My Vocational Rehabilitation Experience

Saturday, June 19, 2004 | 0

My Vocational Rehabilitation Experience
by JOE GRANATA

In early 2001 the cumulative stress to an already Disability-rated low back had brought me to the realization that my career as a Police Captain was nearing the end. After twenty-six plus years as a dedicated law enforcement professional, it was time to move on. How to move on to the next stage in life posed more questions than I hoped to have to deal with at that time.

The process of retiring with an industrial disability was cumbersome to say the least. My employer resisted the move at every step. In fact I had been retired for over two years before final approval for an industrial disability was granted. The waiting was awkward and I felt like I was in a state of animated suspension as I gave serious consideration to what I would do next in life.

As the saying goes, "all good things come to those who wait", was never more appropriate in my case. Along with the industrial disability approval, the insurance carrier gave notification that I was eligible for Vocational Rehabilitation.

The carrier had appointed a vocational consultant and within a week I had an initial interview. We met twice over a three- day period for approximately two hours each time and I found the counselor to be extremely professional, detailed and caring about my future.

Aptitude testing was performed by an associate firm, to assist in the final rehabilitation decision. I found the experience to have a great deal of value in that it confirmed the direction we were headed.

While the counselor's work to this point was important to me, what lay ahead was even more important and underscores the importance of having a professional provide their expertise and advocate a vocational position.

The counselor combined all the information gathered and put it into a fairly unique context in an RU- 102 to present to the Rehabilitation Unit Consultant who had final authority to grant the request. The big selling point was the utilization of a "transferable skills analysis" to support the rehabilitation plan. Also, the distribution of funds request differed somewhat from the norm in that it was for a lump sum payment that in turn would support the necessary tuition expenses.

This approach is not something that occurs regularly hence, it was initially rejected. Due to the counselor's diligence and a minor rewrite though, the proposal was approved on the second attempt. I have almost completed the first year of a two-year graduate degree program in Psychology and plan to be a Life Coach upon completion of the course. Needless to say the process worked for me due in part to a great deal of help from my vocational rehabilitation counselor.

__________ Note: Joe Granata was a Police Captain for the Capitola Police Department in Santa Cruz County for over twenty-six years. Upon retirement, he moved with his family to San Diego County and is now attending the University of Santa Monica.

Reprinted with permission from the California Association of Rehabilitation & Reemployment Professionals, Keeping California Working since 1975!

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