Workers Compensation


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REHABILITATION SERVICE UNIT (RSU) THE VIRGIN ISLANDS LAW

The following is a summary of the basic provision on governing the Rehabilitation Services Unit as provided by Title 24, Section 292 of the Virgin Islands Code:

The Workers’ Compensation Administration Act has established a Rehabilitation Services Unit (RSU) staffed by a team of employees to provide assistance to persons who have been partially or permanently disabled by a job-related injury.

Employees of the RSU shall provide direct services such as counseling and indirect services that lead to the regression of an employee back into the workforce.

INTRODUCTION

The Rehabilitation Services Unit (RSU) is mandated buy law to provide direct services such as counseling and case management, indirect services such as obtaining suitable medical treatment for an employee’s injury, or any other type of assistance that facilitates the rehabilitation process.

The goal of the RSU is to assist the employee in returning to the workforce as soon as possible. The RSU proposes to meet its goal by providing case management and monitoring services. The role of the RSU is three-fold:

1. Assisting the employee in returning to the workforce by providing support services;
2. Assisting the employee in achieving their maximum medical improvement; and
3. Assisting the employer in retaining a claimant into their workforce, which is more cost effective.

The RSU serves as a liaison between the Workers’ Compensation Administration, the employee, and the employer to provide fast yet effective results for all the parties involved.

REHABILITATION

The Rehabilitation Services Unit (RSU) practices the holistic approach. The holistic approach attempts to provide a continuum of care beginning with prevention, continuing with rehabilitation and ending with follow up/completion of services.

This process starts with placing preventative measure in place for the protection of the employer and the employee.

It continues with medical rehabilitation and support services for the employee and it purport to end with completion services that ensure that every able-bodied employee has returned to work or retrained to remain gainfully employed.

Some of these services are:

Clarification of medical reports

Counseling

Vocational Counseling

Accompaniment to medical and rehabilitation visits

Case Management

Occupational Counseling for employers

BENEFITS

The Rehabilitation Services Unit as a beneficial entity
of the Workers’ Compensation Administration.

Some of the benefits of the RSU to the injured employee:

· Provision of medical care coordination;

· Provision of positive communication
links between all the parties involved;

· Provision of vocational consultation services;

· Provision of counseling to the employee; and

· Assisting in the restoration of the employee
to the highest level of functioning.

Some of the benefits of the RSU to the employer:

· Assisting a claimant back to work;

· Avoidance of the high cost of hiring
a new employee;

· Provision of positive communication
links between all parties involved;

· Apparent avoidance of litigation;

· Minimizes the time an employee is
away from work.