Last October I published some observations on Vocational Rehabilitation Questions. I received a response from a reader, Pat Studenroth, at the New York State Workers' Compensation Board. Those thoughts are interesting. With permission, they are reproduced here (all the colored text is direct quote).
Having
read the Vocational Rehabilitation question posed by David Langham, I was
compelled to respond on behalf of that profession. I was appalled to read that
some agencies were basing their success on the number of interviews and
evaluations performed. Interviews and evaluations are useless unless they lead
to viable employment. I suspect the person to whom he spoke worked for a
private agency, as the state agencies base their success on the number of
successful placements.
I am a Certified Rehabilitation Counselor and hold a Masters in counseling
psychology, with a focus on working with the disabled. I also hold a CAS and am
a LMHC. I have worked as a vocational counselor in the field for over 18 years.
Please allow me to explain what a real VRC (Vocational Rehabilitation
Counselor) does for their client.
First, a VRC must have completed a Master’s program with a CORE, (Council On
Rehabilitation Education), curriculum on rehabilitation counseling. Once
graduated, these individuals are eligible to sit for the “CRC”, the nationally
recognized Certified Rehabilitation Counselor exam. Not all take the exam, but
the state run agencies require their VRC’s to be eligible to sit for it. This
ensures the highest level of training in working with individuals with
disabilities/injuries.
Using New York State’s vocational agency for the disabled (ACCES-VR, formerly
VESID) as an example, Federal guidelines require tracking of: the number of
participants served, the number of plans written, the severity of the
disability, and the number of successful placements (measured by a minimum of
90 days of employment). For the last several years that agency has placed over
12,000 individuals every year.
The success of vocational rehabilitation hinges on four things:
1. The VRC’s ability to connect with the individual and create an alliance.
2. How well new counselors are trained when entering the job.
3. The availability of specialized placement counselors with experience working
with a disabled or injured population (these can also be VRC’s).
4. Communication with treatment providers, employers, and any other
stakeholders involved in the participant’s case.
In 2009, Washington State launched a pilot program to determine if early
intervention (utilizing their VRC’s) and provision of expanded services
resulted in more positive outcomes and reduction of expenses.
The program was so wildly successful that they now have over 110 VRC’s across
the state.
- The average life of a
case dropped from four years to one.
- There was a
significant drop in litigation
- They realized over
$600 million dollars in reduced costs to WSWCB
That is what a good VRC can do for their agency, and for the job seeker.
