Life Directions Employment can help support eligible job seekers to visit with an Occupational Therapist. Our close community partner, Davis Occupational Therapy, has worked with many of our job seekers in the past to help them better understand their limitations due to their disabilities and find safe ways to potentially overcome these barriers in the workplace and in life. They also give the job seeker a report of their findings and recommended accommodations, which can be brought to an employer when asking for accommodations.
If you are struggling to get a job and keep it, please ask about Occupational Therapy! Your career advisor may suggest it to you as well. It may take about a month to get your first appointment if you are eligible, as we need to get access to the funding before you and the Occupational Therapist (OT) start meeting. If you are unsure about whether it can help you, you and your career advisor can book a 15-minute call with the OT to better understand if you need their support and how it can help you navigate work and life in a less painful way.
From their website:
Davis Occupational Therapy will support those individuals who present cognitive, emotional, and/or social barriers to securing employment or education. Our team includes Occupational Therapists and a Social Worker with experience working with many adults and young adults with diagnoses including ADHD, Acquired Brain Injury, Post Concussion Syndrome, Dyslexia, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome or Anxiety/Depression. OT Roles in Vocational Rehabilitation Services include:
- Assessment using outcome measures and self-report questionnaires,
- Cognitive Rehabilitation focusing on functional everyday tasks,
- Review of Job Site Analyses and Physical/Cognitive Demands Analysis to ensure the job seeker can perform the essential job duties.
- Identification of individualized accommodations required in the workplace
- Collaboration in the development of a Training Plan to ensure the job seeker is preparing for return to work
- Development and implementation of a Gradual Return to Work Proposal
- Regular monitoring of successes and challenges in the workplace setting
- Regular communication with the Employer and Job seeker/Employee
- Advocacy on behalf of the employee
- Provision of education on Employee Rights and the Employer's Duty to Accommodate
- Conduct onsite Ergonomic Assessments and provide recommendations as appropriate
If you have any questions, please connect with your career advisor! This is not something that every job seeker will need, so please be mindful that your career advisor may not agree that it would be helpful.
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