OT is a field with a bit of an identity crisis so as OTs we are quick to dissuade anyone who says – “Does OT help people find jobs?”
But OT can and should help patients identify jobs, keep current employment or help improve function at work. Work provides identity, purpose and a sense of community for millions each day and the loss of a job or the ability to effectively do a job can be devastating. OT can absolutely help employees and employers identify jobs that fit patient needs and evaluate the conditions and accommodations to support employment or a return to employment.
Person-Centered Job Exploration
Work is the center of many patients’ identity and economic self-sufficiency and OT can help identify vocational or volunteer options that fit a person’s goals, interests, skills and abilities. OT will work to address barriers like transportation and can connect people to other community resources and training to make those goals a reality.
Return to Work After Injury or Illness
Whether the injury happened at work or outside of employment, OT should be a critical component of any return-to-work plan. OT can evaluate the workplace setting and the employee to design supports after illness or injury. OT supports include improving strength, endurance, hand dexterity, standing balance and/or cognition. OT is key to treating work-related musculoskeletal disorders like carpal tunnel, rotator cuff injury, epicondylitis, trigger finger/thumb, back pain, or arthritis. Work conditioning and hardening can also be provided by OT and can include job simulation or the use of transitional job duties.
Work Supports for Persons with Disabilities
With unemployment at historic lows, some employers are more open to considering a person who has different abilities than their traditional employee. Organizations that support persons with a disability enter the workforce need OT on the team. OT’s person-centered perspective aligns with new models that create a job search plan around a person’s existing connections in the community – it turns out old-fashioned networking is important for persons that are differently abled too! In addition, OT is the master of evaluating both the person’s physical or cognitive challenges and modifying the environment to maximize function.
Injury Prevention
Whether employment is desk-based or on the factory floor, OT can evaluate ergonomic, environmental and psychosocial risk factors in the workplace. From safely handling materials or people, pre-work warm up and stretch programs, or office ergonomics and proper posture and body mechanics, OT can help maintain employee health and wellness. This preventative focus is especially crucial for jobs that require repetitive movement or strenuous activity.
So the next time someone asks you if OT can help them find a job, don’t be so quick with that hard no! Take some time to give a more nuanced answer and promote the role of OT in the workplace because the role of OT, like in many setting, can be overlooked.
