An injured worker who is female, forty-two years of age and was employed as an aged care worker. The injured worker sustained injuries to her right knee and right shoulder from lifting a client in the workplace. The original incident occurred three years ago and the injured worker was terminated six months ago and has been sending in job diaries every month. Currently the worker is fit for suitable duties twelve hours a week; however her pre injury hours are thirty. The worker also has a driving restriction of twenty minutes and reports ongoing chronic pain.

The following barriers will require management in order to facilitate a successful return to work:

• The injured worker’s compensable medical condition including right knee and right shoulder injury and associated inability to return to her pre injury role with her pre injury employer.
• The injured worker’s functional limitations as outlined in her current medical certificate including reduced hours (12 hours per week) and driving restriction.
• The injured worker’s physically de-conditioned status as a result of her injury and subsequent medical restrictions as listed above.
• The injured worker’s reported pain levels and the associated physical and psychological impact this may have on her ability to seek and sustain suitable employment.
• The duration of the injured worker’s unemployment (6 months) and associated disadvantage this may hold when seeking employment in the open labour market.
• The length of time the injured worker has been seeking employment (6 months) and the effectiveness of her job seeking activities may currently be precluding her from seeking and sustaining suitable employment
• If this is the only industry that the injured worker has ever been employed, her current transferable skills and limited employment history may impact on the ease in identification of vocational goals combined with the job seeking and job placement process.
• The injured worker’s age and the unfavourable nature of the labour market towards individuals seeking new employment over the age of 40 years.
• The current financial crisis and associated down turn in employment throughout Australia.
• The injured worker’s inability to engage in occupational rehabilitation services from the onset of termination in order to assist with her RTW, new employer job seeking services.

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• Case Study 1: Same Employer Rehabilitation
• Case Study 2: Different Employer Rehabilitation
  • Referral & Case Review Phase
  • Initial/Vocational Assessment Phase
  • Strategy Development & Case Streaming Phase
  • Vocational Intervention Phase
  • Post-placement Monitoring & Outcome Phase