Work with brain injury

Determine distance to work

health professional

During this phase, the treatment team focuses on thorough diagnostics. This involves collaboratively creating two profiles:

  • Individual Profile: Assessing the individual's capacity for workload.
    • Determining the capabilities of the person with ABI.
  • Job Profile: Evaluating the required workload.
    • Identifying the tasks and responsibilities expected in the role.
    • Defining the work objectives and potential tasks for the individual.
    • Considering the opportunities and challenges presented by the work environment.
    • Assessing the feasibility and realism of achieving the workload.

By comparing these two profiles, the team examines the alignment between the individual's capabilities and the job requirements, considering both opportunities and challenges.

The individual profile

The individual profile assesses the person's physical, emotional, cognitive, social, and behavioral capabilities and challenges, focusing on what the person is capable of.

  • Utilizing the International Classification of Functioning, Disability, and Health (ICF) framework can be instrumental in integrating and understanding all aspects comprehensively.
  • Given the diverse range of abilities and challenges, the treatment team employs multiple tools to evaluate workload capacity (Cronin et al., 2013): standardized testing instruments, self-report questionnaires, observations, and collateral history (Domensino, 2020; O'Keefe et al., 2019; Murray et al., 2021).

šŸ’”Tips:

  • Recognize that test instruments are often administered in optimal conditions (e.g., one-on-one settings with minimal distractions), which may not fully reflect real-world work skills assessment.
  • Endurance capacity, although not directly assessed in tests, can significantly impact work reintegration.
  • Evaluate the individual's functional level while also identifying coaching requirements and areas for personal development.

Job profile

  • The job profile centers on the physical and cognitive requirements of tasks and the work environment:
    • what skills must the individual possess to fulfill the job role?
  • As a treatment team, there are various approaches you can take:
    • Requesting a published job profile or risk analysis from the employer or VDAB's occupational database.
    • Engaging in discussions with the individual with ABI, their support network, including family members, the work environment, insurer, and occupational physician.
    • Planning a workplace visit, if feasible, to observe the specific tasks and environment firsthand.
    • Utilizing questionnaires to clarify job expectations.
    • Employing a combination of the above methods.

šŸ’”Tip: Strive to develop a detailed and comprehensive understanding of the job requirements.

  • The more specific the insight, the easier it becomes to align with the individual profile and treatment objectives.
  • By comprehensively examining work tasks, including work schedule, task types and quantity, workspace conditions, required cognitive functions (attention/memory/planning), and workload pressure, you gain a clearer understanding of the work context.

Compare profiles

  • Through a collaborative assessment of both profiles with the individual with ABI, you evaluate the proximity to work by considering:
    • Feasibility and realism of achieving the work target.
  • Available possibilities.Ā If the gap between the workload (person profile) and job requirements (job profile) is:
    • Limited: Recommend work resumption.
    • Bridgeable: Initiate steps to reduce the gap.
    • Unattainable: Address the work-focused assistance request together.
  • Visualising this comparison can be beneficial for the individual. Colour codes, such as:
    • Green: No gap, individual possesses necessary skills for work resumption.
    • Orange: Bridgeable gap, individual can regain or compensate for required skills.
    • Red: Unbridgeable gap, individual lacks necessary skills. Reevaluation of work-focused assistance is crucial in this scenario.

šŸ¤Together

Involving individuals with lived experience can be highly beneficial for the individual.

  • An experience expert is someone who has also experienced ABI.
  • They may have successfully navigated the recovery process and reintegrated into society or the workforce.
  • Alternatively, they could be currently undergoing recovery alongside the individual with ABI, aiming to return to work.
  • This interaction is personal, adaptable, and easily recognizable.

A critical aspect is the degree to which the individual can relate to the firsthand experiences of the experience expert (Balogun-Mwangi et al., 2019; Reed et al., 2022). Engaging with an experienced individual allows for learning from others' achievements (Mills & Kreutzer, 2016).

āš ļøPlease note

It is crucial for stakeholders to recognize the significant impact of ABI. All involved parties should possess a comprehensive understanding of:

  • The cognitive, emotional, and behavioral effects of ABIĀ that may hinder the individual's ability to (re)enter the workforce.
  • How these effects influence daily activities and participation.
  • The broader context: assessing how both the individual and the work environment respond to these challenges and identifying feasible and supportive adaptation strategies.

šŸ’”Tip

Approach each situation with a positive perspective.

  • Rather than solely concentrating on obstacles, strive to maintain a balance between recognizing opportunities and challenges.
  • Empowerment begins when the individual feels acknowledged, understood, and valued.

šŸ§°Useful tools

Would you like an ICF-based individual and/or job profile?

If so, please contact dorien.vandenborre@thomasmore.be

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