An unfortunate fact of suffering from a serious injury is that the issues typically stretch far beyond physical pain. While the pain is usually the main focus in the aftermath, the result is that your entire life can be disrupted. Many people lose their jobs because they cannot physically work after an injury or due to mental health issues. Some injuries lead to chronic disability, making it impossible to work at all. For people suffering from ongoing effects, vocational rehabilitation is usually a crucial step in the recovery process. This rehabilitation serves as a bridge between medical wellness and financial independence. Rehabilitating an injury helps an individual re-enter the workforce and enables them to live a fuller life, like they did pre-injury.
Vocational rehabilitation is a multidisciplinary approach that focuses intently on various aspects of recovery. It’s about more than just healing the injury; its focus is on helping you get over the long-term effects that may be plaguing you. Unfortunately, vocational rehab isn’t cheap, and many insurance plans do not cover it. If you were the victim of an accident that caused the need for rehab, then hiring a qualified personal injury lawyer like those at Folkman Law is the right move.
Everyone’s injury and their response to it is different. Some people bounce right back after an injury to the hip, back, or neck. Others, however, deal with ongoing injury and trauma from that injury, such as mental health issues. A qualified lawyer can help you navigate the field here. The responsible party’s insurance should be the one paying for this. However, it takes a lot of legal maneuvering to ensure that the responsible party will actually be held responsible.
What is Vocational Rehabilitation?
Vocational rehabilitation, simply called “rehab” for short, is a process that enables individuals to overcome barriers keeping them from employment or from living a full, active life. This sort of rehab is for people with developmental, psychological, or cognitive impairments. Mental health aspects are an active barrier in your way. PTSD, anxiety, and many other mental issues can result from traumatic physical injuries. The idea behind vocational rehab is to help you get well enough to re-enter the workforce. In doing so, your general life theoretically improves, as you put much of the trauma behind you entirely. You’re essentially relearning how to maximize your productivity and life in general.
This rehab process usually starts with a “Vocational Evaluation.” A specialist in the field has a look at your background and your skills. They will administer a series of aptitude tests to see what sort of work you would be best suited to. Unlike physical therapy, vocational rehab specifically addresses the mental side of your injury. This evaluation is vital because it takes a look at your actual earning capacity. In a legal sense, if you’re not meeting your earning capacity due to another party’s negligence, then they are liable for that financial burden. This is where a lawyer comes in.
A plan is developed for every individual after the assessment is complete. This plan may include things such as:
- Job Coaching: Working one-on-one with you to learn how to navigate the modern job market with a disability.
- Skills Retraining: Learning a new trade or gaining certifications for a sedentary job if manual labor is no longer possible.
- Workplace Accommodations: Identifying specific tools or changes that would allow you to perform job duties effectively.
- Job Seeking Skills: Assistance with resume writing, interviewing techniques, and identifying employers who are inclusive of workers with disabilities.
The Legal and Financial Impact of Vocational Services
Vocational rehab services serve two purposes in the context of a legal claim. One, it helps the injured party recover their actual quality of life and hopefully rejoin the workforce. Two, it provides documented evidence of the injury’s impact on your mental health and ability to earn a living. In a legal context, “lost future earnings” becomes a huge sticking point for you as a victim. It is strongly encouraged that you receive a professional vocational assessment to determine how much you are actually entitled to through legal proceedings.
Insurance companies are absolutely famous for trying to ignore their responsibility. They will spend a lot of time and money arguing that you can just go get another type of job, or that you should just have a few sessions of psychotherapy. Insurers are notoriously unscrupulous in these sensitive areas. Everything is about the bottom line for them. They’ve been known to send their investigators out with low-ball offers and intimidating language. They sometimes send out letters with threatening undertones or make blunt phone calls. They do not want to pay money out; their entire model is to bring money in. A personal injury lawyer can help you present a data-driven legal argument for financial restitution.
The Psychological Benefits of Returning to Work
For a person who has been seriously injured and is suffering mentally, the act of returning to work is very rewarding. You feel as if you’re finally regaining control over your life. Many injured people feel as if they’re a burden and just in other people’s way. Being able to achieve financial independence again is a huge win for one’s mentality. However, this comes at a pretty large financial cost. Vocational rehab is not free. It can leave you in debt.
Overall, however, vocational rehab is a beneficial system. Under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), many employers are educated and learn how to better work with people who are dealing with these disabilities, mental or physical. Good employers are willing to adjust to accommodate a range of people with differing abilities. If you’re looking to be able to return to work, then you will likely be able to find something very fulfilling after rehab.
Key Components of a Successful Vocational Plan
Returning to work and reclaiming your life is rarely ever a straight line. It’s not as simple as going to vocational rehab a few times and then getting back to work. You will find that you have to constantly adjust. You need to adjust your expectations and your physical reality. The fact is that you might not be able to do the things you used to do. This is a huge adjustment for most people.
In conclusion, vocational rehabilitation is an indispensable resource for anyone whose career has been derailed by an accident. During this rehab, you receive tools, training, and a lot of help to get back on your feet. You also receive the evidence necessary to hold the responsible party accountable for your injury. The road to recovery is long, so make sure you have a qualified lawyer to assist you with the legal aspects.
