Vocational Counselling

The purpose of vocational counselling is to assist the client to come to terms with their change of employment goal and prepare the client for career transitioning. This may include career transitions to a new employer or internal career transitioning to a different employment role with the pre-injury employer.

It can be a confronting and confusing time for clients when their return to work goal is changed. Adaptive Workplace Solutions believes that most people who are not medically able to return to their previous work role would benefit from vocational counselling to assist with this transition.

This service is generally undertaken across an 8 week timeframe, with weekly or fortnightly meetings depending on the needs of the individual. However, some people only need a couple of sessions to demonstrate readiness to progress, and a shorter service can be provided.

Vocational Counselling incorporates:

• counselling to assist people in coming to terms with the grief often involved with the loss of their pre-injury role;
• assistance with coming to terms with the need to move forward despite their injury;
• motivational interviewing to re-establish a positive mindset;
• goal setting to determine future goals and strategies to achieve them within a realistic timeframe.

A report is completed at the end of the service which summarises the actions taken, the readiness of the person to undertake the next steps in their career transition pathway and any recommendations regarding further assistance or support required.

A referral for Vocational Counselling can be made when:

• the return to work goal is different employment with the pre-injury employer or a decision is made to change the goal to different employment with the pre-injury employer, or
• the return to work goal is new employment or a decision is made to change the return to work goal to new employer, and
• the client requires support to accept the need for career transitioning prior to commencing job placement services or a different role with the pre-injury employer.