SECTION 612:1-3-2. The Director of Rehabilitation Services

(a)   The Director of Rehabilitation Services, as the chief administrative and executive officer of the Department of Rehabilitation Services (DRS), is charged with the responsibility for day-to-day direction of the activities necessary for DRS to attain its mission as established by Title 74, Section 166.1 et seq. of Oklahoma State Statute. The work of the Director is overseen by the Commission for Rehabilitation Services.

(b)   The Director directly supervises the Chief of Staff, the Chief Fiscal Officer, the Chief Operations Officer, the Communications Director, the Legislative Liaison, Division Administrators for Vocational Rehabilitation, Services for the Blind and Visually Impaired, Disability Determination Services, Process Improvement, the Superintendents of the School for the Blind and School for the Deaf, and the Project Coordinators.

(c)   The Director's duties include:

(1)   assuring that all of DRS is working toward its mission and the goals established by the Commission through aggressive implementation of the planning and budgeting system;

(2)   serving as staff to the Commission for Rehabilitation Services, providing necessary input for decision-making and assuring that actions approved by the Commission are carried out;

(3)   serving as ex officio member to the Rehabilitation Council, and to the Independent Living Council;

(4)   developing and maintaining cooperative relationships with lawmakers and other officials, both federal and state, to assure the fulfillment of DRS's mission;

(5)   maximizing all available resources for the delivery of services to the clients DRS is charged to serve;

(6)   serving as the chief spokesperson for DRS and as an advocate for the clients it serves;

(7)   assuring the coordination of services with other state agencies; and,

(8)   selecting staff capable of carrying out the DRS mission for the areas immediately under the Director's supervision, establishing job descriptions and specifications for each of those positions, delegating authority to complete duties assigned and overseeing the accomplishment of those assigned responsibilities.

[Source: Added at 10 Ok Reg 4607, eff 9-1-93 (emergency); Added at 11 Ok Reg 2425, eff 7-1-94; Amended at 12 Ok Reg 1483, eff 7-1-95; Amended at 15 Ok Reg 1790, eff 7-1-98; Amended at 27 Ok Reg 1580, eff 7-1-10; Amended at 30 Ok Reg 860, eff 7-1-13; Amended at 32 Ok Reg 1267, eff 8-27-15; Amended at 36 Ok Reg 1183, eff 8-11-19; Amended at 37 Ok Reg 2125, eff 9-11-20]