Vocational rehabilitation services include set-up and coordination of required rehabilitation to prepare the employee for a return to a specific job or industry.
Ability Occupational Therapy will complete a comprehensive assessment to determine what supports are required to facilitate an employee’s successful return to work.
Therapy will target specific skills that the employee needs in order to build their capacity to return to the work environment and meet certain job demands. Rehabilitation may include mental health support, fatigue management, pain management, graded activity or desensitisation/exposure therapy. Work hardening will be considered and advised upon as needed; e.g. if the employee needs to lift 10kg on a frequent basis throughout their workday, a programme to build strength and endurance to meet this goal will be outlined and involvement of physiotherapy support may be recommended.
Coordination and implementation of return to work planning is another component of Vocational rehabilitation services that aids the success and outcome of the employee’s return to their job. This may include set-up of a gradual return to work schedule, coordination of the required equipment, agreeing on how reasonable accommodations can be implemented and a support plan for after employee has returned to work. Ongoing collaboration with the key stakeholders involved is an integral part of this service and may include Human Resources, Environmental Health and Safety, Occupational Health Physician, GP, other health care providers and most importantly includes ongoing collaboration and communication with the employee who is central to the process.