Occupational Disability Management Services ^new
 

The following new services have been developed specifically in consultation with, and in response to the expressed needs of long term disability vocational rehab/consulting staff. In developing these services, the objectives were to: (a) provide tools to maximize the employee’s ability to sustain work with the current employer; (b) provide alternate direct-entry (with earnings retention calculations relative to pre-condition occupation) and re-training occupations should employment within the current employer be unfeasible or prove too challenging; (c) allow for a cost-benefit analysis (based upon direct-entry earnings comparison) in considering same versus alternate employer strategies in relation to steps “a” and “b” above; (d) avoid the time delay and added expense of additional employee assessments in transitioning from step “a” to step “b” above; and, (e) provide change of definition inputs particularly around residual earning capacity and general employability.

The Process: In order to achieve the above objectives, a Cognitive/Psychological Job Demands Analysis (CP-JDA) is performed on the employee’s current position. Then Neuro/psychovocational and Cognitive-Psychological FAE (CP-JDA) assessment outcomes are combined into one report which includes a comparison of the employee’s functional capacity (CP-FAE) relative to the base occupational demands (CP-JDA). Accommodation-based recommendations can then be used for stabilizing the employee in the current position where feasible. If instead an alternate position is required, the combined report allows the employer to then use both sets of information (example occupations from the vocational and the CP-FAE capacities profile) to identify potentially suitable occupations within their workforce. If no occupations from the vocational analysis listing are available within the employment setting, then the CP-FAE analysis can be used to consider suitable occupations within the existing employment setting. Beyond the CP-FAE, neuro/psychovocational assessment data can tap into an avenue of increased client motivation given that the focus is on job interests/temperaments as well as abilities. Consideration of employee interests/temperaments can be pivotal in placement considerations for those with mental health/chronic pain conditions. However, the limitation of a traditional psychovocational assessment is that it focuses on the whole world of work, and often provide job listings well beyond the employer's available jobs. If no suited occupations are available though with the employer, then the report is useful for consideration of a wider range of alternatives.

Follow up services then allow the current employer to provide a listing of up to 3 potentially suitable positions as guided by the combined report. We may then provide a job demands analysis (CP-JDA) for those positions and use the existing CP-FAE information to determine the best job match of the 3 provided roles. This combination of services provides a direct comparison of job demands relative to the employee's capacities without the need for the employee to return for further assessment.

Comprehensive “Own/Any Occupation” Strategic Service Components

Cognitive/Psychological Job Demands Analysis (CP-JDA) is comparable to a physical job demands analysis but focuses upon the cognitive and psychological/interpersonal job demands. Where warranted, it can be combined with a physical job demands analysis for jobs in which there are significant physical and cognitive/psychological demands. For further details of the CP-JDA click here>> 

Cognitive/Psychological Functional Ability Evaluation (CP-FAE) provides a chart based profile of the employee's cognitive and social/interpersonal strengths and weaknesses relative to specific occupational activities / demands in the workplace based upon the data collected in the extended psychovocational / neurovocational assessment. For full review of this assessment click here>>

Extended Psychovocational/Neurovocational-Career Assessment provides comprehensive psycho-emotional testing/diagnosis, related occupational limitations/restrictions and consideration of the employee's "personal and vocational characteristics" including occupationally related interests, personality temperaments, and aptitudes. Given the importance of these functions to the workplace and adverse mental health/somatic impacts on such functions, these services also include comprehensively assessed cognitive abilities (verbal/visual memory, verbal/visual learning and executive functions) above and beyond that of a normal psychovocational assessment. For those with already well diagnosed brain pathology, this service is also appropriate. For review of our traditional Psychovocational Assessment click here>> and for review of our Neurovocational Assessment click here>>

Neurovocational-Diagnostic Assessment: This service provides comprehensive dual neuropsychological and psychoemotional diagnoses, related occupational limitations/restrictions, psychovocational testing and related NOC based occupational listings in accordance with the individual's strengths, limitations and personal/vocational characteristics. Consideration of the employee's "personal and vocational characteristics" includes occupationally related interests, personality temperaments, and occupational aptitudes. Beyond the CP-FAE described below, it can tap into an avenue of increased client motivation given that the focus is not just on abilities but also on job interests/temperaments; this can be critical in placement considerations for those with mental health/chronic pain conditions. However, the limitation is that a traditional psychovocational assessment focuses on the whole world of work: usually well beyond the employer's available jobs. If no suited occupations are available though the employer, then the report is useful for consideration of a wide range of alternatives. For further details of this assessment click here>>

“Own Occupation” Strategic Service Components

CP-JDA and CP-FAE and follow up services: Similar to the process above, this combination of services can address the own occupation definition. Accommodation-based recommendations can then be used for stabilizing the employee in the current position where feasible. If an alternate position is required, the CP-FAE capacities profile may be used to help employers identify potentially suitable occupations within their workforce. In this case, the “personal and vocational characteristics” and alternate job listings of the neuro/psychovocational assessment are not available to further guide the process. However, the employer can still provide up to 3 alternate positions for job demands analysis (CP-JDA) matching with the CP-FAE profile. Also, the CP-FAE may be combined with the following diagnostic services:

Extended Neuropsychological Assessment: This service provides comprehensive neuropsychological and psychoemotional testing/diagnosis. Beyond a traditional Neuropsychological assessment, occupational aptitude testing and related occupational limitations/restrictions are provided to allow for the CP-FAE chart to be generated. This service solely addresses the “own occupation” definition, but combining the CP-FAE chart can allow for other occupations only within the employer to be considered. For review of our traditional Neuropsychological assessment, click here>> 

Psychological Assessment: This mental health diagnosing (DSM based) and rehabilitation oriented assessment may be combined with a CP-FAE. This service solely addresses the “own occupation” definition, but combining the CP-FAE chart can allow for other occupations only within the employer to be considered. For further details of this and related re-assessment, click here>> 

Other available services:

Other Occupational Therapy Assessments (including Initial Intake/In-Home Mini-FAE [see here]; Ergonomic)
Occupational Therapy Intervention
Physical Job Demands & Functional Ability Evaluation & hybrid with CP-JDA/FAE
Psychological Re-Assessment (with functional outcome measurement comparison)
Progressive Goal Attainment Program (P-GAP) 
Multi-Day Situational Work Assessment
Psychological Treatment
Headache (Biofeedback Based) & Dizziness Management/Treatment
In-vehicular/Pedestrian Phobia Assessment/Treatment
Vocational Rehabilitation Counselling