VOCATIONAL REHAB SERVICES DIVISION - DETAILS
PURPOSE: ATF Canada Vocational Division specializes in the coordination of vocational services, and related therapeutic interventions or program development with the goal of returning the claimant to work, improving employability, identifying career options, clarifying educational and/or training needs, commenting on future care requirements and addressing overall employee readiness for work.
WHAT TO EXPECT FROM THE VOCATIONAL REHABILITATION DIVISION: The Vocational Rehabilitation Division of ATF Canada is committed to providing individuals with disabilities the options necessary to achieve a greater quality of life by obtaining and/or maintaining employment despite barriers. To this end, you can expect the vocational division to collaborate with claims managers, human resource professionals, occupational health staff, employers, insurance carriers, legal representatives, and other interested parties to make reasonable, prudent and mutually advantageous recommendations for file advancement.
THE FOLLOWING SERVICES ARE AVAILABLE:
VOCATIONAL/ EMPLOYABILITY ASSESSMENTS
Vocational Assessment/Evaluation is utilized primarily to determine whether or not an individual can return-to-work, and, if so, where should they be placed. This product measures the claimant's strengths, identifies areas of need, enhances self-image and determines the level and style of the individual's learning abilities. It accurately assesses a claimant's vocational potential for a wide variety of realistic jobs and training options within a short period of time when transferable skills alone cannot be utilized. Direct placement may follow. Often retraining or job modification/job accommodation may be required. The Vocational Assessment incorporates medical, psychological, social, vocational, educational, cultural, and economic data. It also includes an assessment of physical, intellectual, personal and behavioral factors.
TRANSFERABLE SKILLS ANALYSIS
A Transferable Skills Analysis is a systematic process for identifying an individual's work abilities and/or worker traits and matching them with potential jobs given a claimant’s specific personal and vocational characteristics. The claimant's work history is explored and the information used to qualify and quantify a workers level of ability, aptitude, interest, educational achievement, occupational values and work personality. Physical work demands and other environmental considerations are also considered. The resulting comprehensive report assists the claims handler to identify viable vocational alternatives that maximize employee strengths, and minimize the potential for failed return to the workforce.
FUTURE EMPLOYABILITY ASSESSMENT
The Future Employability Assessment is typically requested by accident benefit and bodily injury insurers, workers compensation case managers and disability insurance carriers in their efforts to address the impact of injuries on employment status, earning capacity, future wage loss, and loss of vocational opportunity.
It is often clear at the onset of an injury or illness that a change of occupation will be necessary. As such, assessing a claimant’s occupational/ vocational profile and planning for eventual return to work avoids reactionary (expensive) file management practices and facilitates a more rapid, well-considered return to the workforce when the time is right. Furthermore, should retraining be required, early assessment and intervention assists in the implementation of appropriate training programs, addressing time frames, facilitating cost reduction, and limiting lost earnings over the lifecycle of the claim.
LABOUR MARKET RE-ENTRY ASSESSMENT (LMR)
Performed by a credentialed vocational specialist, this assessment involves comprehensive occupational research into the National Occupational Classification, labor market databases, and other applicable resources. The final report includes statistical information pertaining to occupational location (including geographic considerations), occupational status and future outlook, a profile of employment requirements, salary ranges for individual occupations, and employer listings as appropriate. This assessment is used in conjunction with other services such as a transferrable skills analysis or other vocational assessment to further determine the suitability of any recommended change in employment or career direction.
NEURO-PSYCHO-VOCATIONAL ASSESSMENT
Performed by a duly qualified practitioner with specialization in neuropsychology and psycho-vocational counseling, this assessment provides a comprehensive analysis of function as it relates to psychological, neurological, and/or cognitive sequelae of an injury or condition in question. Further, physical and/or cognitive stresses particular to specific employment types are considered in light of any deficits revealed through the course of the evaluation. The result is an extremely useful report that outlines specific challenges, needs, and deficits related to the claimants specific vocational goals.
EARNING CAPACITY ASSESSMENT (PRE AND/OR POST INJURY)
This assessment determines an individual’s current and future loss of earnings, their probability of acquiring employment based upon the results of any Future Employability Assessment performed, and the overall impact of the injury or condition on a claimant’s income generating capacity.
When formulating this report, the assessor(s) determine a claimant’s pre-injury earning potential, and compare it with future potential to create an estimation of future earning capacity. In doing so, the assessor will consider many factors including employability, work life expectancy, potential wage growth and inflationary influences, claimant biostatistics, earning cycles, and occupational specifics.
COST OF FUTURE CARE ANALYSIS/ LIFE CARE PLANNING
The purpose of the life care plan is to anticipate and project future needs. These may include health and strength maintenance, pharmaceutical and/or medical supplies, architectural renovations, transportation, aids to living, assistive devices, adjustment, marriage and family counseling, education, career and leisure time planning, future medical and/or surgical interventions; potential complicating health problems and associated treatment; home or facility care, home furnishings and accessories, ongoing diagnostic testing and monitoring, educational assessment, vocational and educational planning; orthotics/ prosthetics; projected therapeutic modalities and often many more considerations. In addition, this report utilizes financial specialists to determine how best to manage resources to provide for the future needs of the claimant and ensure that their future well being is thoroughly considered. This part of the assessment addresses immediate costs, future costs, and available resources, and makes recommendations on how best to structure any financial management strategies.
A life care plan may also be used to help determine the adequacy and fairness of settlement offers, and can also serve as a guide for allocation of any settlement funds.
Additional services that may be coordinated through this division include;
>Employment Readiness Preparation
>Job Search Assistance
>Resume writing
>Return to work program development
>… and others.