Bridging the gap: Hospital to workplace

Abstract

BACKGROUND:

Work-oriented neurorehabilitation to return to competitive employment after a serious neurologic illness or injury is an interdisciplinary process that begins as soon as pathology has stabilized.

OBJECTIVE:

This bimonthly column provides narratives of anonymized clients in situations that challenge their return-to-work. Each case study is designed for postgraduate education about tools and methods that are appropriate to consider in similar situations.

METHODS:

Through case studies of adults attempting to return to safe and dependable competitive employment, real-world issues are explored that occur at the interface between the client and their employer.

RESULTS:

The current case describes Structured Task Self Appraisal (STSA), a forensic rehabilitation method to collect self-report baseline information concerning the client’s job-relevant functional limitations. STSA guides return-to-work rehabilitation services.

CONCLUSION:

Information concerning the core tasks and important abilities of the client’s target occupation that are immediately available in O*NET can be analyzed in a structured manner to provide the workplace context for rehabilitation.