Amanda E. Young

A Social Psychology Approach to Measuring Vocational Rehabilitation Intervention Effectiveness

It is rare for rehabilitation researchers to report substantial relationships between functional capacity and vocational rehabilitation achievements. The reason for this is that there are many other factors that also impact on the return-to-work outcomes people achieve. A solution to the problem of having to take into consideration the effects of multiple factors when evaluating intervention effectiveness is to focus more directly on cognitions and behaviors that have been theoretically and empirically linked with a satisfactory return to work. The aim of this paper is to explore and describe a measure of rehabilitation effectiveness based in cognitive–behavioral theory. Rather than the measurement of employment per se, the described measure is focused on the efforts individuals make in relation to achieving their desired outcome. To test the effectiveness, acceptability, and utility of the approach, the measure was trialed with 170 people with a spinal cord injury. This preliminary work has revealed that participants found the measure acceptable and gave detailed responses in regards to: their satisfaction with their vocational status; what it is they would prefer to be doing; and what it is that they are doing to achieve their aims. Study findings suggest that while the approach is likely to require further development, focusing on process variables holds promise as an evaluation approach when assessing the success of vocational rehabilitation intervention effectiveness.

Differences in the organizational behaviour beliefs held by Australian employer representatives and health professionals involved in occupational rehabilitation: implications for workplace disability management

This paper compares the organizational behaviour beliefs of two parties involved in the management of employees following work injury: (a) managers: and (b) rehabilitation professionals. Significant differences in beliefs about appropriate organizational behaviour were identified when managers and rehabilitation professionals were asked to express their beliefs on a comprehensive set of organizational behaviour topics, ranging from effective supervision to motivating worli performance. The impications of these results for the workplace management of employees who return to work following occupational injury are discussed and some suggestions are made which may assist those attempting to implement an effective workplace disability management system.

An Application of Azrin's Job Club Methodology to People Who Have Sustained a Spinal Cord Injury

This paper describes the employment achievements of people following spinal cord injury, and briefly reviews the literature on methods used by job seekers in obtaining employment. The scientific literature on job seeking supports the social validity claims of Azrins behaviourally-based job club methodology (Azrin, Flores, & Kaplan, 1975) and thus suggests that the job club approach might be successfully offered to people with a spinal cord injury who wish to work. A group case study is presented wherein a modified job club format was utilised with ten spinal cord injured people. Encouraging results were obtained, both in terms of changed behaviour and in actual employment status.