Qualifications
John M. Meltzer, MS, CRC, CDMS, LPC
John earned a Bachelor of Science in Special Education from the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire and a Master of Science in Rehabilitation Counseling from UW-Milwaukee. John is a Certified Rehabilitation Counselor (CRC #2401), Certified Disability Management Specialist (CDMS #2401), and a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC #1151-125). He is also certified as a Private Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor through the State of Wisconsin, Department of Workforce Development, Workers Compensation Division, and has done work for the US Department of Labor, Office of Workers Compensation Programs.
John first worked as a special education teacher working with students with developmental disabilities in residential treatment and then in the public schools. While working as a teacher, he returned to school to study rehabilitation counseling. John has been providing vocational rehabilitation services to persons with disabilities for over 25 years. He also provides vocational evaluations and expert testimony services to persons involved in workers compensation, personal injury, employment law, family law and other types of litigated cases. He served as a vocational expert for the Social Security Administration from 1982-2005 before “retiring” from this area of practice. He opened up his own practice in 1999 in Madison, WI. He continues to provide services throughout the state of Wisconsin.
John has taken an active role in state and international professional associations. He served on the board of directors for the Wisconsin Association of Rehabilitation Professionals in the Private Sector (WARPPS) from 2000-2002. He served on the forensic section board for the International Association of Rehabilitation Professionals (IARP) from 2000-2006, and on the IARP Board of Directors from 2004-2009. He has presented frequently at local and national conferences on topics relating to forensic work and ethics, among others. He has mentored master’s level graduate students (from UW-Madison) and has spoken to students in rehabilitation counseling programs about work in private sector rehabilitation.
Michele J. Albers, MS, CRC, LPC, CLCP
Michele earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology and Sociology from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 1995. She went on to earn a Master of Science degree in Rehabilitation Psychology in 1997. Michele is currently certified as a Rehabilitation Counselor (CRC #037103); licensed as a professional counselor in the state of Wisconsin (LPC #3541); certified as a life care planner (CHCC #1006); certified as a vocational rehabilitation provider with the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development (#693); and certified as a rehabilitation counselor with the US Department of Labor (#100444). Michele is also a contracted Vocational Expert with the Social Security Administration Office of Disability Adjudication and Review (ODAR BPA #51601).
Michele began her career in rehabilitation by working as a personal care attendant and educational assistant with a young man with a life long spinal cord injury. While attending graduate school in rehabilitation psychology, she began working with individuals with severe physical, emotional and developmental disabilities. She assisted in developing paid integrated community employment opportunities for clients of Madison Area Rehabilitation Center (MARC).
While completing her internship in graduate school, Michele moved to Phoenix, Arizona where she worked for six years in private rehabilitation. Here she began working as a vocational rehabilitation counselor and expert witness. Michele frequently testified in worker’s compensation matters and family law proceedings. She also conducted vocational evaluations, job analyses and provided case management on rehabilitation cases. Michele also conducted extensive research on personal injury cases by evaluating labor market trends, performing cost analysis on past and future wage losses and evaluation of future medical care needs and costs.
In 2003, Michele moved back to Wisconsin and continued her practice in private rehabilitation. In addition, she became a vocational expert for the Social Security Administration and more recently, completed post-graduate work and became a certified life care planner.
Michele continues to take active roles both in state and international professional associations. She continues to serve on the board of directors for the Wisconsin Association of Rehabilitation Professionals in the Private Sector (WARPPS). Since 1998, she has been an active member of the International Association of Rehabilitation Professionals (IARP). She is a member of the National Rehabilitation Association (NRA) and the Rehabilitation Counselor Education Association (RCEA). She has presented at state level conferences on vocational evaluations, loss of earning capacity analyses, ethics and life care planning. Michele has been actively involved in the mentoring of master’s level graduate students from the University of Wisconsin-Madison Rehabilitation Psychology and Special Education program.
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