Our services
Forensic Vocational Reports
We prepare objective vocational evaluation reports for use in litigation. Our reports assess how an injury or loss has affected an individual's employability and earning capacity, providing counsel with a clear, defensible analysis grounded in the individual's vocational history, transferable skills, and the relevant labour market.
We work in two primary contexts: personal injury tort, and breach of contract.
For personal injury tort matters, we have experience in motor vehicle accident, medical malpractice, animal attack, and intentional tort cases (including historical abuse and assault). In these matters, we evaluate the effect of the subject incident on the individual's pre-loss and post-loss vocational trajectory.
With respect to breach of contract disputes, our work has involved providing opinions on the alleged wrongful denial or termination of disability benefits, where the question turns on the individual's capacity to work or eligibility for benefits as defined under the applicable policy.
We are retained by both plaintiff and defence counsel. Regardless of who retains us, our duty is to the court, and our reports are prepared to be impartial, evidence-based, and capable of withstanding scrutiny.
These include a detailed file review, interview with evaluee, and vocational testing. Our certification allows us to work on files across Canada.
Benefits Eligibility Vocational Reports
We conduct vocational evaluations to assess eligibility for income replacement benefits and the need for vocational rehabilitation services. We opine on whether an individual is able to work within the meaning of the applicable policy or program, and identify any retraining or services that could facilitate a return to suitable employment.
We complete these evaluations across several contexts:
Accident Benefits, including assessment against the post-104-week standard, where entitlement turns on whether the individual is completely unable to engage in any employment or self-employment for which they are reasonably suited by education, training, or experience.
Life and health and disability insurance, where eligibility is assessed against the definition of disability set out in the governing policy, including any change in that definition over the life of the claim.
Workplace safety insurance, where the evaluation addresses suitability for work and the individual's capacity to return to employment following a workplace injury.
Each evaluation is grounded in the individual's vocational history, transferable skills, and the relevant labour market, and is prepared to support clear and well-reasoned eligibility determinations.
These include a detailed file review, interview with evaluee, and vocational testing.
Labour Market Survey Reports
A labour market survey (LMS) examines the availability of suitable employment within an individual's own labour market region. Working from the occupations identified in a transferable skills analysis, the survey assesses whether those occupations are realistically available in their area, and at what wages, drawing on current job postings, regional employment conditions, and wage data.
The labour market survey is used to ground and support opinions on vocational suitability and benefit eligibility. A transferable skills analysis establishes what occupations an individual is, in theory, is suited. The labour market survey tests those results against the realities of the local market: whether those occupations actually exist where the individual lives, whether employers are hiring, and what those positions realistically pay for the individual’s level of experience and education. This grounding produces clearer, better-supported conclusions.
We complete labour market surveys in two primary contexts:
In support of income replacement benefit determinations, where the survey informs whether suitable alternative employment is genuinely available to the individual.
As a component of forensic vocational evaluations, where the survey supports opinions on employability and loss of earning capacity in litigation (including historical labour market data).
Transferable Skills Analysis Reports
A transferable skills analysis (TSA) identifies the skills, aptitudes, and knowledge an individual has acquired through their work history, education, and life experience, and determines how those attributes apply to other occupations. It is the analytical foundation for assessing employability and earning capacity, and it answers a central question in both litigation and benefits matters: what work is this person realistically suited to, given what they have done before?
We complete transferable skills analyses in several contexts:
As a component of forensic vocational evaluations, where the TSA establishes the range of work an individual could have accessed or engaged in both before and after the subject loss incident.
In support of income replacement benefit and vocational rehabilitation determinations, where the analysis informs whether suitable alternative employment exists.
On a direct basis for individuals and organizations seeking to understand how existing skills transfer to new occupational options.
Each TSA draws on recognized occupational frameworks and the individual's documented history to produce a clear, objective profile of transferable skills. Standalone TSA can be completed through file review only or with telephone interview.
Paper File Review Reports
A paper file review is a vocational analysis conducted on the basis of documentation alone, without an in-person or virtual meeting or telephone interview with the evaluee. Working from employment records, medical documentation, and other relevant file materials, we can assess the individual's employability and earning capacity, and produce an objective, defensible analysis.
A paper file review can stand in for a full in-person or virtual assessment where a meeting is impractical, unnecessary, or not requested. We also prepare vocational analysis reports with a phone call and file review without vocational testing. We scope each engagement to the needs of the referral source and the evaluee, and will advise where the available documentation is sufficient to support the opinion sought and where it is not.
Vocational Consulting
We provide vocational consulting to other professionals and organizations. Our consulting work draws on the same expertise that underpins our evaluation reports, applied to the needs of referral sources and industry partners.
We consult in the following areas:
To law firms, on the vocational component of a file. We can review the available materials and advise on where vocational evaluation fits within the case, what a vocational assessment is likely to address, and what other assessments — such as medical, functional, or psychological examinations — may be useful to obtain before the vocational evaluation proceeds.
To other vocational consulting and assessment firms, on matters of methodology, report quality, and professional practice in vocational evaluation and labour market analysis.
To software developers in the vocational rehabilitation and evaluation field, where we provide subject-matter expertise to inform the design and development of tools used in the profession.
Please contact us for pricing and availability.
Please note that our assessments are primarily conducted in English. If a different language is required, arrangements for a translator will need to be made in advance. In the event of in-person assessments, travel charges will apply. However, we are pleased to inform that no additional fees are charged for virtual assessments. Lastly, for in-person assessments, if a suitable space isn't provided by the client, an additional room rental fee will be applied. We appreciate your understanding and cooperation regarding these policies, which are necessary to ensure efficient and effective service delivery.
Atlantic Region In-Person Services & Canada-Wide Virtual Assessments
Located in the city of Halifax, Nova Scotia, Capstone Vocational Services is committed to providing comprehensive and adaptable vocational assessment services to individuals from coast to coast across Canada.
Our skilled team of assessors is equipped and ready to conduct in-person evaluations in Halifax, throughout Nova Scotia, and across the Atlantic Canada region. However, we understand that circumstances can vary greatly from person to person. Some clients, whether they're in Halifax or in more remote parts of Atlantic Canada, may prefer the convenience and flexibility of a virtual assessment.
We also recognize that Canada is a vast country, and many individuals who require a vocational assessment are situated well beyond the borders of Atlantic Canada. For those located elsewhere in the country, we extend our expertise and services through our high-quality virtual assessments.
Our virtual assessments are a full-fledged service designed to offer a comprehensive evaluation equivalent to our in-person assessments. Using cutting-edge technology and methodologies, we provide evaluations that are just as accurate, detailed, and valuable as those conducted face-to-face.
Whether you're in Halifax, Vancouver, Yellowknife, or anywhere in between, our services can be accessed without needing to travel. Our commitment to delivering high-quality, detailed, and timely assessments is unwavering, regardless of the delivery method chosen.
