Does the injured worker need to have a vocational counselor in order to enter a work hardening program?
This question has 2 answers: • Yes. If there is no job available and a vocational determination is required. A vocational counselor would need to be assigned to the claim, as soon as possible, to obtain a job analysis and identify a job goal. The claim manager would authorize the referral for the vocational services. • Maybe. Vocational services may not be necessary if: • There is a job for the worker to return to, or • The work hardening program incorporates a gradual return to work and the physical demands of the job are known.
