I Need Vocational Rehabilitation. What Are My Options?

Sometimes, injuries resulting from work make it impossible for a worker’s compensation recipient to return to the job. Vocational rehabilitation exists as a worker’s compensation benefit to help disabled or injured recipients find a new place in the workforce. This benefit is best obtained with the help of a knowledgeable worker’s compensation attorney, such as Jenkins Block & Associates.

Determining if you are a candidate

The first step in determining if you are a candidate for vocational rehabilitation is to talk to an attorney, preferably one with experience in worker’s compensation cases. They will help you decide whether or not you will qualify for this benefit, and will help you through the process.

If it is determined you are a candidate, a vocational rehabilitation counselor will be assigned to you. Before receiving services, make sure you have approval from the insurer. In the case of denial from the insurer, you and your attorney may schedule a hearing before a Commissioner.

What happens during vocational rehabilitation?

This depends on whether your attorney has decided private or Maryland Division of Rehabilitation Services (DoRS) vocational rehabilitation is right for you. The typical process is as follows:

• Counsellor interview.
• Goal and Plan development.
• Agreement establishment.
• Pursuit of training or job leads.

The length of this process is different for each case. The last step of the process also depends on whether you may take a job in the field you are trained in, or if you need to be retrained for another field or industry due to a disability or injury. Your attorney will help you decide whether or not you will need re-trained, or whether you may pursue job leads in your current field.

As you can see, working with an attorney through the entire process is vital, especially for those who need vocational rehabilitation to return to the workforce. Get in contact with Jenkins Block & Associates for more information on worker’s compensation benefits.

Need representation for vocational rehabilitation? Call JBA.

When choosing an attorney to guide you through the process of worker’s compensation and related benefits, it’s important to hire an individual experienced with the program and its requirements. Consulting an individual who has insight on worker’s compensation and the application process will prove to be extremely valuable in the long run, especially when questions arise or uncertainty on how to proceed.

Before trying to begin vocational rehabilitation your own, contact our office to make sure you understand the program and process. Protect yourself, know your rights: call us and Get JBA First!

Jenkins Block & Associates has 40+ years of experience in successful worker’s compensation cases in Maryland & Virginia, in addition to being a member of The National Organization of Social Security Claimants Representatives. Call us at 1-800-243-2439 or contact us online to begin the process of filing your worker’s compensation benefits!