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WORK RECOVERY PROGRAM

Welcome to the WRC | Vocational Evaluation | Assistive Devices | Referral Process | Centre of Excellence | WRC Programs and Services | Map to WRC

The WRC’s Work Recovery Program provides clients with occupational rehabilitation to facilitate a timely, effective, and safe return to work.

The program includes a wide variety of therapy services delivered through a structured, personalized schedule of daily activities, using interdisciplinary teams comprised of team co-ordinators, physicians, occupational therapists, physiotherapists, psychologists, social workers, and nurses. The services of a psychometrist, a dietitian, a prosthetist / orthotist, an occupational therapy technician, a fitness / recreation co-ordinator, and rehabilitation assistants are also available. Individual treatments are based on musculoskeletal, cardiovascular, psychosocial and functional assessments, as well as the job requirements of each client.

Length of Treatment

Length of treatment is dependent on condition and progress. Generally, clients participate in a seven-hour treatment day. Regular hours of operation are from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday to Friday.

Referral Options
Clients are assigned to teams based upon job demands or specialty services required.

Treatment options include:

Work Hardening Teams:
- Work hardening teams provide treatment to injuries to help clients meet their job demands. Treatment helps to resolve function, increase strengh, improve conditioning, reduce pain and address barriers.
- Sedentary/Light: treatment areas are set up to simulate jobs which are classified according to their physical demand characteristics as sedentary/light.
- Medium/Heavy: treatment areas are set up to simulate jobs which are classified according to their physical demand characteristics as medium/heavy.
Specialized Teams:
- Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS): a multidisciplinary treatment for clients focused on pain management through the use of electrotherapeutic modalities, pharmaceutical interventions, desensitization techniques, psychological counselling, and functional activities.
- Cumulative Trauma Disorders (CTD): a multidisciplinary treatment for upper extremity cumulative trauma disorders causing neck, shoulder, elbow and/or wrist pain. Treatment focuses on effective self-management of pain and other symptoms, education, exercise and improvement of work setting ergonomics and use of safe work techniques.
- Mild Traumatic Brain Injury (MTBI): provides cognitive rehabilitation and treatment to address the physical symptoms of clients with mild head injury.
Others:
- Stalled Return to Work: identifies the physical, medical, functional and psychosocial barriers to progress on a RTW program and determines effective strategies to address the barriers.
- Opioid Reduction: a multidisciplinary approach that provides an integrated opioid reduction plus functional restoration-cognitive behavioural program for clients with opioid dependency.
- Work Conditioning: for the subacute phase of recovery with a focus on exercise, education and job tasks to prepare for a safe return to work.
- Multidisciplinary Consultation: a multidisciplinary assessment that includes medical, psychosocial, physical and functional status to determine appropriate treatment recommendations.
- Gradual Return to Work: an occupational therapist plans a return to work according to the client’s functional capabilities, including a progressive increase of the hours of work and duties.
- Outpatient Physiotherapy: outpatient physiotherapy and occupational therapy, and outpatient nutritional counselling and psychosocial counselling.
- Group Education Sessions: are regularly provided for injured workers who would benefit from learning more about symptom management strategies, safe work practices, the benefits of exercise, relaxation training, transfer techniques, and other relevant topics.
  - Understanding Pain: information about the pain system and how injuries affect this system. Looks at what clients can do to keep their symptoms under control so that they can do the activities that they want.
  - Safe Work Practices: training in injury care presented in practical sessions (anatomy, proper lifting, posture and work simplification). Explores the structures (muscles, joints, tendons, etc.) that make up the body and how using proper body mechanics will help prevent injuries to these structures. Suggestions that help make work tasks and house chores easier on the body are discussed.
  - Transfer Class: training in correct lifting and transferring of patients for health care workers.
  - Benefits of Exercise: teaches the importance of regular exercise.
  - Restful Sleep: Learn about sleep, the stages of sleep, and what to do to get a better night’s sleep.
  - Cumulative Trauma Disorders Series including anatomy, posture, work simplification and ergonomics.
  - Office Ergonomics: to increase awareness of and reduce upper/lower extremity awkward postures, static postures, forceful exertions and repetition. Clients should apply the information provided at their actual job site.
  - Nutrition Counselling: group classes with the WRC dietitian are available to clients on various topics related to healthy eating.
  - Stress Management and Relaxation Training: the importance of being able to effectively relax in today’s busy world. Reviews four different relaxation techniques.
- Family Information on Work Recovery Program.