Care and well-being - Research group Mobilab & Care

Care and Well-being - People and Well-being

Inclusion of people with disabilities

Project

WORK AFTER BRAIN INJURY

Sustainable return to work after an acquired brain injury.

Date

From until

Supported by

ESF Vlaanderen

Contact

dorien.vandenborre@thomasmore.be

+32 (0)3 432 40 40

What

Returning to work after an acquired brain injury (ABI) is not obvious and involves a number of challenges. In this project, our aim is to equip individuals with an acquired brain injury and those in their support network with practical resources to facilitate their return to work and ensure its sustainability. We address specific inquiries from different perspectives:

  • For individuals with an acquired brain injury: This section provides guidance for the individuals themselves, those seeking or maintaining employment with a brain injury, and their caregivers.
  • For employment agents: This segment offers insights for employment agents, job coaches, and career counsellors assisting individuals with an acquired brain injury.
  • For employers: Here, you will discover information tailored for employers, HR personnel, and managers supporting individuals with an acquired brain injury in the workplace.
  • For health professionals: This part offers resources for healthcare professionals involved in supporting individuals throughout the recovery journey.

Choose your role and access pertinent information tailored to your needs.

I am a person with an acquired brain injury

I am an employment agent

I am an employer

I am a health professional

Objectives

In this project, we focus on successful work (re)integration for employees and job seekers with ABI (acquired brain injury). We follow these three tracks: 

  1. We have develop an evidence-based, holistic roadmap for vocational rehabilitation in Flemish healthcare facilities, drawing on current scientific research, insights from healthcare professionals experienced in vocational rehabilitation, and feedback from individuals with an acquired brain injury.  
  2. We enhance communication among relevant stakeholders, to improve collaboration between the individual, job coaches (work actors), colleagues in the workplace (employers), and the healthcare team (care actors).   
  3. We have developed valuable recommendations for policy to further our goals. 

 

Significance

Both the federal and Flemish governments have prioritised the reintegration of employees and job seekers with vocational disabilities, such as those resulting from a brain injury, for an extended period.

The presence of invisible disabilities poses a persistent obstacle for individuals with an acquired brain injury seeking to enter or remain in the workforce. Studies indicate that merely 40% of individuals with an acquired brain injury who were professionally active manage to return to work.

Moreover, the entry of individuals with an acquired brain injury into the labour market is frequently short-lived. This project aims to address and alter this situation.

Collaborators

Dorien Vandenborre spearheaded the project from the Thomas More University of Applied Sciences, serving as the expertise centre for Care and Welfare.  Other partners actively participated.

Steering committee

  • Tessa Delien and Siham Boukhlal from Thomas More University of Applied Sciences
  • Katrien Vermeulen and Dr. Kristine Oostra from the Rehabilitation Centre UZ Ghent
  • Heidi Tanghe, Lia Le Roy, and Carolien De  Prycker from the Flemish patient association ‘Hersenletsel Liga vzw'.
  • Saskia Poelmans and Stephanie Kyndt from SBS Skill Builders.
Partners Werken met hersenletsel - leden stuurgroep

Advisory Board

The concluding project results were realised through collaborative efforts with the following national project:

  • Healthcare professionals skilled in vocational rehabilitation: Jessa hospital, Pellenberg Rehabilitation Centre UZ Leuven, ReviNAH
  • Work-related professionals: VDAB, GTB, and Emino
  • Government entities: RIZIV and Department of Work and Social Economy

Transnational group

Four European healthcare institutions experienced in vocational rehabilitation actively participated in the project:

  • Heliomare (the Netherlands)
  • Quest (Ireland)
  • CRPG (Portugal)
  • URI-Soca (Slovenia)

Newsletters

Researchers

Researcher

Tessa Delien

Researcher and occupational therapist dedicated to promoting the inclusion and participation of individuals with disabilities. Everyone has the right to fully participate in our society.

Research line coordinator

Dorien Vandenborre

Dorien Vandenborre (PhD) has been a lecturer-researcher at the People and Well-being Expertise Centre since 2015. She has expertise in neurogenic communication disorders and qualitative research (in-depth interviews).