Themes include reviewing assets and the consequences of impairment and disability on prospects for work re-entry. Realistic vocational goals are established, job search options are narrowed and a good job match is made more likely.

Includes client visit to establish a realistic and appropriate job goal. During the visit(s) with the client, the vocational care specialist reviews all findings from the vocational assessment, transferable skills analysis, or vocational testing to establish job goal(s) and return-to-work objectives. This service can proceed to job seeking skills activities and placement.

Outline:

• Contact/Visit Clamant
• Thorough Review of documented information
• Development of Employment Plan
• Report

Completion of Task: 30 Days

Physical Demands Analysis (PDA) of a work site confirms the physical and cognitive demands associated with previous employment. It may suggest skills the person can apply to new work. The report clarifies the ergonomic dimensions of the former workplace.

Claims Professionals and other health care providers benefit from a detailed description of the pre-injury position and alternative job duties a person could consider for modified return to work following injury.

Outline:

• File Review
• Contact/Visit Employer
• Complete PDA/Obtain Signatures
• Recommendations if Required
• Report

Completion of Task: 20 Days

A detailed analysis of the workstation with concrete cost-effective recommendations can reduce risk of injury. The job-site analysis is useful for prevention purposes or following accident or injury or at time of definition change. The assessment involves measuring the physical demands of the work position, providing an up to date job description, identifying essential and non-essential duties, suggesting work place modifications, and as requested recommendations for modified return to work. The analysis can be performed with client participation or it can be provided with the employer directly.

Outline:

• File Review
• Contact/Visit Employer
• Complete JSA/Obtain Signatures
• Recommendations if Required
• Report

Completion of Task: 20 Days

Employment counselling begins when employment potential has been established. Focused, time-limited discussion assists people requiring help to know when, where and how to return to work. The assistance may include an interpretation of transferable skills and other employment strengths and barriers. A specific vocational goal is determined which mirrors the person’s skills profile,education, training and experience. A return to work plan is developed.

Determining proper worksite ergonomics can increase work tolerance and productivity and lessens the likelihood of overuse injury or repetitive strain injury.

Assessing postural concerns and the need for assistive devices and ergonomic aids is essential for injured individuals and those returning to school and / or work.

Make sure your return to work and labour market re-entry efforts have a solid foundation on which to build. Reduce the effects of fatigue through providing an ergonomically sound work area.

Individuals may need help developing social skills in advance of returning to work. This may involve one to one counselling from a health professional skilled in vocational rehabilitation and counselling. The help may include problem solving and decision making supports. It could involve developing personal management skills, communication skills and teamwork skills in advance of a job interview. It could include assistance with money management or dealing with personal health matters or helping to manage emerging family responsibilities.

Clinical social workers help family members through time limited behavioural interventions to adjust to injury and loss. Meetings can be held together, individually at home or at our offices. The goal is to restructure and realign family relationships so that adjustment to injury and loss can be achieved.

Grief is a natural response to injury, death and illness. For some, the experience leads to personal growth, though the process may be difficult and demanding. How one grieves depends on the personality of that person and the relationship with the person who died. Bereavement is the period after loss during which grief is experienced and mourning occurs. The time spent in bereavement depends on how attached the person was to the person who died, and how much time was spent anticipating loss. Counselling helps shape the response and aids in adjustment. Sessions may involve one individual, a couple or family. The service is provided by experienced cognitive behavioural therapists, registered social workers and clinical psychologists.

New evidence indicates return to work coordination and accommodation reduces work disability duration. Evidence supports the value of job search training. It helps maximize earning capacity. It helps overcome fears associated with seeking employment after injury or disability. It develops essential employability skills. Sessions are customized to individual needs and are offered one to one or in a group setting.

Themes include Successful Searching, Job Search Communication, Employability Skills Profile, Creating a Job Search Portfolio, Resumes and Letters Job Search Tools, Targeting and Focusing the Search, Researching Companies and the Labour Market, Interview Preparation, Practice and Review, Dealing with Difficult Interview Questions, Addressing Barriers and Concerns.

