Reasonable expectations of Maryland VR counselors:

1.  Use career/occupational materials and labor market information in every case.

2.  Review assessment information to determine appropriate services.

3.  Determine an individual's need for rehabilitation engineering/technology services.

4. Identify and contact employers to develop job opportunities.

5. Properly complete a job analysis.

6. Teach appropriate job seeking and job retention skills.

The rehabilitation counselor must have a comprehensive and accurate knowledge of community organizations, resources and an extensive knowledge of careers and local market needs.

In the development of a Proposed Rehabilitation Plan, the VR counselor must adopt placement guideline for return to suitable employment based on the hierarchy of services identified in COMAR. If a return to work effort cannot be fulfilled with same employer, the VRC counselor SHALL fully explain, in the rehabilitation plan, the reason a particular step in the hierarchy is being used and why each previous step in the hierarchy was ruled out.

NOTE: The counselor does NOT need to provide services associated with each step before moving on to the next step; he/she only needs to consider each step before moving on to the next.

Proposed Rehabilitation Plans

1.  The plan must be filled out completely;

2.  A vocational assessment must be attached to the plan that includes a through demographics section and narrative section. If the assessment is not attached, an order will not be issued; however, the plan will be filed for record.

3.  The plan should include an outcome plan that everyone agrees on with all signatures verifying the agreement of the plan.

4.  If the parties do not agree, the plan should still be submit for record.

5.  Plan should be submitted to the Commission as soon as all parties sign it; if plan are submitted to late, the Commission will not issue an order. The plan will be filed for record.

6.  The vocational plan must be tailored to the individual. A person with mental health issues and learning disabilities may require particular attention.

Each counselor must provide a progress report every thirty days using form VR03. An attachment report must show the activity and type of vocational rehabilitation services being provided within that 30-day period. The progress report should provide information about the status of the injured worker, any barriers that have developed and specific strategies to overcome the barriers. The progress report includes any steps that will be taken to move the disabled employee toward the goal of return to work.

Fifteen days prior to the expiration of the vocational rehabilitation plan the counselor must contact all parties to make the recommendations clear as to the future of the rehabilitation plan. The counselor may recommend discontinue/terminate services, extending services, or developing a new plan. There is no specific form for necessary for such recommendations; therefore, the counselor should just put it in a report format. If the recommendation is for closure, the practitioner must use the commission's closure form, VR 2. If the parties cannot agree on the recommendations of the counselor, the dispute shall be resolved through an express dispute process through the Commission.