What is Vocational Rehabilitation?

When an injured worker is under an open wage replacement award, the insurance carrier wants to get them off wage replacement benefits to save money.  This is especially true when it appears that an injured worker, who is released for light duty work, may still be on wage replacement benefits for awhile due to their injury.  In such situations, the insurance carrier often tries to settle the case so that they can contain their exposure on the file.  However, if the injured worker doesn’t want to settle their case then (perhaps they still need expensive medical care, the carrier doesn’t offer enough money or the timing is otherwise not right) the insurance carrier will likely turn to vocational rehabilitation. 


Vocational rehabilitation counselors are hired by the insurance carrier, and their job is to find you a job.  If they don’t find you a job, they are failing the insurance carrier.  The voc rehab counselors don’t really care what kind of job they find you as long as it is within your doctor’s restrictions.  It doesn’t matter how much it pays or how many hours a week it is because the insurance carrier makes up two thirds of the difference between your pre-injury average weekly wage and your new gross earnings.  Vocational rehabilitation shouldn’t send you more than 50 miles one way from your home, and in general telemarketing, commission sales positions, and sheltered workshop positions are inappropriate.  Injured workers need to work with vocational rehabilitation or risk losing their wage replacement benefits.  Vocational rehabilitation will still force you to look for work even if you are on Social Security Disability.  As long as your workers’ compensation doctor has you on light duty work restrictions, vocational rehabilitation can work with you if your own employer can’t accommodate your restrictions.  You can get mileage reimbursement to wherever a vocational rehabilitation counselor is sending you if you claim it.  There are many issues with vocational rehabilitation counselors, and if you are having difficulty please contact us at 540-552-2052.