FAQs about Vocational Rehabilitation Services
What is Vocational Rehabilitation Services?
Vocational Rehabilitation Services (VRS) provide a comprehensive intervention, combining rehabilitation with employment assistance to help you get or keep a job. Vocational Rehabilitation Services helps people with an injury, disability or health condition who need help to manage their disability, or the limitations of their disability or injury, in order to get and retain employment.
What sort of services does VRS provide?
Your VRS provider will work with you to develop a rehabilitation plan tailored to your needs and circumstances, which might include:
- assessment of the impact of your injury, disability or health condition on your ability to achieve employment
- developing long and short term goals to manage your disability or injury and achieve employment
- vocational counselling and planning to identify a safe, suitable and sustainable job goal;
- counselling about disability issues
- functional assessment and job specific physical conditioning assistance
- work related assessments or modifications
- job seeking and job placement assistance.
How often do I need to visit my VRS provider?
Generally your VRS provider will meet with you each fortnight.
How do I get involved?
You can talk to Centrelink about your eligibility for Vocational Rehabilitation Services, or you can ask a Vocational Rehabilitation Services provider directly about how to access the program.
Am I eligible for VRS?
To be eligible for Vocational Rehabilitation Services, you must:
- be aged over 14 but less than 65 years of age
- be an Australian citizen or permanent resident
- have an injury, disability or health condition that:
- is attributable to an intellectual, psychiatric, sensory or physical impairment or a combination of such impairments; and
- results in a substantially reduced capacity to obtain or retain unsupported paid employment.
In most cases you will be required to have a Job Capacity Assessment to participate in Vocational Rehabilitation Services.
Where can I get more information?
You can get more information about Vocational Rehabilitation Services by visiting the Job Access website or by phoning a Job Access Adviser on 1800 464 800.
What does it cost?
Vocational Rehabilitation Services is funded by the Australian Government. You will not have to pay to participate in Vocational Rehabilitation Services if you are receiving an income support payment from Centrelink. However if you receive a compensation payment for the same injury being addressed by your Vocational Rehabilitation Services program, under the Disability Services Act 1986 you may be required to refund the cost of the vocational rehabilitation program to the Government.
How long does the programme go for?
If you do not find a job while you are participating in Vocational Rehabilitation Services, generally you may remain in the programme for up to 2 years.
What can I do if I have a complaint about my VRS provider?
If you are not satisfied with the service you are receiving you should raise this first with your VRS provider—ask to speak to the manager or supervisor.
If the issue is not resolved, clients of Vocational Rehabilitation Services may access the Complaints Resolution and Referral Service through the DEEWR Customer Service Line on FREECALL 1800 805 260.
The Complaints Resolution and Referral Service has specialist expertise in assisting to resolve complaints for people with disability.
The Complaints Resolution and Referral Service can also be contacted directly on:
- FREECALL: 1800 88 00 52
- TTY: 1800 301 130
- The National Relay Service: 1800 555 677
Fax: 02 9318 1372
- Telephone Interpreter Service: 131 450
An interpreter or TTY access can be arranged on request.
If you are dissatisfied with how your concerns have been managed, you may also make a complaint to the Commonwealth Ombudsman’s Office.
If you want to find out more about the Vocational Rehabilitation Services, visit jobaccess.gov.au.