Ebook: Handbook of Vocational Rehabilitation and Disability Evaluation: Application and Implementation of the ICF

This book presents the state of the art in the application and implementation of the WHO's International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) in the areas of vocational rehabilitation as a primary topic and disability evaluation as a secondary topic. Application of the ICF and implementation strategies toward a holistic and comprehensive approach to work disability and vocational rehabilitation programs are presented along with clinical cases and exercises. The ICF as a topic in health and disability has been gaining momentum since its approval by the World Health Assembly in 2001, and great progress has been made since then. However, the integration if the ICF in the realm of vocational rehabilitation has been lacking despite the fact that work and employment are a major area in people's lives, particularly those who have work disability. This book will advance the professional practice of vocational rehabilitation, rehabilitation counseling, occupational medicine, and allied health science.

For persons with chronic illnesses and disabling injuries, work prospects--especially for meaningful work with decent conditions--have traditionally been poor. With global efforts from the UN, WHO, ILO, and other bodies focusing attention on this wide-reaching issue, innovative tools are needed to translate large-scale goals into real-world outcomes.

The framework offered by the Handbook of Vocational Rehabilitation and Disability Evaluation highlights the complex challenges and opportunities involved in enabling re-entry into the workforce. Geared to ICF (International Classification of Functioning, Disability, and Health) standards, this timely reference outlines current science-based methods in assessing impairment and capabilities and emerging approaches to management specifically relating to work participation. Separate chapters are devoted to evaluation and rehabilitation guidelines for individuals with brain injury, chronic musculoskeletal pain, mental illness, and other disabling conditions. And the chapters on ICF-based functioning measurement review the data on widely-used clinician- and patient-reported instruments and the recent Work Rehabilitation Questionnaire (WORQ). Featured in the Handbook:

• The impact of chronic disease on work participation and its implications for intervention and management.
• Vocational assessment and job placement.
• Spinal cord injury: vocational rehabilitation and disability evaluation.
• Critical issues for mental health management in vocational rehabilitation.
• Clinician-reported outcome measures: experiences from multicenter follow-up.
• ICF-based tools in rehabilitation toward return-to-work.

The Handbook of Vocational Rehabilitation and Disability Evaluation is of critical interest to researchers, educators, and students in disability- and work-related fields. It is also a practical resource outside the campus setting, aiding those providing services to, as well as policymakers involved in improving the lives of, persons with disabilities.