Vocational Rehabilitation

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Vocational Rehabilitation

• QUEST BRAIN INJURY SERVICES
• Fleur Colohan
• Vocational Instructor

• Elaine Armstrong
• Head of Brain Injury Services

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Purpose Statement

• Our services aim to provide training and support
  for people with acquired Brain Injury in the
  following areas
• Personal Development
• Community Integration
• Further Training/Education
• Vocational Opportunities

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Model of Service Delivery

• Assessment Planning
• Direct Training/Rehabilitation
• Community Based Vocational Case Management

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Assessment Planning

• Referral
• An agreed pathway for referral either from a
  specific community brain injury team or a range
  of sources.
• Assessment
• Sourcing relevant information to identify social
  and vocational aspirations and support needs
• Individual Action Plan
• Documenting what will be delivered, within a
  specific timescale, with responsibilities
  allocated and a review schedule agreed

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Direct Training/Rehabilitation

• Delivered in one to one support sessions or small
  groups to develop practice skills for community
  integration
• Brain Injury Awareness
• Cognitive Rehabilitation
• Behaviour Management
• Communication/Interpersonal skills
• Independent Living skills
• Learning skills and strategies
• IT and administrative skills
• Preparation for Work (career exploration, job
  seeking, interview skills, work related
  behaviour)
• Travel Training
• Stress Management
• Essential Skills (literacy numeracy)

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Community Based Vocational Case Management

• Training
• Vocational Training
• Education Courses
• Hobby Courses Interest Groups
• Vocational
• Vocational profiling job matching
• Work Experience Placements
• Job Retention (linking with previous employers)
• Voluntary Work
• Support
• Personal goal setting/career development planning
• Job support on site
• Brain Injury Awareness Training on-site

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• QUEST TRAINING CENTRE
• Location Galway city retail park
• Staff Co-ordinator, Psychologist 4
  Instructors (2 F/T, 2 P/T)
• Access to counsellor
• Clients 17 Clients (F/T)
• Outreach Aftercare Service (30 clients)

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• ROLE OF VOCATIONAL INSTRUCTOR
• Profiling and assessment
• Work attitudes
• Job Seeking skills
• Career Exploration
• Work Experience Placement

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• COMMUNITY WORK EXPERIENCE PLACEMENTS
• Profiling, job Matching
• Early placement (where possible)
• Continued linkage with the Team and Centre
• Utilisation of external agencies e.g. Fas etc.
• Support on site
• Employer education

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Cedar Foundation Vocational Rehabilitation

• Regional Service
• 8 services across Northern Ireland
• Staff resource
• 2 full-time staff posts, with admin support
• Clients
• 20 service users
• 2 year programme (2 year follow up contact)
• Delivered in partnership with Health Social
  Services Brain Injury specialist staff
• (neuropsychology, social work, OT, physiotherapy,
  speech language)

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Cedar Foundation Vocational Rehabilitation

• Vocational Rehabilitation Officer
• Pre-vocational skills training
• Application of learning to community placements
• Vocational Case Manager
• Preparation for work
• Securing and supporting training courses and work
  placements in local educational, community and
  employment settings
• Employer support and training

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Entry Criteria

• An acquired or traumatic Brain Injury
• Be resident within the funding region
• Aged between 16 65 years
• Permit access to all relevant information
• Have the ability, motivation and potential to
  benefit from the programme
• Be medically stable
• Be free from alcohol drugs, which would prevent
  full participation in the programme
• Be able to access the centre

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Vocational Rehabilitation -Benefits

• Improved health and social well-being
• A personal development/career plan
• Enhanced vocational skills
• Vocational qualifications
• Relevant work experience
• Improved job search interview techniques
• A support network facilitating inclusion

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Vocational Rehabilitation General Challenges I

• At programme level
• Lack of awareness of brain injury among employers
• Insurance issues
• Benefits/welfare challenges
• Compensation Claim process
• Sourcing host placement companies competition
  from other agencies

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Vocational Rehabilitation General Challenges II

• At strategic level
• Recognising and measuring progress for
  funders/service users/families (eg measuring
  softer outcomes)
• Sustainability of outcomes lack of
  funding/resources for follow up
• Long term vs time limited programmes

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Vocational Rehabilitation Personal Challenges

• Brain Injury Related issues that relate to
  sustainability of outcomes
• Irritability Memory Fatigue
• Impulsivity Concentration Mobility
• Motivation Insight Social Skills
• Reasoning Epilepsy Depression
• Speed of Information Processing Stress
  Management
• External Factors
• Family concerns expectations
• Financial implications
• Access to transport

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Management Solutions

• Employer related tips
• Approach by phone or face to face
• Leave a leaflet of BASIC information
• Explain supports available and the benefits the
  experience will afford both the employer and
  employee
• Liaise closely with family, relevant
  professionals and support networks
• Be honest with both employer and client
• Actively support the client to apply compensatory
  strategies to the work context
• Keep close contact with co-workers

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Management Solutions

• General Tips
• Clear, agreed Personal Action Plans
• Specific targeted feedback that is solutions
  focused
• Giving a safe environment to reality test new
  compensatory strategies or roles
• Develop natural supports

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Success Factors

• Partnership working
• Pre-vocational preparation
• Active application of learning
• Specialist Staff training
• Brain Injury Awareness Training
• Solutions Focus
• Peer support
• Maximising opportunities to utilise residual
  skills
• Monitoring Review
• Structure, Routine and Consistency