Table 4-10 ─ Rehabilitation professionals (physiotherapists, occupational therapists, ergonomists, kinesiologists, social workers)
IMPORTANT NOTE: Some of the items listed for the family doctor or occupational physician can also be covered by you, while respecting the acts reserved for the various professionals in your part of the world.
| Steps in the RTW process | Actions |
|---|---|
|
Time off and recovery period |
1. Review the worker’s file when it is referred to you. |
|
First contact with the worker by the workplace |
Not applicable |
|
Evaluation of the worker (abilities) and his/her work (job demands) |
2. Meet with the worker and explain your role as a rehabilitation professional, as well as the content and objectives of your interventions. 3. Give the worker time to tell his/her story and provide a listening ear. Listen to the worker’s experience with openness and respect, while assessing his/her attitude towards his/her job, his/her motivation to RTW and his/her coping skills. 4. Analyze the organizational environment and psychosocial factors associated with the worker’s sick leave. 5. As soon as possible, clearly communicate that the main objective of the treatment is the RTW. Ensure that the worker has the same objective, and make it clear that the will to change must come from him/her first. 6. Respect functional limitations and make it clear that the will to change must come from the worker first, while respecting its own rhythm. 7. When worker resistance is observed, question him/her in a respectful manner, present the options available and support his/her choice. 8. Communicate with the employer and assess the workplace requirements (e.g., physical and cognitive demands), as well as the barriers faced by the worker (favor a visit of the workplace if possible and necessary). 10. Offer interventions that are adapted to his/her state of health and the difficulties encountered in the workplace and family (e.g., a cognitive and physical capacity development program that includes a re-familiarization with their work tasks, additional training and the establishment of a support network). 11. Help the worker not to limit him/her to a role defined by his/her disability. Invite the worker to perform more and more regularly the tasks associated with his/her various roles, especially if he can draw on other professional skills. 12. Consolidate the worker’s feeling of self-efficacy and encourage him/her to take control of his/her work situation. Do not hesitate to give him/her homework from one session to the next so that the worker can take responsibility for his/her actions gradually and gain self-confidence. 13. † In order to best prepare the worker for the RTW, recommend a progressive training to tasks that are more cognitively demanding (e.g., interactions with others, computer work). 14. † Assess the worker’s abilities to RTW, including his/her concentration and communications capacities, motivation, and emotional balance. |
|
Development of a RTW plan with workplace accommodations |
15. Collaborate with the worker and relevant team members, in particular those in the workplace, to develop the RTW plan. 16. † Talk openly about the perceived barriers to returning to work (e.g., apprehension of potential workplace conflicts, pressure and/or anxiety related to returning to their position, guilt related to the time spent on sick leave). Develop new coping strategies with the worker in accordance with the identified barriers and support him/her in integrating these into their routine. 17. † Do not wait until all the symptoms associated with the worker’s mental disorder have disappeared before considering the RTW. Favor an approach that values a quick RTW followed by a period of training/improvement of coping skills as soon as most of the symptoms of the mental disorder have subsided. 18. Provide accommodations that are suitable to the worker in his/her work environment (e.g., modification or reduction of work tasks, equipment changes, and flexible work schedule). Following a significant reduction in symptoms, create a RTW plan which takes into consideration residual symptoms. Highlight his/her ability to RTW if accommodations are made in his/her workplace. 20. Meet with the worker on a regular basis to discuss his/her working conditions (e.g., work overload, unclear responsibilities, difficult interactions), taking into account elements of his/her personal life (e.g., unequal distribution of household tasks, financial difficulties). 21. Contact the employer to plan the implementation of the accommodations and send him/her a written document containing relevant information specific to the worker’s tasks. |
|
Work resumption (day 1) |
Not applicable |
|
Follow-up of the RTW |
22. Ensure a follow up with the worker once the RTW (gradual or not) has begun. Talk about the issues the worker might have encountered since returning to work and recommend adjustments to the RTW plan when necessary. 23. Help the worker maintain his/her productivity at work and support his/her decision to increase the number of work hours, particularly if he/she is engaged in a gradual RTW process. 24. Promote the worker’s presence at work and the maintenance of a healthy / balanced lifestyle. |