Workers Compensation | Return to Work Program

MalcolmDubato is proud to serve injured workers in Maryland, Delaware, Pennsylvania, Virginia, West Virginia, and Washington, DC. Workers’ compensation cases are multi-faceted and require the attention of qualified professionals who understand the nuances of workers’ compensation regulations, vocational rehabilitation practices, case management strategies, and effective expert testimony. Our skilled team consists of nationally credentialed Certified Case Managers (CCM), Certified Disability Management Specialists (CDMS), Certified Rehabilitation Counselors (CRC), Certified Vocational Evaluators (CVE), and Certified Life Care Planners (CLCP), which means our clients receive the highest quality of services from the most capable practitioners.

Vocational Rehabilitation

Employment is not only how we provide for our material needs, but it is often a source for our self-worth and personal identity. When workers become displaced from employment due to injury, they often lose much more than an income. They lose the sense of normalcy and stability they have usually relied upon. At MalcolmDubato, we recognize the many challenges faced by injured workers, which is why we take a comprehensive and personalized approach to developing an appropriate return to work program. MalcolmDubato may offer the following vocational rehabilitation services to restore injured workers to suitable gainful employment:

Initial Medical-vocational Assessment

Our initial assessment process begins with a comprehensive review of the pertinent medical records, which allows us to gain an invaluable understanding of the injured worker’s treatment history, physical rehabilitation efforts, and functional capabilities. We then conduct an in-depth interview with the injured worker to identify medical treatment issues, functional impairments, psychosocial factors, educational and employment history, vocational interests, barriers to employment, and residual transferable skills. Our detailed findings from the Initial Medical-Vocational Assessment allow us to develop highly-effective recommendations for the return to work program.

Vocational Testing

Our staff is qualified to administer a broad range of vocational testing including, but not limited to: IQ testing, academic skills testing, transferable skills analysis, interest inventories, and personality testing.

Pre-Vocational Training

Many injured workers require instruction and support in preparation for commencing their job search activities. MalcolmDubato offers a broad range of pre-vocational services such as: resume and cover letter development, interview training, online job search strategies, identification of appropriate job titles, enrollment with community resources, etc.

Academic Skills Remediation

Dependent upon the outcome of vocational testing, some injured workers may require services to improve their basic academic skills. The abilities to read, write, and perform basic arithmetic are significant for individuals to succeed in the competitive labor market. We will provide clients with self-guided tutorials or refer them to free or low-cost community educational programs to equip them with the necessary skills.

Computer Skills Training

In order to conduct a meaningful job search, injured workers must possess basic computer skills to create and edit word documents, send e-mails to potential employers, and complete online job applications. We provide comprehensive baseline computer skills testing, in-house computer training and instruction, self-guided tutorials, and referral to free or low-cost basic computer classes.

Job Search/Job Development

We detail our comprehensive return to work program in a formal Vocational Rehabilitation Plan, which outlines the services to be provided by our staff as well as the expectations and responsibilities of the injured worker. We set forth weekly requirements for the injured worker with respect to the number of jobs to which they are to apply. We both quantify and qualify the injured worker’s degree of participation in the job search process. In addition to their independent job search efforts, we provide injured workers with job leads we locate on their behalf, refer them to job fairs and other community hiring events, and produce detailed reports of the injured worker’s participation in the vocational rehabilitation process.

Return to Work Program Follow-Up

Once the injured worker returns to employment, we provide a time-limited period of return-to-work follow-up services to ensure the transition occurs without issue and to provide any intervention if the new employment opportunity is jeopardized.

Cognitive Rehabilitation

This service is useful for injured workers experiencing cognitive impairments associated with brain injuries, such as concussions and post-concussion syndrome. We develop a Simulated Work Program (SWP) specific to the injured worker and their cognitive symptoms. We identify workplace tolerances and symptom management strategies to maximize productivity. We may recommend reasonable and necessary adaptive equipment for a work station. The SWP provides a transitional program to simulate the type of work environment to which the injured worker would be expected to return. We would then follow the SWP with the traditional Vocational Rehabilitation services described above.

Our clients often require additional medical treatment prior to initiating vocational rehabilitation services, and continued coordination with their treatment providers while actively participating in our services. We efficiently coordinate medical care and treatment, while maintaining an open and active line of communication between all parties, including the injured worker, their legal representative, the employer-insurer representative, the defense counsel, and medical and physical rehabilitation providers. With our comprehensive and team-oriented approach, we provide superior services to help our client, the injured worker, to participate in vocational rehabilitation services with the goal of securing suitable gainful employment.

Case Management

One of the greatest keys to a successful case outcome is maintaining consistent forward momentum. When workers’ compensation cases stagnate, the costs increase, medical issues grow in complexity, and the likelihood of an eventual return to work may decrease dramatically. At MalcolmDubato, we believe case management services should be intensive, goal oriented, and time sensitive. Whether telephonic or field case management services are indicated, our qualified staff of Certified Case Managers will implement a comprehensive plan of action including, but not limited to, the following services:

Initial Case Management Assessment and medical records review
Identifying pending medical treatment issues and barriers to rehabilitation
Coordination of medical care and treatment services
Processing of payment authorization requests
Corresponding with treatment providers to establish treatment goals and time frames
Attending medical appointments when appropriate to acquire pertinent information in real time
Production of detailed case management reports to chart progress and compliance issues
Serving as liaison to all parties in a collaborative approach to services
Facilitating transition from medical treatment to a return to work program

What sets MalcolmDubato apart from other vocational rehabilitation and case management providers? It’s simple – our commitment to providing injured workers with the highest quality of services in the most effective and innovative ways. Workers’ compensation cases do not have to be protracted and contentious. Allow us to lend our expertise and see the difference experience can make.

Desensitization therapy

During the course of employment, a worker may be exposed to a traumatic event, such as: first responders who may be exposed to traumatizing events; health care providers who may be assaulted by a patient or client; financial institution or retail employees who may be vulnerable to robberies; utility workers who may be exposed to electrical hazards; and many other types of extraordinary events which are not anticipated to occur during the normal course of a work day.

Desensitization therapy is intended to treat the injured worker who has developed an Anxiety Disorder, such as a phobia, or a Trauma and Stressor Related Disorder, such as Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder [PTSD], resulting from the traumatizing work event.

As skilled mental health providers, we are able to offer individualized desensitization therapy plans specific to the injured worker and the traumatic event. These treatment plans are intended to restore the injured worker to a normal level of functioning with the goal of return to work.

Looking for Vocational Rehabilitation?

Please complete our Referral Form for Workers’ Compensation Cases