About

Work related injury or illness can pose challenges for any person, regardless of age. This session will address needs of older workers in returning to work after sustaining an injury, illness or accident. The importance of work and the many values it provides to promote sound mental health will be discussed. The fear of reinjury or discrimination can be of concern to older workers and may discourage them from returning to work. By promoting the benefits of return to work, counselors and case managers can help to achieve positive outcomes. Additionally, case managers can engage clients and employers to identify the essential functions of the job and facilitate the provision of reasonable accommodation, resulting in keeping productive employees on the job. Processes of vocational evaluation, career counseling, life designing, and job placement will be discussed.