Rehabilitation professionals’ (physiotherapists, occupational therapists, ergonomists, kinesiologists, social workers) roles and responsibilities

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.

1. If the worker is under the care of a multidisciplinary team, divide the tasks among the different professionals (e.g., the psychologist could focus on the personal issue(s) while the occupational therapist focuses on functional limitations). Each actor carries out assessments individually, then a collective decision is made on the objectives and modalities of the treatment and RTW plan (Corbière et al., 2020).
2. In the case of a multidisciplinary team, prioritize the active participation of each stakeholder and find a consensus on the objectives and modalities of the treatment and RTW plan (Corbière et al., 2020).
3. Attest the worker’s functional abilities and limitations to the other stakeholders (Corbière et al., 2020).
4. Support the worker: listen to him/her, show him/her gratitude (e.g., do not force the worker to make changes he or she is not open to) (Corbière et al., 2020).
5. Be aware that work can represent a source of support (especially emotional support) for the worker. In this case, a rapid RTW could be highly beneficial to the worker (Corbière et al., 2020).
6. Encourage the members of the worker’s team (e.g. manager, colleagues) to adopt a sensitive and empathetic approach (Corbière et al., 2020).
7. Be a resource for the employer (e.g., manager) (Corbière et al., 2020).
8. Recognize the workers’ symptoms of distress and assess their ability to perform the duties associated with their position (Corbière et al., 2020).