Vocational Rehabilitation

Initial Vocational Assessment (IVA) is a fundamental step in vocational rehabilitation. The essential steps in an IVA are: meeting with the injured or disabled individual, his / her care providers, and the employer. The IVA allows the vocational rehabilitation consultant to assess the disabled worker’s return to work within their potential and limitations as well as provides information for required medical treatment and return to work accommodation. The IVA establishes objectives for rehabilitation and RTW plans.

Based on the medical recommendations for return to work our Vocational Rehabilitation Consultant (VRC) develops a written Individualized Rehabilitation Plan outlining the treatment plan, timelines, and required support. The VRC works closely with the disabled worker, medical professionals, the pre-disability employer, the insurance company, and/or the union in preparing the employee for return to work.

Once a disabled worker regains medical stability, a Vocational Rehabilitation Consultant designs an RTW plan outlining return to work duties, schedule, and the required support. Once the plan is approved by a treating medical professional, the VRC works closely with the employee and the employer in helping the employee to return to productive employment. The RTW plan is one of the most important steps in the return to work process.

Vocational Counselling offers support to disabled workers in identifying appropriate return to work goals and outlines recommendations for successful return to work with either the pre-disability or alternative employer. This is accomplished by developing a close working relationship with the disabled worker, employer, care providers, and all other stakeholders involved in RTW planning.

A comprehensive labour market research (LMR) report provides a region-specific labour market analysis for specific occupations that are being considered by an individual as potential career goals. The LMR includes earning potential, required education/work skills, and employment outlook. The LMR helps to calculate earning potential or loss and additionally helps an individual to make an educated decision about their future career.

Determining a client’s return to work potential can be established in a number of different ways, with the most common tools being: Transferable Skills Analysis (TSA), Employability Assessment (EA), Comprehensive Employability Assessment (CEA), and a Psycho-Vocational Employability Assessment (Psycho-Voc EA).

When the client possesses many transferable skills, clear return to work limitations and restrictions, a Vocational Rehabilitation Consultant should use a Transferable Skills Analysis or Employability Assessment to assist the client selecting an occupational goal.

• The Transferable Skills Analysis:
  • Is used when gainful level considerations and current transferable skills could be reasonably expected to allow for quick re-entry into an alternate occupation;
  • Targets immediate entry employment options based on an individual’s current transferable skills, work history, interests, gainful level, limitations, and abilities.
• The Employability Assessment:
  • Is used when gainful level considerations and current transferable skills could be reasonably expected to allow for quick re-entry into an alternate occupation;
  • Targets immediate entry employment options based on an individual’s current transferable skills, work history, interests, gainful level, limitations, and abilities;
  • Provides occupational options, average annual wage information, employment outlook, and region-specific labour market information.
  • If the client does not have immediate suitable employment options available to them, due to their limited education, or significant medical restrictions or limitations, the Vocational Rehabilitation Consultant should utilize a Comprehensive Employability Assessment (CEA).
• The Comprehensive Employability Assessment:
  • Is used when an individual has no immediate suitable employment available due to the reasons stated above, as well as a high gainful level;
  • Assesses the client’s suitability for additional training via an appropriate combination of vocational testing (e.g. aptitudes), interest testing, vocational interviews, and a review of available medical information that lists the client’s return to work limitations, and/or restrictions and abilities;
  • Provides occupational options, average annual wage information, employment outlook, and region specific labour information. It also lists training information for short-term skills upgrading (i.e. 12 week course).
  • A Psycho-Vocational Employability Assessment should be requested when the client requires significant skill upgrading. This assessment is conducted by a Registered Psychologist and a certified Vocational Rehabilitation Consultant.
• The Psycho-Voc EA:
  • Is used when gainful level considerations require significant additional education or training, but there is insufficient information to determine the client’s capacity to successfully benefit from such training (e.g. a worker with grade 8 education or a learning disorder);
  • Determines the capacity to learn, the ability to retain what was learnt, and requirements for additional supports to achieve the appropriate levels of training. Typical assessment batteries consist of IQ, memory, academic achievement, personality, aptitude, and interest testing;
  • Lists occupational options, average annual wage information, employment outlook, job advertisements, and region-specific labour information. It also provides specific retraining information, its duration, and the cost (i.e. two-year diploma program).

Job Search Services are used by employers and insurance companies who are in a position to offer these services to their employees or clients. When employees are not able to return to their pre-disability employment we offer job search assistance in the form of resume preparation, job interview skills, job search skills and active job search. This equips individuals to independently search for paid employment.

The services are offered on an individual basis or in a group setting. This assistance includes identifying and negotiating paid employment opportunities, job coaching and support to a client and/or the employer. Job placement services also provide written recommendations for short-term skills upgrading and/or outlines individuals’ limitations to paid employment.

The work assessment offers an individual an opportunity to learn the job duties in a non-intrusive manner. A vocational rehabilitation consultant works together with the employer and the client trying to assist the client in determining their vocational strengths and weaknesses. The work assessment also helps the vocational consultant in the development of a vocational rehabilitation plan for a return to work.