Helping Patients Get Back to Work

Mary Ellen Clear

Whether injured on the job or elsewhere, for many patients at Shepherd Center, one of their primary goals after injury or illness is to return to or join the workforce in a job that both accommodates their needs and fulfills them professionally. Fortunately, Shepherd Center now offers comprehensive vocational evaluations (CVE) onsite.

“A CVE assists an injured worker in setting a structured vocational goal by utilizing a battery of assessment tools and a complete review of medical information, work history, and labor market information,” says vocational specialist Laura McDowell, MS, CRC, CVE, NCC. “A CVE will help determine if and how an injured worker can return to work.”

CVEs at Shepherd Center include:

• Measurements of vocational interests and aptitudes
• Measurements of learning abilities and academic levels
• Measurements of physical and mental capacities
• Analysis of transferrable skills and strengths
• Labor market survey
• Recommendations for accommodations and additional supports
• Transportation needs

Assessment reports will also identify employment barriers and loss of wage-earning capacity and provide a detailed plan to return to other suitable employment, with or without accommodations, if possible.

“Having a CVE done at Shepherd Center offers many benefits for both case managers and Shepherd Center patients,” McDowell says. “We can assist your clients in discovering a feasible return-to-work goal consistent with their abilities, interests, and aptitudes while also streamlining their care in one place and creating momentum in reaching their vocational goals more quickly.”

For more information or to schedule a CVE for your client, contact vocational specialist Laura McDowell, MS, CRC, CVE, NCC at laura.mcdowell@shepherd.org or 404-350-7588.