THOMAS PETER YANKOWSKI
EDUCATIONAL BACKGROUND
Master of Science in Vocational Rehabilitation
Bachelor of Arts in Political Science
Graduate Cum Laude
CURRENT CERTIFICATIONS
Certified Vocational Evaluator, Commission on Certification
of Work Adjustment and Vocational Evaluation Specialists (1983)
Diplomate, American Board of Vocational Experts (1985)
Senior Disability Analyst and Diplomate, American Board of Disability Analysts (1995)
EMPLOYMENT HISTORY
PRESIDENT AND VOCATIONAL CONSULTANT: Center for Career Evaluations,
Private vocational rehabilitation agency which
specializes in providing vocational assessments and plan development for
clients referred from workers' compensation and governmental agencies. Duties
include: case management services, vocational counseling and evaluation,
administration of work samples and psychometric tests, vocational plan
development, job analyses, labor market analyses, and job placement activities.
Administrative responsibilities include: overall program and budgetary
responsibility, marketing and program development, and supervision of
Vocational Evaluation and Functional Capacity Evaluation staff. Vocational
expert witness consultation services include: assessment of vocational
potential, wage earning capacity, residual physical capacities, and job search
activities. Prior experience in Personal Injury, Long-Term Disability, Wrongful
Termination, Longshore, Products Liability, Medical
Malpractice, Social Security, Spousal
FACULTY INSTRUCTOR:
Instructor in Masters' programs in Vocational Assessment and Rehabilitation Counseling. Course instruction included psychometric testing and assessment techniques, ethics in vocational testing, test interpretation and reporting, job analysis techniques, and vocational expert testimony methodologies.
PRESIDENT AND VOCATIONAL EVALUATOR: Career Vocational Assessment,
Private vocational evaluation program which specialized in providing assessment of clients referred from workers' compensation cases. Duties included: overall program and budgetary responsibility, marketing and program development, vocational counseling and exploration, administration of work samples and psychometric tests, job analyses, labor market analyses, case conference staffings, report-writing responsibilities, supervision of professional and clerical staff, and vocational expert witness consultation and testimony.
VOCATIONAL COUNSELOR: Rehabilitation Associates, Inc.,
Private rehabilitation consulting firm serving industrially injured workers. Duties included: case management, vocational counseling, vocational testing, job analyses, labor market analyses, development of training and placement opportunities, job seeking skills training, case conference evaluation, development of rehabilitation plans, and case monitoring.
JOB PLACEMENT SPECIALIST: Community Rehabilitation
Workshop,
Transitional rehabilitation workshop for physically disabled and emotionally disturbed clients. Duties included: vocational and motivational counseling, client case evaluation, leadership of job seeking skills groups, job analyses, labor market research, development of on-the-job training opportunities, and direct job placement services.
DIRECTOR OF JOB PLACEMENT SERVICES: UCLA Experiential Center,
Residential educational program which arranged competitive employment and internship opportunities for graduate and undergraduate students. Duties included: overall program responsibility, direct job placement and follow-up, vocational counseling, individualized job seeking skills, facilitation of communication workshops, budgetary and fiscal responsibilities, grant writing, and statewide lobbying.
PROGRAM COORDINATOR: Special Education and Psychology Immersion
Program,
Pilot educational program designed to introduce UCLA psychological majors to contemporary issues of children with special needs. Duties included: curriculum and programmatic design, student recruitment and orientation, placement of students in supervised field settings, and program evaluation of hospital research.
ADDITIONAL PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
FORENSIC SECTION BOARD OF DIRECTORS,
AMERICAN BOARD OF VOCATIONAL EXPERTS (ABVE): (2001 to 2003) Appointment to Membership Candidate Peer Review Committee to review the professional development of candidates as part of the membership certification process.
STATE OF
REHABILITATION PRESIDENTS' COUNCIL OF
VOCATIONAL EVALUATION AND WORK ADJUSTMENT ASSOCIATION
(VEWAA): Pacific
Regional Representative (1992 to 1995) - National professional association.
Duties included development and maintenance of
Rehabilitation Representative (1986) - Duties included: reviewing current legislation regarding workers' compensation to make recommendations to the Joint Committee of the California Legislature.
PUBLICATIONS
CAAments (
“Selecting a Vocational Expert to Determine Diminished Earning Capacity,” October, 2005.
“Methodologies to Improve Economic and Vocational Analysis in Personal Injury Litigation,” Fall/Winter, 1998, Volume 31, Number 3 / 4.
Litigation Economics Digest
"Methodologies to Improve Economic and Vocational Analysis in Personal Injury Litigation," Summer, 1997, Volume II, Number 2.
National Association of Rehabilitation Professionals in the Private Sector Journal
"Early Intervention and Vocational Rehabilitation:
An Assessment of Workers' Compensation Reforms in
National Association of Rehabilitation Professionals in the Private Sector Journal
"Return to Work: Rehabilitation of the Injured
Worker in
Journal of Private Sector Rehabilitation
"Rehabilitation and the
Vocational Evaluation and Work Adjustment Bulletin
"Work Hardening Guidelines" Winter, 1987
CONSULTATION SERVICES
Development of Motor Coordination Tests for East Bay Municipal Utility District, Affirmative Action Program for Heavy Equipment Operators (1985)
PRESENTATIONS
“The Roles of the Life Care Planner, Vocational Expert, and Economist in Forensic Catastrophic Cases,” seminar presentation at the California Association of Rehabilitation and Reemployment Professionals Statewide Convention, 2004.
“The Utilization of Vocational Evaluation and Functional Capacity Evaluations in Vocational Expert Testimony,” seminar presentation at the Association of Defense Counsels of Northern California and Nevada Regional Convention, 2001.
“Physical and Functional Capacity Assessments,” seminar presentation at the American Rehabilitation Economics Association Conference, 1996.
"The Interface of Economic and Vocational Analysis in Personal Injury and Wrongful Termination Cases," seminar presentation at the National Association of Rehabilitation Professionals in the Private Sector National Convention, 1995.
"Rehabilitation 1995 - Prescription for Excellence," research presentation at the California Association of Rehabilitation Professionals Educational Seminar, 1995.
"The Impact of Rehabilitation Services and the California Workers' Compensation System," research presentation at the California Association of Rehabilitation Professionals Statewide Convention, 1990.
"The Evaluation of Work
Potential for Individuals with Traumatic Brain Injury," seminar
presentation at the International Colloquium on Health, Committee for Health
Rights in the
ORGANIZATIONS
American Board of Disability Analysts
American Board of Vocational Experts
International Association of Rehabilitation Professionals
National Rehabilitation Association
Vocational Evaluation and Career Assessment Professional Association
National Rehabilitation Counseling Association