SERVICES:

The Life Care Plan is a systematic process for determining an individual's medical and functional status, potential complications, current and future care needs, and associated costs in present-day value. A life care plan is developed specifically to address the needs of the individual in his or her own community and with local support system.

• Life care plans meet the needs of legal and insurance professionals by providing a comprehensive framework of an individual’s needs over his or her remaining life span. It is objective and specifies the expected costs associated in present-day value, which can be utilized to determine expenses in the future. This can assist in the process of identifying funding needed and assist in negotiating an appropriate settlement of a case.


• Life care plans meet the needs of the trustee by providing a blueprint for required care, thus providing direction in identifying where financial resources are most needed, and will likely be necessary in the future.


• Life care plans serve the case manager by providing a foundation with a focus on the future. It can be utilized as a dynamic tool to determining necessary services, implementation of services without duplication, and preventing more costly complications in the future. It also provides a framework for addressing the client’s needs, with flexibility to incorporate advances in medicine and technology as they are available.


• Life care plans serve the client and his or her family by providing them with an understanding of the individual’s ongoing needs and options for care. This understanding assists them in financial planning, coordination of community resources, and identifying what insurance or other funding sources will be necessary.

A Disability Analysis serves to identify the relationship between a person's illness or injury and their ability to function in the community and the work place. It identifies conflicts in medical, vocational, and other evidence. This analysis includes the review of statements made by physicians, other medical sources, as well as other types of file documentation. An evaluation of complex vocational factors is done which provides a formal analysis as to transferability of skills to other work. A disability analysis helps to establish procurement and documentation procedures. It also helps in the process of identifying the most effective forms of expenditures in a case.

Rehabilitation Consultation is the application of scientific principles and procedures in counseling and human development to provide assistance in understanding and solving current and potential rehabilitation problems that the consultee may be having. Consultation is available to those involved with the care of an individual with a disability or complex healthcare needs. Family members, guardians, trustees, advocates and case managers can obtain assistance in making healthcare decisions.

Rehabilitation counseling is a systematic process which assists persons with physical, mental, developmental, cognitive, and emotional disabilities to achieve their personal, career, and independent living goals in the most integrated setting possible through the application of the counseling process. The counseling process involves communication, goal setting, and beneficial growth or change through self-advocacy, psychological, vocational, social, and behavioral interventions.

The Vocational Assessment is a systematic and comprehensive overview of current and projected career options and needs. The assessment is directly related to the nature of the disability (disabilities). The vocational assessment reflects the individual’s personal and vocational characteristics incorporating medical, psychological, social, vocational, educational and cultural information. All available medical records are reviewed.

The Reemployment Assessment means a written assessment performed by a qualified rehabilitation provider which provides a comprehensive review of the medical diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis; includes conferences with the employer, physician, and claimant; and recommends a cost-effective physical and vocational rehabilitation plan to assist the employee in returning to suitable gainful employment.

The Reemployment Services means services that include, but are not limited to, vocational counseling, job-seeking skills training, ergonomic job analysis, transferable skills analysis, selective job placement, labor market surveys, and arranging other services such as education or training, vocational and on-the-job, which may be needed by the employee to secure suitable gainful employment.

Medical Care Coordination & Case Management is a systematic process utilized to coordinate the care of an individual’s needs while utilizing available resources efficiently. This process merges managerial concepts and counseling skills through the application of techniques which advance efficient and effective decision-making for functional control of self, client, setting, and other relevant factors for anchoring a proactive practice. In case management, the counselor’s role is focused on interviewing, counseling, planning rehabilitation programs, coordinating services, interacting with significant others, placing clients and following up with them, monitoring progress an solving problems.

• Individuals with complex medical and therapeutic needs benefit by the consistent involvement of a Case Manager to oversee and coordinate care. A comprehensive case management plan is effective in streamlining interventions to avoid duplication of services, and assure needed care is provided to prevent more costly complications in the future.
• The primary goal of case management and medical care coordination is to assist the client to receive quality care, to maintain health and prevent complications in the most cost-effective manner.

The Labor Market & Wage Loss is a comprehensive analysis which specifically examines the availability of employment. This addresses the question of place-ability rather than employability. All previous employment is identified, educational background is reviewed, a transferability of skills analysis is completed and a local and regional job market analysis is completed. Wage Loss analysis is the procedure which addresses the amount of wages lost by an individual due to an injury. Earning capacity is related to the notion of lost future earnings associated with the client’s reasonable potential.

A Transferable Skills Analysis is one aspect of Reemployment Services. Skills that can be used in other vocational settings are considered transferable. Transferability is most meaningful among jobs in which the same or lesser degree of skill is required; the same or similar tools and machines are used, and the same or similar raw materials, products or services are available. Using previously acquired skills has proven to be the most cost-effective means of returning the injured worker to gainful employment. A transferable skills analysis reviews the client’s current work skills and work history and utilizes this information in order to build an assessment of the client’s vocational functioning capacities. This information can then be used for a reemployment assessment and services.

Family Assessments are comprehensive individualized, in-depth assessments of individual and family functioning in the home, community and work environments. These assessments include direct observation as well as a review of historical documentation. They provide information on family strengths and areas in need of assistance as well as intervention strategy recommendations. The family assessment process gathers necessary information required to develop a strength-based, culturally sensitive, comprehensive service plan.

Parent Education and training: Education programs for students and professionals are provided in formal education and staff development settings within areas of expertise. Areas addressed include: parent training for adolescents and toddlers through Common Sense Parenting, developmental disabilities and physical disabilities, disability awareness, life care planning, case management, rehabilitation issues, family/professional relationships, and family assessments.

Presentations and education programs for students and professionals are designed to meet individual needs. Forums include classroom style lecture, interactive group discussion, practical discussions, and individual learning modules.