[No CEs] Vocational Expert (VE) work for Social Security is quite unique and unlike testimony the VE may provide in other venues. VE work in this venue is almost entirely dependent on the information the VE obtains in the course of the hearing itself. It requires the expert to think"on his/herfeet" and respond quickly to a wide variety of hypothetical scenarios. While other court systems require VEs to do through assessment of disability pre-hearing, Social Security hearings challenge the VE to develop an opinion based almost entirely on facts presented during the hearing. This presentation will explain how VE work offers the expert the opportunity to serve a vital role in the disability adjudication process as well as hone testimony skills useful in other testimony cases in their practice.
Educational Objectives:
Participants will be able to:
- Describe an overview of SSA's sequential evaluation process
- List key aspects of the VE's role in SSA hearings
- Explain court methodology of VE tools and resources
- Prepare for a variety of spontaneous hypothetical questions of disability
John Yent, MA, LRC, CRC, ABDA, CLCP