Many employers here may share that sentiment. Peer support groups are few and far between, many people can t get to meetings, and these volunteer groups lack the resources to meet more than a fraction of workers informational needs. This barely scratches the surface, but it s time to move on to the fourth primary need. R is for rehabilitation . Rehabilitation is an endangered, yet essential component in returning people to work and making them whole.
Vocational rehabilitation needs to be retained, reformulated, and re funded.
The present system serves few people well, especially those with serious chronic injuries. These are the people who are least likely to find jobs and the most likely to need help. For example, according to a number of rehab counselors, only a few percent of the available jobs can be done by people with chronic musculoskeletal injuries. More time is needed to develop rehab plans, considerably more money, and more assistance than injured workers get now including help from trained social workers. Not everyone can return to work with a voice-activated computer, and not everyone will find jobs they are able to do.