PRESENTATION
“Honestly, it’s helped me a lot”: the value (and challenges) of work-specific injury rehabilitation
Person-centred approaches are considered best-practice for injury rehabilitation, yet lived experiences are rarely evaluated. We interviewed 13 clients who had commenced or recently completed a work-specific rehabilitation program in South Australia. Program staff were also interviewed to allow a breadth of perspectives.
Both groups highlighted the importance of work-specific simulation as a rehabilitation tool, with job tasks that were simulated and practiced in-house under the supervision of a physiotherapist and rehabilitation counsellor. The provision of onsite rehabilitation counselling to foster work readiness and regular interprofessional communication with case managers, treating doctors, and other health professionals, were equally valuable.
However, jurisdiction policies and processes - particularly prescriptive fee schedules - restricted the quality of this care. The findings highlight a need for early discussion about return-to-work expectations with all scheme stakeholders. Jurisdictions may also need to review their return-to-work practices to strengthen this collaboration.
About the Presenter
Boris is a Professional Member, National President and Chair of the Australian Society of Rehabilitation Counsellors (ASORC). He is also a Professional Member of Career Development Association of Australia and Rehabilitation Counselling Association of Australasia (RCAA). Boris' professional goal is to improve vocational rehabilitation through provision of best practice service, innovation and technology. As such he has designed numerous services and products to improve RTW outcomes. His areas of specialisation are complex physical and psychological injuries with medico-legal barriers and mediation needs. Boris is a regular contributor in peer publications, grant funded research and has been an invited speaker on injury management principles, vocational assessments, early intervention and emotional intelligence in the workplace.
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