PRE VOC ATI ONAL
AND
VOCAT I ONAL
REHABI LI TATI ON
MERCY WAWERU
LECTURER KMTC
D E PA RT M E N T O F O C C U PAT I O N A L THERAPY
VOCATION
• A vocation is an occupation to which a person is
specially drawn or for which they are suited,
trained, or qualified
• vocation definition: a type of work that you feel
you are suited to doing and to which you should
give all your time and energy, or the feeling that a
type of work suits you
WHAT IS REHABILITATION
• Rehabilitation is the process of helping an individual
achieve the highest level of function, independence, and
quality of life possible.
• Rehabilitation does not reverse or undo the damage
caused by disease or trauma, but rather helps restore the
individual to optimal health, functioning, and well-being
• Rehabilitation is a treatment by a Specialist
Multidisciplinary Team
• with the active participation of the patient which is
designated to facilitate the process of recovery from injury,
illness or disease to as normal a condition as possible.
• Efforts directed towards helping the client learn to use
his skills and abilities towards developing and refining
capacities that will enable him assume appropriate
economic and social responsibilities
PREAMBLE
• Occupation refers to ones work, vocationoe
employment
• Ross (2007) distinguishes among four types of work:
– Paid work
– Unpaid work
– Hidden work
– Substitute work
FOUR TYPES OF WORK
• 1. paid work- Form of employment or job including
self employment placed within contractual
arrangement, whereby a persons labour is exchanged
for a specified remuneration. Highly valued
• 2,Unpaid work- work that enriches society but does
not earn individual renumeration. Its less valued. Eg
Domestic work, caring and volunteering in the
community, education and learning. It provides
structure to time and avenues for personal and
• 3.hidden work- goods or services provided in
exchange for cash or other services, but not counted
as income. Eg trading illicit drugs ,exploitation/forced
labour for no or little money or inn bad working
conditions
• 4. substitute work – a segregated form of work,
sheltered workshop – traditionally to provide daily
structure . It is a substitute for employment esp for
pwd
UNEMPLOYMENT
• Mental ill health is a leading cause of sickness absence
• Unemployment is very high among people with mental illness (60-
90%)
• Significant economic cost on govt- (disability payments)
• NB: stressful work situations are likely toworsen the condition, yet
staying engaged has benefits that outweigh that risk
• Employment promotes recovery and well being , through participation
in personal and socially valued occupations. Unemployment would
deny one of this opportunity
BARRIERS TO VOCATIONAL
OPTIONS
• People Most At Risk of Loosing Jobs In A Tough Economy
Include;
Young and inexperienced, less qualified, older workers, those
with poor health and pwd
• Pw mental illness struggle completing formal education,
obtaining vocational qualifications, obtaining jobs, maintaining
jobs, prolonged unemployment on medical basis
• They face both personal factors and employer related factors
BARRIERS TO EDUCATION AND
EMPLOYMENT
• Prejudice (preconceived opinion not based onr eason or actual opinion)
and discrimination (unjust and prejudicial treatment of categories of
people)
• Inflexibility in working practices and educational course structure
• Limited awareness on how to accommodate pw mental illness by
employers
• Limited knowledge on education and work by professionals
• As work is considered stressful and a trigger factor, staff may
discourage return to work/education
• Inadequate support both within and outside workplace oer education
setting
ACCESS TO SUPPORT AND
OPPORTUNITIES
• Supporting people to find and sustain mainstream
employment of their choise, if possible on regular
wage
• Integrate vocational specialists in mental health
teams
• Train on work readiness and employability; problem
solving, work adjustments
• Supported education; acquiring admissions, transition
from education to enhance employment opportunities
REHABILITATION IN MH
INCLUDES:
1. Prevocational exploration
2. On job training
3. Re intergration back to the community
4. Restoration back to independence based on
residual capabilities
PREVOCATIONAL EXPLORATION AND VOCATI
ONAL ... - SAGE JOURNALS
• In the process of evaluating skills and aptitudes the
client is encouraged to mobilize his abilities toward a
work goal. ...
• The process of the prevocational evaluation can
also become a form of vocational guidance for the
individual in which he can explore the feasibility of
specific occupational aspirations and goals.
