Vocational Rehabilitation: What to Expect, Part 1

Saturday, September 25, 2004 | 0

This article relates to dates of injury pre-2004.

One day, you were working. Life seemed to be going along just fine. Then, you had an injury and you found yourself in the workers compensation system. Sometimes, letters arrive in the mail, with information that is hard to understand.

The workers compensation insurance carrier has sent you a letter, telling you the treating physician has said you cannot perform your usual and customary job and you are eligible for vocational rehabilitation.

What will happen now?

The vocational counselor has been requested to meet with you for an initial interview. They will call you or send you a letter to schedule a meeting.

What will occur is the counselor typically will provide an overview of the vocational rehabilitation benefit, letting you know how the system works and the different ways of returning to work, including looking at modified or alternate work with your employer, direct placement, on the job training, retraining, self employment: whatever way is the best for you. They will also go over your benefits.

Can I trust the counselor? Who hired them? Who pays the counselor?

The counselor is an objective party; focused on helping you look at your return to work options. Their job is to determine if and how you can benefit from vocational rehabilitation services. This is called "vocational feasibility."

It works best when you and the counselor work as a team. Feel free to ask questions.

The counselor turns in a bill for their services to the workers compensation carrier. There is a fee schedule for counselor services, listing the different services and timeframes.

How does vocational rehabilitation happen; how long does it take?

During the initial interview, the counselor will provide information to you. If you do not understand anything, feel free to ask questions so you can have the facts you need.

The counselor will be taking notes while you are meeting and will complete a State form (in California called a Rehabilitation Unit Form RU-120, or RU-120). They are required to send the original form to the workers compensation insurance claims representative. If you have an attorney, a copy of the form or report will be sent to them, as well as the workers compensation carriers attorney if they have one.

What kinds of things will the counselor ask me?

In order to have the right information to help you in your return to work planning, the counselor will ask you about your work history, your ideas about your physical condition, financial information and your educational background. They will ask you about your home situation, if you have children and if you will need childcare help to be in a return to work plan.

They will also ask you about any ideas you may have about returning to work. The counselor will want to know any hobbies you have as a return to work plan can sometimes be developed around something you like to do. At the end of your meeting, the counselor will go over their recommendations.

Does the counselor have a list of job openings?

Yes, they have access to job listings but this is typically not appropriate at an initial interview. Finding yourself in the system can be difficult and the counselor will help you navigate through, by providing support and encouragement to you as you go along during the steps.

What can I do to get ready for the initial interview?

1. If you have a list of your job history, bring it with you to the meeting.
2. Also, bring a notepad so you can write down some things the counselor has told you.
3.Bring a list of questions to ask the counselor
4. Bring a calendar so you can schedule vocational rehabilitation activities around any physical therapy and medical appointments.
5. Be willing to work with your counselor as a team. They are there to help you return to the workforce.
6.Always let the counselor know if you have any concerns and be willing to work toward a successful outcome. They can do their best to help you, once they know about a problem.

Stay tuned for part 2: Vocational Rehabilitation: What happens after the initial interview?

Later, there will be an upcoming series on post 2004 dates of injury, the supplemental job displacement benefit (voucher) and other related return to work issues.

Article submitted by: Jamie Charter, Vocational Consultant with Charter and Company, providing services to injured and disabled workers and their employers for 21 years. Jamie is active on the injured worker forums. She is the Newsletter Editor of CARRP, the California Association of Rehabilitation and Reemployment Professionals. CARRP has been Keeping California Working since 1975; www.carrp.org.

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The views and opinions expressed by the author are not necessarily those of workcompcentral.com, its editors or management.