CDMS Vocational Rehabilitation and Return-to-Work Programs 1 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What is the primary goal of vocational rehabilitation (VR) in disability management?
- To permanently replace lost income for injured workers
- To help individuals with disabilities achieve competitive, integrated employment (Correct answer)
- To provide lifetime medical care for occupational injuries
- To calculate permanent impairment ratings for insurance purposes
Correct answer: To help individuals with disabilities achieve competitive, integrated employment
Vocational rehabilitation aims to help individuals with disabilities obtain or maintain meaningful, competitive employment through assessment, training, and support services.
Question 2: Which federal law established state-federal vocational rehabilitation programs in the United States?
- The Smith-Hughes Act of 1917
- The Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (Correct answer)
- The Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act of 2014
- The ADA of 1990
Correct answer: The Rehabilitation Act of 1973
The Rehabilitation Act of 1973 established the current federal-state VR program and prohibits discrimination against individuals with disabilities in federally funded programs.
Question 3: What does a 'transferable skills analysis' (TSA) assess in vocational rehabilitation?
- The worker's ability to learn new computer software
- Skills, knowledge, and work traits from prior jobs that can apply to other occupations (Correct answer)
- The physical demands of a targeted job
- The educational requirements for retraining programs
Correct answer: Skills, knowledge, and work traits from prior jobs that can apply to other occupations
A TSA identifies skills from previous work experience that can transfer to alternative occupations compatible with a worker's current functional capacity.
Question 4: Which assessment tool measures a worker's current physical capacities in relation to job demands?
- Transferable skills analysis (TSA)
- Functional capacity evaluation (FCE) (Correct answer)
- Vocational interest inventory
- Labor market survey
Correct answer: Functional capacity evaluation (FCE)
A functional capacity evaluation (FCE) objectively measures an individual's physical abilities and compares them to the physical demands of specific jobs.
Question 5: What is 'supported employment' in vocational rehabilitation?
- Employment in a sheltered workshop with below-minimum wages
- Competitive integrated employment with ongoing job support services for individuals with significant disabilities (Correct answer)
- Temporary light-duty assignments for injured workers
- Employment subsidized by workers' compensation insurance
Correct answer: Competitive integrated employment with ongoing job support services for individuals with significant disabilities
Supported employment provides competitive wages in integrated settings with ongoing support (job coaches, natural supports) for individuals with significant disabilities.
Question 6: What is the purpose of a 'labor market survey' in vocational rehabilitation?
- To assess the worker's earnings before injury
- To identify available jobs within the worker's functional capabilities and geographic area (Correct answer)
- To calculate the cost of retraining programs
- To determine the employer's obligation to offer light duty
Correct answer: To identify available jobs within the worker's functional capabilities and geographic area
A labor market survey documents the availability of jobs consistent with the worker's restrictions, skills, and geographic area to support vocational planning.
CDMS Vocational Rehabilitation and Return-to-Work Programs 1
What is the primary goal of vocational rehabilitation (VR) in disability management?