Printing - FECA-PT2 - National Association of Letter Carriers

(3) Absent such a recovery, the OWCP will begin Plan Development. This stage will
prepare the claimant for other work, possibly with another government agency, but
probably with a private employer. This process will likely require training or development of
skills.
(4) The OWCP will make every effort to identify the claimant's vocational strengths and
aptitudes, prepare him or her for re-employment in a specified job, and aid in placement.
The claimant's full cooperation is expected in returning to work, whether with another
government agency or in the private sector. The OWCP will continue to monitor the
claimant's medical status during this process.
(5) The new employment will likely involve some loss of pay. Whether or not the
claimant is actually re-employed, the OWCP will determine his or her loss of wage-earning
capacity and reduce compensation accordingly.
A sample letter is shown as Exhibit 1.
b. Actions Resulting from Letter. This letter will allow the claimant time to contact the
previous employer and/or the attending physician, if there is any possibility of return to the job
held on date of injury. On the other hand, where the medical limitations and/or the employment
prospects with the previous employer render placement there extremely unlikely, the CE may need
to clarify the medical situation to the claimant, or arrange for the RS to clarify the employment
situation.
2-0600-10 Plan Development
10. Plan Development. The purpose of this paragraph is to describe the plan development (PD) phase
of vocational rehabilitation services. PD is usually required to determine what services are best to
re-employ the claimant. It includes testing, assessment of the labor market, and counseling to ascertain
the claimant's interests and abilities. The plan will generally be aimed toward placement with a new
employer, training, or placement with short-term assisted reemployment.
a. RS Actions. After the plan is submitted to the RS, he or she does the following:
(1) Reviews the vocational goals and identifies two jobs by DOT titles, provides time
frames for successful completion, and states in general terms the expected wage-earning
capacity resulting from the training plan (an LWEC calculation need not be performed at this
point).
(2) If the plan involves placement with a new employer, specifies the anticipated
placement outcome, the jobs determined to be suitable and available to the claimant, the
length of the placement plan, and the expected wage-earning capacity following job
placement. In most cases the RS will authorize the RC to offer employers a six-month
(short term) Assisted Reemployment subsidy.
b. Time Frames. A plan should be produced within 90 days from the point testing begins. This
period may be extended up to 60 days for medical reasons, or because the claimant is having
trouble accepting a program leading to a new occupation. If the latter occurs, the RS will
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