What Is The Time Line Of A Vocational Rehab Or Life Care Plan Assessment?
Every new vocational assessment or life care plan assignment begins with an important discussion to determine the basic facts of the case. This gives our experts an opportunity to understand the relevant referral questions and identify how our firm can help. After this initial consult, we conduct a conflict check and confirm important dates such as trial date, discovery deadlines, and mediation date if scheduled.
Once our office officially opens the case, we begin to review file documents such as legal pleadings, medical records, depositions, earnings records, and personnel records. It is extremely important that records are forwarded quickly as the assessment is scheduled only after records are received. Vocational rehabilitation assessments generally require between three and four hours of the evaluee’s time in order to collect relevant medical history, educational history, work history, and in some instances the completion of vocational testing. Life care plan evaluations require a similar amount of time, yet the interview length may vary depending on the complexity of the case.
Following a thorough review of records and completion of the clinical interview and testing, we perform vocational analysis of the work and educational history. This analysis helps determine residual employability and identifies factors associated with wage earning capacity. In developing life care plans or medical cost analyses, the evaluee’s future medical needs are identified and priced (in today’s dollars) using a sampling of costs from vendors in the individual’s geographical area. In most cases, services are based on medical recommendations following consultation with the treating or consulting physicians.
For vocational assessments, research is conducted in the relevant market(s) to identify occupations appropriate to the individual’s post-incident physical demand level prescribed by the treating physician or FCE. Labor market and life care plan research account for the majority of professional time (1/3 to 1/2 total hours) required to produce the final written report. On average, our experts require 30 days to complete a vocational assessment report and 45 days to develop a life care plan. In rush situations, our experts can complete finished reports in a shorter amount of time, yet these instances require the same general number of work hours completed with additional professional resources.
Throughout the evaluation and report completion process, our experts and case managers maintain ongoing communication with you and your staff in an effort to obtain additional information and keep you apprised of our progress.
We offer complimentary consultations concerning "hypothetical matters". To strategize with one of our experts at Stokes & Associates, please call David Barrett at 504-454-5009 or email dbarrett@stokes-associates.com.
Larry S. Stokes, Ph.D.
Aaron Wolfson, Ph.D.
Todd Capielano, M.Ed., LRC, CRC, LPC, CLCP
Lacy Sapp, MHS, CRC, LPC, LRC, CLCP
