Vocational Rehabilitation Services assist people with a disability, injury or health condition to gain and/or maintain employment. Vocational Rehabilitation Services are offered through organisations that are contracted by the Department of Employment and Workplace Relations.
CRS Australia is a government organisation that is one of the largest Vocational Rehabilitation Services in Australia . It has more than 170 offices Australia-wide, covering major regional centres including metropolitan Sydney .
Vocational Rehabilitation Services help people with a wide range of conditions to get or keep a job, such as:
- muscular or joint conditions e.g. lower back pain
- mental health conditions e.g. anxiety, depression, psychosis
- learning difficulties
- traumatic brain injury or stroke
- hearing or vision loss
- medical conditions e.g. diabetes, chronic fatigue syndrome.
What Services does Vocational Rehabilitation Services Provide?
Vocational Rehabilitation Services offer individual support from professionally trained rehabilitation consultants (eg occupational therapists, psychologists, physiotherapists). The rehabilitation consultant helps you determine your abilities and barriers, and together with you, tailors a program to meet your needs.
Services provided to those that access a Vocational Rehabilitation Services such as CRS Australia may include:
- an assessment of your work abilities
- assessment and counselling to identify the jobs that would best suit you
- counselling to talk about your disability (support, management strategies, services available)
- fitness programs
- programs to help you get ready for work
- confidence building/self esteem sessions
- assistance to help you find a job (e.g. looking for the right jobs, writing applications, resume writing, job interview skills)
- assessing different workplaces to identify the right workplace for you (identifying the right job that suits your skills, setting up support structures, putting in place equipment and technology if needed)
- on the job training at your workplace and/or short training courses to help you do your job.
If you already have a job, and it is at risk of being lost because of your disability, a Vocational Rehabilitation Service can help.
Vocational Rehabilitation Services can also assist you if you were injured and need to return to work. They also provide advice on safe workplaces and practices.
Who can CRS Australia Assist?
To access a Vocational Rehabilitation Service, you must meet certain criteria:
- be aged between 14 and 65 years
- have an injury, disability or health condition that is impacting on your ability to get or keep a job; and
- be an Australian citizen or permanent resident
How do you access a Vocational Rehabilitation Service?
Step 1: You must register with Centrelink as 'looking for work'.
Step 2: You will talk with a Centrelink Senior Customer Services Officer. Their job is to decide if a Vocational Rehabilitation Service is the right service for you. They will ask you to meet with them or an independent Job Capacity Assessor to assess the level of your disability and what type and level of support you may require. To determine this, you will need to complete a Job Capacity Assessment with them.
Step 3: The outcome of the Assessment will help decide what service you should access. The service may be a Vocational Rehabilitation Service (such as CRS Australia), a Disability Employment Network provider or a Job Network.
Step 4: If you have been referred to a Vocational Rehabilitation Service, you will meet with a Rehabilitation Consultant. Together you will set your goals and develop a plan to help you achieve those goals.
How Much Will it Cost?
Vocational Rehabilitation Services are usually free if you are paid income support from Centrelink or you are covered by an injury compensation scheme.
The best time to contact a Vocational Rehabilitation Service is when you have finished your studies and are ready to look for work.
Contact:
To make contact with a Vocational Rehabilitation Service, you can contact;
CRS Australia:
- Freecall 1800 624 824 (free call within Australia , calls from mobile phones will be charged at the applicable mobile rate)
- TTY: 02 9242 4872
- CRS Australia website
Centrelink:
- Telephone: 13 27 17
- Centrelink Customer Service Centre and ask to meet with a Senior Customer Service Officer. Click here to find out where your local Centrelink Customer Service Centre is.
Further Information and Resources:
