Employment helps fulfill basic human needs and promotes well-being by providing a sense of identity and life satisfaction. Our mission is to help patients return to as normal a lifestyle as possible and reach their highest level of independence.
Work Re-Entry
Madonna’s Work Re-Entry Program provides comprehensive rehabilitation services to help patients successfully return to the workforce. It is a collaborative effort of interdisciplinary rehabilitation professionals who support patients in resuming their careers or volunteer positions.
Madonna experts are able to help simulate a variety of work environments to mimic real-world scenarios. Whether your work requires clerical tasks, physical labor, computer skills or a combination, our therapists can help you develop the skills you need to get back to work. We can also communicate with your employer about any adaptations or accommodations you may need to be successful on the job.
Work Re-Entry Program Highlights
To participate in the Work Re-Entry program, patients must be motivated to return to work, as well as:
- 16 years of age or older
- Require skilled physical, occupational or speech-language therapy
- Medically stable and able to tolerate a minimum of three hours of activity per day
The clinician gathers information regarding the patient’s previous employment history, details about their previous job, including the physical, cognitive and behavioral capacities required, environmental factors and any barriers to returning to work. These barriers may be directly related to the specific job duties, or in related areas, such as accessing transportation, completing self care or managing finances.
If appropriate, and with the employee’s permission, a copy of their job description is obtained and a job site assessment may be performed. If the person has not already had a neuropsychological assessment, one will be obtained. The rehabilitation team reviews the assessment and develops an individualized return to work plan. Specialized therapy is tailored to each participant and may include:
- Cognitive rehabilitation
- Job skill training/re-training
- Job simulation intervention
- Energy conservation
- Adaptive techniques
- Employer education
At some point in the patient's program, they may be asked to be involved in a work trial, where the individual follows steps similar to those in a real work environment by volunteering at Madonna. The work trial may be for a couple hours a day, one day a week, or much longer depending upon the volunteer job, the person’s ability, and other factors, and may last weeks, months or longer.
Return to School
School-aged patients are able to continue academic pursuits with educational specialists in the Therapeutic Learning Center. There they are exposed to real-life challenges within the classroom and work with their therapy team to overcome any limitations that would prevent them from returning to their community school system. Licensed teachers communicate with districts to help communicate additional needs and accommodations students may need upon returning to the classroom.