13.1.1 What are a person's rights?

A client undertaking rehabilitation has certain rights that include being able to:

• be reimbursed for the reasonable costs of travel to attend an initial rehabilitation assessment or subsequent rehabilitation assessment of the person’s capacity for rehabilitation . Please refer to section 9.1.2 of the MRCA policy manual or section 90.4 of the DRCA general handbook for further information about calculating travel reimbursement for rehabilitation assessments;
• lodge an application for a review or reconsideration of any reviewable decision that they disagree with;
• have access to their rehabilitation plan upon written request;
• seek further advice from DVA regarding any rehabilitation and compensation claims;
• refuse to sign a rehabilitation plan if they are not satisfied with the content and discuss the reasons for this with their rehabilitation provider and their DVA Rehabilitation Coordinator;
• involve their union or any other nominated representative at any meeting;
• withdraw from the rehabilitation process at any time, while acknowledging that this may result in suspension of compensation benefits; and
• take maternity and/or parental leave (see Chapter 13.6).

Rehabilitation clients can also expect that:

• a rehabilitation provider will work with them to develop a rehabilitation plan which is tailored to their individual needs and circumstances;
• they will be provided with the necessary assistance to enable the person to reach their rehabilitation goals;
• they will be treated with respect by all staff and personnel involved in the rehabilitation process;
• their rehabilitation service provider or DVA Rehabilitation Delegate will organise assessments of their whole-of-person needs and the services and supports that could help them to manage the impact of their service-related conditions and promote independence and quality of life;
• their rehabilitation plan will be adjusted if their circumstances change, or their goals need to be modified;
• DVA will organise approval and payment of their agreed rehabilitation activities in a timely manner;
• the DVA Rehabilitation Delegate will alert them to any concerns about their participation in their rehabilitation plan, or progress towards their rehabilitation goals as quickly as possible;
• their rehabilitation service provider and their DVA Rehabilitation Delegate will seek their input before making any changes to, or closing their rehabilitation plan;
• information about their rehabilitation and compensation cases and claims will only be shared with other people who may need this information to understand their circumstances and provide them with services and assistance;
• their rehabilitation provider or DVA Rehabilitation Delegate will provided advice in relation to taking maternity and/or parental leave (see Chapter 13.6).

Information about a client's rehabilitation obligations can be found in section 13.1.2 of the Rehabilitation Policy Library.