After suffering a debilitating and life-altering work injury, a worker and their family can find their lives turned upside down. In addition to all the physical symptoms and emotional burdens accompanying the injury, they may find themselves in a terrible financial crisis. However, there are resources available to injured workers to help them get back on their feet after work injury.
Many are aware of workers’ compensation which gives the right to seek compensation benefits for up to one year when unable to work after injury. However, there are other potential benefits out there workers should have on their radar.
Vocational rehabilitation isn’t like physical rehabilitation in the way it affects your body. Vocational rehabilitation seeks to give injured workers who are no longer able to perform in their prior field a chance to learn new skills and to transition into a position that is better suited for their life post-injury. Often, vocational rehabilitation isn’t an option if the worker has accepted workers’ comp benefits.
However, it’s a resource that injured workers should want to explore. The specifics of the vocational training will vary based on the situation. However, the goal is the same, to get injured workers to transition into a position that is better for them and their abilities post work injury. It can include on-the-job skills but also interview skills, resume services and even job search assistance.
Often, after a life-changing injury like a neck injury or back injury, it can make manual labor impossible for the injured. That’s where vocational rehabilitation comes into play. Being able to move forward in a positive way is crucial after suffering a work injury.