Return to Work Services (RTWS) at Cleveland Clinic Rehabilitation and Sports Therapy was established more than fifteen years ago to help injured workers return to work quickly and safely and arm them with skills to avoid re-injury and to work safely, productively and positively for the remainder of their career.
Who is return to work services for?
RTWS is appropriate for patients recovering from a work related injury such as back injury, repetitive motion disorders, upper and lower extremity problems. The program is designed to promote safe return to work through incremental increases in duration and intensity of physical activity, work simulation and educational sessions.
What does return to work service involve?
Occupational Rehabilitation Program
5 days per week, up to 8 weeks
- Multidisciplinary weekly team meetings with patient and staff
- Occupational therapy, physical therapy, vocational counseling
- Work simulation of specific job tasks
- On-site job analysis to establish measurable return to work goals
- Body mechanics training, including injury prevention strategies
- Adjustment counseling, biofeedback, pain management education
- Recommendation for job accommodation and/or ergonomic changes
- Detailed documentation of functional ability for return to work
Work Conditioning
3-5 days per week, up to 8 weeks
- Work-focused therapeutic intervention and functional retraining
- Individualized work simulation
- Total body approach to strengthening and conditioning
- Patient education: ergonomics and injury prevention strategies
Personalized Occupational and Physical Therapy
1-5 days per week
- Injury-specific therapeutic exercise, manual therapy and/or aquatics
- Individualized work simulation
- Patient education: ergonomics and injury prevention strategies
Vocational Rehabilitation Services
- Vocational Screening
- Comprehensive Vocational Evaluation
- Career Counseling / Adjustment Counseling
- Job-Seeking Skills Training
- Job Placement
Additional Services
Customized Assessments
Functional Capacity Evaluation (FCE)
- Assessment of functional abilities, including material handling capacities, consistency of effort and reliability
- Establishes client's return-to-work status
Job-Site Analysis
- Evaluation of job site, including assessment of physical and environmental factors
- Used to formulate an individualized return-to-work plan
Ergonomic Study
- Assessment of fit between worker and job requirements
- Identifies aspects of work environment that increase risk of injury, helping to resolve ergonomic challenges
Our RTWS team is made up of certified and licensed rehabilitation professionals including:
- Physical therapists
- Occupational therapists
- Ergonomic specialists
- Vocational rehabilitation counselors
- Board-certified Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation physicians
Facilities
- Therapeutic rehabilitation facility with the capacity to simulate work-specific tasks
- State-of-the-art equipment
- Heated swimming pool
- Indoor and outdoor tracks
How long will return to work service take?
Studies show that the likelihood of returning to work decreases the longer the employee is off work for an injury. Early referral for evaluation and treatment leads to better outcomes and a faster return to work. On average program length is 4-8 weeks.
What type of recovery/outcome can I expect from return to work services?
- Excellent outcomes - a significant majority of workers completing our Occupational Rehabilitation Program are ready to return to work including workers with both recent and long term injuries.
- Multidisciplinary, comprehensive job-specific services.
- Timely and complete reports and communication.
- Readily available medical consultations from physiatrists, orthopedists, hand surgeons, spine specialists, cardiologists, neurologists, neurosurgeons, etc.
Return to Work Services - Outcomes Information
2010 RTWS Outcomes Data
2009 RTWS Outcomes Data
2008 RTWS Outcomes Data
Vocational Rehabilitation Services
Vocational Rehabilitation Services are part of Return to Work Services. We provide care for outpatients and inpatients of Cleveland Clinic based on referral by their physician. Vocational Rehabilitation counselors are also approved providers for the Bureau of Workers' Compensation and its Managed Care Organizations. We accept referrals from vocational rehabilitation case managers to provide vocational services for injured workers.
Cleveland Clinic Vocational Rehabilitation counselors are Master's trained, Certified Rehabilitation Counselors (national certification) and Licensed Professional Counselors (State of Ohio). We conduct skill assessments, help with career exploration and offer vocational counseling.
Vocational Rehabilitation Services offer vocational counseling to patients in comprehensive programs at Cleveland Clinic, such as the Occupational Rehabilitation Program, Chronic Pain Rehabilitation Program, and Alcohol and Drug Recovery Center. Initial Consultation.
- Review vocational history, physical abilities, medical information and educational background
- Assess strengths and limitations for return to work and maintaining or regaining worker role
- Examine vocational interests, explore careers, review labor market
- Provide information on reasonable accommodations and coverage under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)
Vocational Evaluation
- Provide initial vocational consultation
- Determine aptitudes with comprehensive standardized testing and work samples
- Evaluate work values and interests
- Complete transferable skills analysis
- Compare potential jobs with labor market information
Vocational Counseling
- Career Counseling
- Explore interests and values
- Research careers and labor market
- Complete informational interviews
- Determine new vocational goal
- Adjustment to disability counseling
Job Seeking Skills Training
- Prepare for job search
- Address issues regarding return to work
- Identify marketable skills
- Complete sample job application
- Develop resume(s)
- Prepare cover letters
- Practice job interviewing
- Videotape and review practice interviews
- Determine potential employers
Job Placement
- Match skills and abilities with potential jobs
- Provide advocacy
- Expand knowledge of labor market
- Develop job leads
- Contact potential employers
- Review job accommodations
- Explore employer incentives
- Facilitate registration with Ohio Job & Family Services
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Cleveland, OH 44195
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Garfield Heights, OH 44125
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