WCMT-Melissa-Kelly

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Vocational Consultants open session A primary objective of my journey was to understand how early in vocational rehabilitation employers are engaged, how and what supports are offered to businesses and the resourcing that accompanies it. A Business Advisory Committee (BAC) was formed by the Rusk vocational department, and to date consists of 40 employers; monthly meetings are held where typically six to seven members participate. The vocational team present patients that are job ready at the meeting (no more than three) and the employers provide industry advice regarding the three patients and may also invite any of them for an interview; recruiting on skills rather than created roles. This is a strong network and typically comes from the employers of patients that the services encounter, or in some cases specific industry networks are targeted. Also as part of the BAC, vocational consultants are able to seek work trials following completion of the occupational work skills Programme. I see merit, in developing a committee like this for Kaleidoscope to engage with, on a regular basis and with a formalised structure. Subsequently, I will make steps toward developing a BAC, that will primarily include employers in the Canterbury and Auckland regions where Kaleidoscope is based; not to say that other regional organisations will be excluded. In New York, employers are concerned that if someone with a disability is hired and it isn’t successful, then performance management can’t be put in place. This is due to the government possibly becoming involved. In place however, is a 90 day trial period similar to NZ. When asked what works about vocational services in NYC for the SCI population, the response was, it is about independence for the candidate, but where required they act as brokerage – partnership. The long-term partnerships with companies are key to their success and engaging employers around their needs, “all about connections”. When a vocational consultant says to an employer “we’re from Rusk” it discloses the patient group. The skills of the consultants delivering services are essential – vocational rehabilitation counsellors with the right education and skills for the patient group are recruited. The team respect patient privacy, have key performance indicators respecting patient needs and are productive with their time. Transport to work, has the ability to impact on return to work in New Zealand. In New York, responding to the same challenge, Access-A-Ride was formulated and provides accessibility services. Access-A-Ride is for people with a disability who are unable to use public transport <strong>WCMT</strong> Research Fellowship 13
such as buses and trains. The service is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, including holidays, and the one-way fare for each registered passenger is the same as the full fare on a bus/subway train; personal carers travel at no cost. Primary barriers faced, are societal perceptions of SCI and that it is a competitive workforce where unemployment is low. Vocational rehabilitation is funded highly by the Government and it is further supplemented with grants. Rusk Vocational Rehabilitation Services is the largest in the tri-state area, and one of the largest in America. As with New Zealand, not many vocational services are embedded in hospitals and this is a unique and sought after skill-set. Burke - New York, USA History Burke Rehabilitation Hospital opened its doors in April of 1915, through the generosity of John Masterson Burke, a New York City philanthropist. World War II transformed the field of medical rehabilitation, as the vast number and variety of injuries suffered, led to an increased emphasis on physical and occupational therapies, improvements to prosthetic limbs and wheelchairs, and the development of community services. In 1951, with its strong focus on multi-disciplinary medical rehabilitation, the Foundation formally became The Burke Rehabilitation Hospital. Today, Burke is a not-for-profit, private rehabilitation hospital and a leader in the field of medical rehabilitation and research. Burke’s Approach to Rehabilitation There is never a ‘one size fits all’ approach at Burke; it’s one of the reasons I chose to visit their institute. Mapping the patient journey, desired goals to achieve and tailoring the pathway is best practice and promotes independence and best outcomes for the person, which is what all multidisciplinary teams work towards. Group discussions and individual counseling sessions help patients and family members adjust to circumstances resulting from physical disability, and prepare for a new way of life. Vocational Services At Burke Hospital, I observed the acute – rehabilitation setting, there was not a dedicated vocational service delivered at this centre. I took the opportunity to observe multiple settings <strong>WCMT</strong> Research Fellowship 14
Page 1 and 2: Specialist Spinal Vocational Rehabi
Page 3 and 4: Contents Executive summary Page 3 I
Page 5 and 6: 3. Ability Awareness Learning Exper
Page 7 and 8: is specialist spinal vocational reh
Page 9 and 10: Four specialist centres were select
Page 11 and 12: with change and uncertainty; the ne
Page 13: Work Readiness and Job Skills Train
Page 17 and 18: the result of a water incident and
Page 19 and 20: physical and social aspects such as
Page 21 and 22: o It is so important to reintegrate
Page 23 and 24: Stoke Mandeville’s Approach to Re
Page 25 and 26: Following targeted support, the att
Page 27 and 28: for patients, including those not r
Page 29 and 30: the open cafeteria area, in which p
Page 31 and 32: The topics covered will be: • Bas
Page 33 and 34: • Informal talks with NZST staff
Page 35 and 36: My fellowship will contribute to th
Page 37 and 38: Appendix 1. Model Explanation of
Page 39 and 40: Whilst Kaleidoscope’s core role i
Page 41 and 42: Appendix 4. Winston Churchill Memor
Page 43 and 44: Friday, May 16 Time Appointment Whe

WCMT-Melissa-Kelly

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