11.4 Types of Rehabilitation Service Providers

Section 11.1 and section 11.2 of this chapter confirm that rehabilitation providers undertaking rehabilitation assessments and delivering rehabilitation programs must meet all of DVA’s accreditation requirements. The exception is where a firm or individual is engaged by a DVA accredited rehabilitation provider to only deliver specific components of a rehabilitation program or to undertake specific assessments for specific services.  

For example, if a DVA accredited rehabilitation provider is not skilled in job placement it may acquire these services through a specialist recruitment agency. The accreditation requirement does not apply to the recruitment agency as a sub-contracted provider. 

This type of arrangement will generally only apply to a third party provider on a rehabilitation program, with the overall program still managed by a DVA accredited provider. Providers who are delivering specific services to clients as components of a rehabilitation program do not need to meet all of the DVA accreditation requirements. They do however, need to have the relevant skills and experience to deliver high quality services to clients.   

There are a variety of rehabilitation service providers who can all contribute to a successful rehabilitation program outcome.

Rehabilitation Counsellors 

Rehabilitation Counsellors have generally undertaken a specific post-graduate course of study in rehabilitation. Rehabilitation Counsellors/Consultants come from a variety of academic backgrounds which provide them with particular expertise to manage different client circumstances. Their academic training provides them with generalist skills to manage rehabilitation programs incorporating a client's whole-of-person medical management, psychosocial and vocational needs. Rehabilitation Counsellors who are managing a client's rehabilitation program must meet all of DVA's accreditation requirements, and be Comcare accredited. 

Occupational Physicians

Occupational Physicians are medical specialists trained to assess the health of workers and the interaction with their workplace and work practices. They are experts in providing return to work guidance. They are frequently used to conduct medical assessments, assessing readiness for employment, and addressing barriers to returning to employment. Occupational Physicians may also conduct rehabilitation assessments. 

Occupational Therapists

Occupational Therapists have expertise in matching a client's physical capabilities to work situations. They also conduct functional capacity evaluations, undertake worksite and ergonomic assessments and can assist clients to work towards vocational rehabilitation goals. Occupational Therapists are generally, but not exclusively, used to conduct activities of daily living assessments in a client's home for the purposes of assessing the need for household services and attendant care services. 

Physiotherapists

Some Physiotherapists work as Rehabilitation Consultants and perform a similar range of functions to those undertaken by Occupational Therapists. They also have additional skills in assessing treatment options and needs, as well as limitations to movement that may impact on a client's ability to undertake physical tasks, including domestic tasks in their home.  

Exercise Physiologists

Exercise Physiologists specialise in managing physical rehabilitation programs where the client needs to improve their physical capability following an injury. DVA clients would generally access the services of an Exercise Physiologist through their Veteran Card, and not through a rehabilitation program. 

Psychologists

DVA clients would generally access services from Psychologists through their Veteran Card. However Psychologists could be involved in assisting clients who are working towards vocational or psychosocial rehabilitation goals, and addressing barriers to establishing a life with purpose in the civilian community. 

Social Workers

Social Workers may be ideally suited to assisting a client to reach psychosocial rehabilitation goals such as adjusting to life and making connections in the civilian community.

Training Providers

Training Providers include educational institutions or individual training providers accredited at the state or national levels. They may provide short-term vocational training, or training at the Certificate 1 level through to the post-graduate level, within the Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF).

Support Service Providers

Support Service Providers include agencies or individuals who can provide:

• services that assist in job preparation skilling or job placement for rehabilitation clients seeking employment;
• household services;
• attendant care services; and
• services relating to the provision of rehabilitation aids and appliances, or alterations to a client's home.

This is not an exclusive list but indicative of the types of services that can assist clients to reach their rehabilitation goals.

Links to more information

Comcare's website rehabilitation provider webpage

Comcare's Directory of approved rehabilitation providers