The key activity is finding employment for those unable to find work on their own after injury or illness. Cold calling and field work are used extensively to find a suitable employer. Job trials and unpaid work experience may be developed to offer work conditioning and skills enhancement. Job interview rehearsal is included as is electronic job search. Regular reports are available.

Our vocational specialist identifies and tailors cost-effective vocational or academic training that maximizes adjustment and earning capacity and lessens the effects of the disabling condition.

Case management is available for both catastrophic and complex injury. Hospital-based treatment coordination, family education, monitoring and compliance, benefits liaison and decision making support; care that enhances functioning at home, with family and community.

Our MSW Social workers empower individuals and families to undertake normal activities of daily living and work.. The goal is optimum psychosocial and social functioning through proper assessment, diagnosis, treatment and evaluation of individual and interpersonal problems. It is a critical helping hand for claims management The social worker builds trust with stakeholders, identifies stress and mediates conflicts. They offer brief counselling and therapy to develop coping skills, cognitive behavioural therapy for driving phobia and one to one pain management. It can include brief sessions for family counselling or grief and bereavement counselling for family affected by death or serious injury. It may involve life skills assistance or employment and career counselling for return to work.

Completion of all OCF-18’s associated with Bill 198 Ontario Auto Insurance. Ontario

Our discharge planners are trained in rehabilitation needs assessment and working with hospital staff. We help individuals prepare for a safe return home. Our specialists can diffuse potential problems at discharge and can put in place goods and services that help speed adjustment to home and community.

Examinations under Section 42 of the S.A.B.S. continue to be available from our contingent of occupational therapy regulated health professional assessors. Assessments respond to applications for benefits or to determine whether the insured continues to be entitled to a benefit. This review can include attendant care needs assessments with Form 1. Examinations requested to evaluate requests for Section 24 are available. Reports are available within the required timelines for examination.

The key activity is finding employment for those unable to find work on their own after injury or illness. Cold calling and field work are used extensively to find a suitable employer. Job trials and unpaid work experience may be developed to offer work conditioning and skills enhancement. Job interview rehearsal is included as is electronic job search. Regular reports are available.

A detailed analysis of the workstation with concrete cost-effective recommendations can reduce risk of injury. The job-site analysis is useful for prevention purposes or following accident or injury or at time of definition change. The assessment involves measuring the physical demands of the work position, providing an up to date job description, identifying essential and non-essential duties, suggesting work place modifications, and as requested recommendations for modified return to work. The analysis can be performed with client participation or it can be provided with the employer directly.

Outline:

• File Review
• Contact/Visit Employer
• Complete JSA/Obtain Signatures
• Recommendations if Required
• Report

Completion of Task: 20 Days

When return to work presents physical challenges, an ergonomics specialist is available to liaise with the employer to assess the physical and cognitive demands of the work station and to make recommendations for necessary assistive devices or work station modifications. Work with the claimant may include assessing and purchasing necessary seating or education with body sparing techniques and work pacing. Graduated return to work may be negotiated with the employer with modifications to duties or hours of work.

The Life Care Plan is based on a comprehensive assessment, data analysis and research. It is a dynamic document based on published standards of practice. It is an organized and concise plan for current and future needs and includes associated costs for individuals who have sustained catastrophic or serious injury. The service is available as a critique of a third party Life Care Plan Report or as a direct service with client and family. Attendant care needs are reviewed. An interdisciplinary team of specialists can review needs from their own scopes of practice which may enhance inclusiveness and reliability. A partnership arrangement is in place with an architectural firm for residential rehabilitation assessment and planning.

Case management is available for both catastrophic and complex injury. Hospital-based treatment coordination, family education, monitoring and compliance, benefits liaison and decision making support; care that enhances functioning at home, with family and community.

