While we provide several services, the common thread is that all relate to Vocational and Career issues. Our services generally fall into five categories which include:
From our offices in Portland, Oregon we provide direct services throughout Oregon and Southwest Washington. We provide Vocational Expert services in relation to individuals residing in any state or foreign country.
Our professionals provide Assessment of Employability and Earning Capacity. These services result in an opinion as to access to employment, return-to-work barriers and ability to earn in the competitive economy. Some evaluations may address eligibility for specific programs.
These services are aimed at assisting individuals with disabilities or other barriers to employment in becoming more employable. The services may begin with Vocational Evaluation. Other sevices may include Vocational Testing, Transferable Skills Assessment, Vocational Counseling, Labor Market Survey, Job Analysis, Plan Development, Plan Monitoring/Support, Job Search Training, Placement Services, and Employment Monitoring.
The services may also include consultation with employers as to adaptive equipment and modification of the work-site to assist in removing barriers to employment.
Our professionals have experience performing evaluations and providing testimony at the request of defense and plaintiff attorneys, insurance companies and government agencies. Our experts have been utilized in cases involving Workers' Compensation, Personal Injury, Product Liability, Professional Liability, Employment Law, Disability Law, Family Law, Longshore, Jones Act and Railroad (FELA).
Our experts are skilled in evaluating Earning Capacity, potential Loss of Future Earning Capacity, Wage Loss, Benefit Analysis, Costs relative to Mitigation of Loss/ Enhancement of Earning Potential, Loss of Household Services, and Work Life Expectancy. We also assist in Life Care Planning.
Our Experts are well known, utilized and respected by both plaintiff and defense counsel. We have the skills and experience to provide detailed and well documented written reports and/or credible testimony. While the majority of vocational counselors avoid the legal area , Forensic Vocational Services is one of our specialties. We believe our company provides more such services than any other firm in the area. We have often been informed that our highly experienced, detailed,professional and objective approach to services has been a key asset to attorneys in relation to case outcomes.
To view our Forensic Vocational Services Agreement please click here
Our professionals are skilled at contacting employers and collecting information which is helpful in determining the employability of individuals. We provide specific worker profiles to representative employers and then collect information specific to qualifications, essential functions of the occupation, typical earnings, outlook and related information. We also have access to data published by government and other sources. While actual employer contacts are not required in every case, complex variables specific to the individual and limitations with published data often make such contact necessary to provide a quality, defensible opinion. Many vocational professionals complain of the difficulty obtaining needed information from employers and attempt to use only published data in all cases. Our counselors have the experience with employers and contacts needed to back up our opinions and recommendations.
This can be a stand alone service or one utilized upon need in relation to other categories. We perform Acheivement, Aptitude, Interest and Work Personality Testing. All testing utilized is Standardized and published by recognized, respected sources. Unlike some, we will not continue to use out of date testing, tests no longer published, self-produced tests or tests distributed without testing agreements. We utilize Computerized Transferable Skills Assessment tools under license which assist us in analyzing vast amounts of data efficiently.
In addition to providing testing to our own clients we also offer testing packages to clients of other counselors outside CDN who lack testing resources and or training. We also offer testing packages to the general public as well as to agencies and employers.
While Vocational Testing is by no means appropriate or needed on every case, our counselors are concerned that so many Career and Vocational Rehabilitation counselors either lack skills in testing or elect not to administer and use testing. Vocational testing is a powerful tool which often can be seen as producing a cost savings in terms of identification and attainment of acheivable vocational and educational outcomes.
To go to Testing Request Form click here
We collect objective and measurable information from representative employers as to the physical and other demands of occupations and refer to recognized published resource materials. We utilize terminology and standards recommended by the US Department of Labor in relation to analyzing jobs.We assist employers in determining whether specific jobs can be modified to accomodate workers. We are knowledgable about adaptive equipment and Worksite modifications which can be effective in addressing and eliminating barriers.
This specific service is limited only to individuals with disabilities. We assist in identifying realistic goals, develop a plan with shared responsibilities, and make contacts with employers attempting to identify realistic options and schedule interviews. We consult with employers in removal of barriers. We assist people with resumes and teach effective job search strategies.
We assist employers in relation to removal of barriers. We assist employers with Job Analysis. We consult with regard to adaptive equipment and modification of the work environment in general or specific to the needs of an individual.
Our counselors assist individuals who are seeking a career change as well as those entering the world of work. Our experience and resources help people identify marketable skills and learn how they relate to careers they may not have considered otherwise. We assist clients in developing the best strategy to acheive goals. We also assist in developing educational plans and on-the-job training plans if obtaining new skills is desired or necessary.
Parents are becoming much more proactive in assisting their high school, college and young adult children with career and educational focus. The cost of education has risen much faster than inflation. Educational institutions often offer programs with little consideration in relation to career opportunity.
Parents have discovered that time spent in school without a clear direction can often result in additional expense. Some students who complete college or other program lack a clear goal upon exit and find themselves spinning wheels, accepting low skilled jobs or electing to return to school in unrelated fields. Some who are completing their high school experience have little or no interest in college yet have difficulty obtaining the experience necessary for careers they desire. Others may have special needs or barriers to employment and parents often are frustrated with limited public sector services available.
Our counselors will design a program and carry out a plan designed to specifically address these kinds of issues and interface between the parent, student and educational or other training resource.
Transferable Skills AnalysisOur professional will carefully review work history, educational background, testing, and any other assets or barriers described. We will then utilize government publications and enter data using a computerized tool we access under license which enables us to efficiently review the vast amount of government data about careers. This analysis will produce a listing of occupations which will directly or generally utilize transferable skills based upon past work and other vocationally relevant data. We will then assist in providing additional direction as to how to best utilize the many sources of vocational information.
This can be a stand alone service to career and vocational counseling clients. It is also a service we offer to other counselors who lack this resource. We also use this resource in relation to the many other services described above.
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