The Idaho Industrial Commission offers rehabilitation services to Idaho
workers injured on the job in Idaho. If you have been injured at work, our
professional rehabilitation staff can help injured employees in many ways,
including:
The rehabilitation services of the Industrial Commission are provided to
injured workers at no charge. We do not charge the employee, the employer,
or the insurer. Rehabilitation services are funded by a tax collected from
workers' compensation premiums.
The Industrial Commission has provided premier vocational
rehabilitation services to Idaho’s injured workers for 28 years. In addition
to assisting injured workers, the successful Rehabilitation Division has
enabled employers to reduce their workers’ compensation costs by returning
their injured workers back to gainful employment and helping those workers
through the recovery process.
The Industrial Commission has monitored an increase in
medical and time loss payments over the past several years. While there are
a number of factors contributing to this increase, some can be attributed to
many of the distinct challenges faced by the workers’ compensation industry
throughout the United States, including more severe injuries, an aging
workforce, and diverse inflationary factors seen in other areas dealing with
human health.
These escalating costs indicate the growing value of
rehabilitative services as a way to assist insurers and employers manage the
cost of workplace injuries. It has become increasingly important to assist
injured workers in the transition of employment opportunities so they may
continue to be productive and self-supporting members of the workforce. To
enhance the Rehabilitation Division’s commitment to provide quality service
to injured workers, the division purchased the Idaho Career Information
System (CIS). This web-based system assists with vocational planning, job
search and résumé development, career exploration, interest assessment, and
provides objective labor market information that is exclusive to Idaho.
During Fiscal Year 2006, 3,589 workers were provided
rehabilitation services. Of injured workers who returned to work through the
services of the Rehabilitation Division, 87% returned to at least 90% of
their pre-injury wage. Through modified or accommodated work situations, 20%
returned to their time-of-injury employer. Additionally, the Rehabilitation
Division has maintained its goal of quick response to all new referrals and
continues to contact injured workers, employers, medical providers and
sureties, gather detailed in-depth information, and develop a vocational
plan; all within the average time of 9.27 days.
As the population of Idaho continues to increase, the
Rehabilitation Division will remain committed to the mission of pursuing an
early return to work for injured workers, striving for restoration of
pre-injury status and wage and assisting employers in cost reduction by
proactive solutions with job modification, alternative employment, and job
placement.