Vocational assessment is a process of gathering data and determining a person’s potential for work activity. This includes a comprehensive evaluation of a client’s biographical and social history, education and work history, medical and other pertinent records, psychological/neuropsychological records and vocational test results. This review helps determine vocational potential.

Testing is available from trained psychologists and vocational evaluators who can additionally measure achievement, vocational aptitude, interest and work personality. Persistence, pace and voluntary effort are reviewed. Return to work prospects are set out using National Occupational Classification criteria.

Loss of earnings, loss of permanent interdependency relationships, loss of homemaking capacity, loss of shared family income and perhaps loss of shared family homemaking are explored. At issue is the loss of the value of any work the client would have done but for the accident but now will be unable to do.

Physical and cognitive limitations are examined as they impact on present and future earnings capacity. Wage and salary ranges are provided. Labour Market Survey is available in conjunction with this service.

Labour Market Survey provides objective evidence that jobs thought to be reasonable are available in the person’s home community. Telephone surveys help determine employers who have hired and the range of wages and salaries being paid. If needed, on-site interviews with employers add reliability to the survey.

The survey serves three purposes: to document the feasibility of the vocational goal(s), to document the existence and hiring trends of available jobs and it clarifies employment potential for the client.

This includes in depth review of work duties and skills, general aptitude profile associated with an occupation, interests and physical activities associated with a job, average salaries earned by those working in the occupation, comparison data from those graduating from various post-secondary programs and outlooks for employment are elements.

The Life Care Plan is based on a comprehensive assessment, data analysis and research. It is a dynamic document based on published standards of practice. It is an organized and concise plan for current and future needs and includes associated costs for individuals who have sustained catastrophic or serious injury. The service is available as a critique of a third party Life Care Plan Report or as a direct service with client and family. Attendant care needs are reviewed. An interdisciplinary team of specialists can review needs from their own scopes of practice which may enhance inclusiveness and reliability. A partnership arrangement is in place with an architectural firm for residential rehabilitation assessment and planning.

Our expert sets out the character and extent of non-pecuniary losses such as loss of enjoyment of life as a result of an injury or motor vehicle accident. It can include a review of hampered homemaking capacity and a quantification of the parenting work performed pre-injury. It may review care and guidance that would otherwise have been provided had it not been for the loss or death of a caregiver.

It can include a psycho-social workup of the children affected by the injury and pecuniary losses sustained by them and immediate family.

Our social work team is familiar with forensic rehabilitation. They will assess functioning in the home after injury. Recommendations include Loss of Past Services for MVA and other care needs. The review of special damages may include loss of employment income or professional fee income, loss of shared family income, loss of homemaking capacity, difficulty performing tasks and a review of self employment, family business or spare time activity.

CBT addresses negative thoughts and feelings and improves behaviour. The service targets driver anxiety, phobia and adjustment to family, community and work. Clinical evidence supports multiple-session cognitive behavioural therapy as particularly effective in reducing post traumatic stress disorder.

WRI Group Online uses internet video link technology to provide Online E-Health counselling and psychotherapy services, client support and follow-up. WRI Group Online communication is encrypted, private and confidential. Clients are assessed to determine feasibility for WRI Group Online services. Computer IT support is provided and client satisfaction is monitored and measured. Our online psychotherapists are qualified regulated health professionals and members of the International Society of Mental Health Online. Contact us directly to access our Online E-Health counselling and psychotherapy services.

Case management is available for both catastrophic and complex injury. Hospital-based treatment coordination, family education, monitoring and compliance, benefits liaison and decision making support hastens adjustment and enhances functioning for the claimant and family.

WRI Group has a full roster of medical specialists including orthopaedic surgeons, neurologists, plastic surgeons, occupational medicine specialists, cardiologists, and specialists in rheumatology, dentistry, neuropsychology, opthamology, family medicine and TMJ as well as ergonomics specialties throughout Ontario.