mymaineaccount46 t1_j3njnqv wrote on January 9, 2023 at 8:19 PM

Voc rehab is bad everywhere. I work in voc rehab for an out of state company on the back end. These people work for the insurance companies, not you. Unfortunately you have to go along with them or else you're screwed.

I don't know the full details of your situation but if voc rehab has been unsuccessful, and they didn't settle you may be able to get back into active voc rehab. While they don't work for you they can be helpful in finding you some entry level transitional work for your new physical capabilities.

ThePurgatorianAgent OP t1_j3ocb28 wrote on January 9, 2023 at 11:17 PM

The problem is that the experience was horrid on Their behalf. The counselor had specific instructions but refused to work with them. Leaving my disability to worsen my pain for a month before I broke down and walked out. That's also the secondary reason I feel trapped because nearly every job available in my area is one of those Fast Food or storefront hour jobs. I have supported decision-making and am learning to drive, but it feels as if it won't even be enough.

mymaineaccount46 t1_j3okb0b wrote on January 10, 2023 at 12:11 AM

Were you in voc rehab or medical case management? Both come with a Case manager.

If you were released to voc rehab then your care is between you and your doctor. Voc rehab doesn't do anything for you medically. It strictly exists to find you a job within your restrictions so you get off the insurance company checks.

Walking out of voc rehab will have no impact on your treatment. In fact the counselors must work within the restrictions provided by the treatment providers. You could have gotten screwed through an IME favorable to the insurer, but that's not the voc system's fault.

I'll also say the voc counselor will be very aware of your medical treatment and what the doctor has released you too. They won't work outside of those restrictions because it opens them up to issues. Disability is a very litigated field so everything is pretty by the book. You may just be having a disagreement with what you believe you can handle, and what a doctor believes and has said you can handle.

ThePurgatorianAgent OP t1_j3xsgq2 wrote on January 11, 2023 at 8:18 PM

I had Both. My mom (at the time I was 18, but she's still my repayee) was the one who gave her specific instructions as well as the documentation of medical needs. This "voc rehab" counselor didn't listen, and basically, the work made me have to rehabilitate my body into actually being without pain once more.

mymaineaccount46 t1_j3y1rph wrote on January 11, 2023 at 9:15 PM

If your counselor ignored your documented medical requirements and forced you into a job you were not cleared to do (something they can't do mind you) then you have a legal case and should contact a lawyer.

If your work is making you do work beyond the agreed upon limits that you're approved for you need to talk to HR or quit and get back into vocational rehab.

There's a hierarchy to this whole thing and a lot of rules. I don't know your situation fully but something really doesn't add up and I tend to think it lies in what you think you can do, and what a doctor says you can do.

Voc rehab is bad because they push you into low paying jobs if it fits your limits regardless of your financial needs. It doesn't ignore those limits if you have medical documentation stating those limits.

I'd be curious to know more about your case. Maybe I could point you in the right direction? I see hundreds of voc reports a month and know a decent bit about it.

ThePurgatorianAgent OP t1_j434102 wrote on January 12, 2023 at 9:06 PM

If you'd be able to help, then that would be amazing. In the general health system, nearly everything that could go wrong went wrong, and I have a lot of things that I should've taken legal action for, if not for the fact I knew how awful doctors were being paid, and I didn't want more people in the same scenario I was in. So, any advice at this point would be helpful. It's harder to explain things to counselors when you can't even process what to do if they basically ignore you.