Communication and Record Keeping

COMMUNICATION:
Active participation in the vocational rehabilitation process is important for all stakeholders in order to understand benefits, concerns, barriers, goals, expectations, scheduled meetings or appointments, and to give or receive feedback for accessing or returning to work.

Communication involves promoting programs and services, demonstrating leadership and best practices, determining level of participation required, planning, and putting actions into motion to achieve goals,.

A timeline should be put in place with agreement among stakeholders for implementing a strategy in vocational rehabilitation. The details should include the materials/tools to use, target audience, timeline, locations, and methods for delivery.

Monitoring the process should be part of the strategy. This could include a pre- and post- test of knowledge about the VR process, focus groups, questionnaires, and more.

Group leadership is important for facilitating group behaviors through the stages of forming/orientation, storming/dissatisfaction, norming/resolution, performing/production, and adjourning.

PRESENTING TO GROUPS:
In presenting to groups, it's important to understand the audience that you're speaking to; understand the material and topics of interest that will be delivered; defining the objective of the presentation; drafting the body of the speech (with data/facts, quotes, personal experiences, descriptions); drafting an introduction and conclusion (relevant to the audience's goals/values/needs, with questions, humor, visuals, stimulating or inspiring content, and uniqueness); and practicing and delivering the presentation.

DOCUMENTATION:
The VR Association of Canada has a Code of Ethics which pertains to file documentation. It recommends documentation that includes the reason for a client referral; professional disclosure/informed consent; signed consents to release information; an initial vocational assessment; correspondence; regulatory orders (if applicable); written evaluation; vocational assessment or testing results; written agreements (such as for OTJ training); medical/psychological reports; other interventions; and a written closure report. This documentation is considered a confidential legal record and should be factual and objective.

REPORT WRITING:
A variety of reports are written during the vocational rehabilitation process. Common reports include intake reports, initial vocational plans, follow-up reports, and employability assessments. Again, confidentiality is essential with reports and file contents should be available to the client, third-party funders or payers, and to the legal system when subpoenaed in court.

SECURITY:
File security is critical for documents. They might be locked in file cabinets or stored electronically and digitally with passwords, electronic device encryption, etc.

A release of information is for clients, the legal system, third parties, and others who have been given consent by the client.

Files may need to be destroyed after five or seven years, depending on the laws and regulations of the jurisdiction.

COMPUTER TECHNOLOGY:
VR professionals should understand and be familiar with using word processing software, internet/web search engines like Google, spreadsheets like Microsoft Excel, presentation software, and video conferencing platforms such as GoToMeeting, Google Meet, Zoom, Cisco WebEx, Skype, BlueJeans, Google Hangouts, Microsoft Teams, and others.

REFERENCES:
College of Vocational Rehabilitation Professionals, Board of Directors. 2021-2023. Standards of Practice. College of Vocational Rehabilitation Professionals. https://cvrp.net/wp-content/uploads/129-Approved-Version-02-CVRP-SoPs.pdf

College of Vocational Rehabilitation Professionals, Board of Directors. 2019. Vocational Rehabilitation Competencies. College of Vocational Rehabilitation Professionals. https://cvrp.net/wp-content/uploads/60-Competencies.pdf