements, or in the absence of these requirements, other comparable requirements (including state personnel requirements), that apply to the profession or discipline in which that category of personnel is providing vocational rehabilitation services. B. The CRP should encourage and support staff growth and development by providing opportunities for training, education and interaction with other persons in the rehabilitation field. C. Providers of vocational rehabilitation services should take affirmative action to employ and advance in employment qualified individuals with disabilities. D. The CRP will include among their personnel or make available personnel able to communicate in the native languages of individuals who have limited English proficiency if those native languages are spoken by substantial segments of the population of the state; and provide special modes of communication for individuals who rely on these special modes. E. The CRP shall conduct a criminal background check on each staff member who will have unsupervised contact with any LRS client, unsupervised access to the funds, personal property, or personal identification information of persons served by LRS, and those whose duties will include direct responsibility for such individuals to determine whether the individual has a history for any criminal activity, abuse, neglect, or exploitation that could pose a risk to the safety and well-being of individuals served by LRS. 1. The CRP must maintain a record of all background checks conducted, and upon request, a copy shall be sent to the LRS. If background check records are not available to review at the time of request, the CRP must recreate the search. 2. An individual with a criminal conviction, including but not limited to the following offenses (including convictions for equivalent offenses in other states or jurisdictions) may not perform vocational rehabilitation services: a. The physical, sexual, or emotional abuse or neglect of a child or vulnerable person; b. A crime of violence against a child or any person; c. Any offense that presents a threat to the health, safety, or welfare of children or vulnerable persons; or d. A felony conviction involving a crime of dishonesty or fraud.