Opinion ID: 1281018
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: Petitioner's Third Attempt at Rehabilitation Services

Text: Accordingly, on June 26, 2000, the Division entered an order referring the petitioner to Vass Vocational Services, a company which was not a preferred provider for rehabilitation services for the employer. Vass Vocational assessed the petitioner's skills and condition, and drafted a rehabilitation plan whereby the petitioner would seek employment with a new employer without training, as provided in step five of the rehabilitation hierarchy. The rehabilitation plan also provided that the petitioner would receive temporary total disability benefits from October 5, 2000 through November 5, 2000, to pay for job-search expenses. This rehabilitation plan was submitted to the Division for approval. The Division did not act on the petitioner's rehabilitation plan. The petitioner's claims representative failed to respond to repeated phone calls and e-mail messages from Vass Vocational. Because the plan was not approved, the petitioner did not receive any temporary total disability benefits, and had difficulty paying the expenses involved in searching for a job. Vass Vocational therefore decided, on December 15, 2000, to close the petitioner's vocational file. [4] The petitioner's attorney then spoke with the petitioner's claims representative at the Division on December 19, 2000, to determine why the rehabilitation plan was never approved. The claims representative indicated she had never received the plan, and had received no inquiries regarding the status of the plan. She also indicated that she did not usually work with private rehab. The claims representative indicated that she would review the petitioner's case, and would issue a decision either approving or denying the vocational rehabilitation plan. By April 2, 2001, the Division had still not approved the rehabilitation plan. Accordingly, the petitioner filed the instant petition seeking a writ of mandamus against the Commissioner of the Workers' Compensation Division, challenging the legality of the Division's rehabilitation system that relies upon employers' preferred providers of rehabilitation services, and seeking to compel the Division to act on his rehabilitation plan.