Rehabilitation is the processes of improving conditions of the person who has a certain type of illness or addiction through various mental and physical therapy. Vocational therapy is a therapy which enables a person to access, maintaining or returning to employment or joining other useful occupation after the successful treatment of their cognitive and emotional disabilities, developmental disabilities or health disabilities.
It’s a process of psychological and physical therapies which help the patients in motivating and getting the best help for their overall recovery.
There are many health professionals involved in the vocational therapy and they can be both medical and non-medical health personals. These health personals help people with disabilities in achieving their personal, career, and independent living goals through the counseling process.
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Vocational Rehabilitation Counseling
The rehabilitation counseling is done by Counselors. The counselors can be found in various rehabilitation centers, hospitals, universities, schools, government agencies, insurance companies, and other organizations where people are treated with cognitive impairments, congenital disorders or acquired disabilities.
Procedure:
Firstly, vocational therapy involves an assessment phase where the individual’s skills are evaluated through tests, which is an integral part of the rehabilitation process. These tests measure the proper functioning of the body processes of the patients and other abilities such as eye, hand, and foot coordination; dexterity; and spatial discrimination abilities. Then these abilities are matched and they are matched with occupations and then they are counseled and trained for appropriate jobs. Another method to diagnose the individual’s vocational needs is work sample measure. This measure helps deduct the best job for the patient and they are trained and counseled according to that job.
The vocational training involves business or vocational instruction, college or university education, on the job training. If the patients qualify all the tests or measures, then these patients are paid for their training and education. The individuals are diagnosed with intelligence testing, aptitude testing, job skill level, and physical skill level. Counselors help the individuals with disabilities to develop their skills and counsel them to choose career paths that are suited to their interests and abilities. Counselors prepare the individuals for job re-entry through stimulating interviews, resume and job application workshops after individuals choose their career paths.
Reason for the procedure
Vocational therapy is used to help an individual with disabilities develop skills that can be used to earn income, obtain employment and achieve some measure of financial stability and self-esteem through regular work. The illness such as rheumatoid arthritis, an injury that changes functional level, an injury which changes physical work tolerance such as herniated disc lead to vocational therapy and patients are counseled for the appropriate jobs. Sometimes these patients are directed to technical or college courses by the vocational therapists.
The psychiatric therapy also helps individuals find new jobs or employment settings. Individuals suffering from schizophrenia may need to gain employment in distractibility levels. Vocational therapy also helps in finding part-time jobs for the individuals who are unable to tolerate full-time employment.
Ability to work
The individual’s ability to work depends on the diagnoses or condition for which vocational therapy is provided. Because the therapies do not interfere with voluntary function and the individual’s ability to perform tasks is dependent upon the underlying condition and the limitations that result from the disability. Vocational therapy helps in getting jobs and provides stable financial stability to the individuals who had suffered from a life-changing disability.
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Vocational therapy helps in learning new skills and developing a career path and suitable jobs for the individuals with disabilities and they are trying to re-enter into jobs to develop the financial stability. The occupational or physical therapy helps in motivating the individuals with a disability and helps them get a suitable job to lead a normal life.