ROLE OF O.T. IN PRE VOC
AND VOC REHAB
• To develop skills necessary in the work world
• To bridge the gap between the hospital and the
community
• To integrate the clients into normal living
• To gradually increase the patients tolerance,
threshold and interpersonal skills and
relationships
PRE VOCATIONAL
EVALUATION
• Evaluation done before actual work to identify work assets and
limitations:
• Focuses on ADLS,
• educational abilities,
• physical capacities
• deficits,
• clients primary function
VOCATIONAL
REHABILITATION (VR)
• is a set of services offered to individuals with
mental or physical disabilities.
• These services are designed to enable
participants to attain skills, resources, attitudes,
and expectations needed to compete in the
interview process, get a job, and keep a job
VOCATIONAL EVALUATION
1. Focuses on work skills and training
2. Assesses ;
medical, psychological, educational;,
environmental, cultural and vocational factors
3.Involves taking vocational history of the
patient
4.Assess a clients work potential
WORK EVALUATION
• Assesses vocational strengths and weakness
through utilization of real simulated work
GOALS/AIMS OF
VOCATIONAL EVALUATION
1. Speed clients development towards a productive
goal
2. Analyze a clients work behavior in a simulated work
environment
3. Specify a clients behavior and adjustments in
training and work activities
4. Prepare a rehab plan for the client
TYPES OF VOCATIONAL
EVALUATION
• 1. Work sample evaluation
a) Made up of actual job tasks or a simulation of
the actual task
b) Used to determine isolated/ specific job skill
or trait
c) Used in rehab centers and hospitals
TYPES OF VOCATIONAL
EVALUATION
• 2. Situational or Simulated job try out
• The client is placed in an actual work situation in a
sheltered workshop or institution
• 3. Job try out
• A client is placed on actual job prior to evaluation
taking palce
VOCATIONAL INDEPENDNCE
This is achieved through:
• A) Counselling and guidance
• B) Vocational Adjustment
TOOLS FOR ATTAINING VOCATIONAL
INDEPENDENCE
1. Counselling and Guideing
• Counseling and guidance are ongoing
aspects of vocational rehabilitation. Called
"the synthesizing function of the
rehabilitation process," counseling
promotes the entire program. Physical and
mental restoration works to alleviate the
physical or mental conditions that impede a
client's fullest potential functioning.
G&C
• It facilitates making informed choice throughout the entire
rehabilitation process by providing information about the scope
and limits of vocational rehabilitation services
• helping the consumer obtain specific information on programs,
resources and services that can assist him/her in the selection
and achievement of work.
• Helps client to be responsible and self actualize. Can be done
to a group or an individual
TOOLS FOR ATTAINING VOCATIONAL
INDEPENDENCE
• 2. Vocational/ work adjustment
• It’s the process of learning the meaning, value and demands
of work.
• It’s the process of modifying or developing attitudes,
personal characteristics, work behavior and functional
capacities needed to obtain the optimal level of vocational
development.
• It’s a learning process that leads to work readiness
JOB READINESS:
• Is the attainment of performance patterns that will
conform to those required by the work environment.
• There are three approaches to vocational
adjustment of psychiatric clients:
– A) Sheltered workshops
– B) Industrial therapy
– C) Job placement and resettlement
A. ) SHELTERED
WORKSHOPS
• This is a rehabilitation facility that utilizes production and
work experience in a controlled environment for developing
work habits and attitudes commonly expected in
community employment.
• It resembles a light industry, whereby it provides a space
that clients can sit/stand and work
• Its suitable for psychiatric patients as the clients are
unstable, unprepared and unskilled for work
II) INDUSTRIAL THERAPY
• Uses assessment of psychomotor, affective, cognitive, economic
and social skills before settling the client back to the community
• It aims to :
– Assess a clients adjustment to activity
– Assess clients functional performance in an actual work situation
– Helps a client gain self confidence
– Helps the client to gain acceptable work habits
– To determine work tolerance
– Provide opportunities for experimentation
– Offer work experience in specific areas of interest to the client
III) JOB PLACEMENT AND RESETTLEMENT
• Is finding employment, by matching the job requirements with
the knowledge and skill the client possess, culminating in
competitive or self employment.
• The role of OT
• To find placement opportunities that match client capabilities,
for those vocationally ready
• Team Members
• Vocational counsellors and placement officers
QUESTIONS
1. What is job readiness? Sheltered workshop? Job
placement?
2. Identify 5 objectives of industrial therapy
3. Distinguish between prevocational and vocational
rehabilitation
4. Describe three types of evaluation an OT conducts to
determine vocational capability
5. Identify 4 roles of Ots in Vocational rehabilitation.
