Learning

Our first step in reassuring you about opportunities in the work-place, is to help you evaluate your abilities and interests within an understanding of your physical and mental health needs.

Basic Assessment - We will take a detailed work and educational history; medical and family background and talk with you about what you like and don’t like to do. Sometimes we are asked: “Why do you need so much information about what I’ve done, especially when I can’t do it anymore?” What you’ve done does tell us something about what you are going to do as there are transferable skills that we all take from job to job. If you hated what you did before that is important to know too! This usually takes 3-4 meetings to complete.

Comprehensive Evaluation or “try before you buy” - In some instances we could spend a lot of time in the office “talking” about work options and you are still going to feel unsure about your abilities. And, we may not be able to help you accurately assess your abilities by staying in the office either.

That’s why we may use our work samples that give you hands-on attempts at specific job tasks in a wide range of careers. You should get some questions answered such as:

• - What is the maximum number of hours I can work?
• - Do I have the skills needed to do this job?
• - Do I like the work?

At a minimum this will take a month and sometimes up to 3 months.

Career and Rehabilitation Counseling - In this process of finding out what you can do you will be given information, counseling and support on different jobs and ways to adapt a job to meet your physical and mental health needs.