copyright 2008 Cheryl K. Hosken, BSN, MS Psych.
When our clients are ready to return to work, the doctor may outline limitations and restrictions. These limitations and restrictions may prevent them from returning to their former job, or they may be able to return to work with little trouble. In many countries, such as in Russia, the doctor must outline the restrictions and limitations of work. The doctor is usually associated with the local municipal clinic or the polyclinic associated with the client’s work. If the client is not physically able to go to the clinic, he may be evaluated at home by a series of doctors who give their opinions. It is at this point that a person may be assigned to a group or category of handicapped people, which allows him certain privileges such as free public transport and a pension. At times, the privileges of the group assignment may be sufficient so that the person accepts his group status and does not return to work. However, there are large numbers of people who work despite their assignment of group status.
Meditate Word By Word On These Verses:
Luke 6:6-11.
If the person decides to return to work, the first person the vocational counselor sees is the former employer. According to the law, the employer cannot refuse to accept the person back to his former place of work. However, with new limitations and restrictions placed on the client's body, he may not be able to do his former work. Then the question is "where can this person fit into our organization?" Perhaps there is another department where the client could work. Perhaps the workplace needs to be modified to accommodate the returning client.
For example, the person who puts products on shelves for sale at the Perekriostok grocery store may not be physically able to do that job anymore. However, perhaps he can be trained to take telephone orders for his company's products. The counselor is wise to ask what jobs need to be done and review the assets of the client - his education, work experience, his ability to learn new tasks, his work ethic - does he seem to like to work or not, his worth to the company. There are times when a person is too valuable to a company so that he is kept on his job even though he is at retirement age or has some physical problems.
1. Who outlines the limitations and restrictions of the client at the end of his healing period?
(Only one of the following answers is correct.)
a) his family,
b) his employer,
c) his doctor.
Adaptation or Job Modification
Changing the client or changing the job so that the client can have secure employment can overcome many physical limitations. Adaptation involves physical restoration (surgery, medication and/or therapy) as well as the use of rehabilitation engineering and artificial devices. Job adaptation includes removal of barriers so the client can get to work. For example, this may mean installing a ramp at a place of work. There may be a need to install telephones that operate more easily than the standard telephone.
Client Adaptations
Some limitations can be overcome by redesigning the certain parts of a job that a person does. In other cases, mechanical or electronic devices may need to be installed to help the worker do his job. For example, a man with a leg amputation returned to his former factory job. His company simply allowed him to sit on a high stool in order to do his work. Sometimes, employers are receptive to change for their workers and others will not want to change. The counselor can help by being a positive influence and encouraging the employer to try something new.
Adaptive Techniques
This means adjusting to the environment around us. It helps a person to fit into the work place easier. These techniques are usually concerned with physical limitations - see the example above. However, they also include attitudinal acceptance and willingness to change. If a person will not accept his limitations or new work environment, he will not do well at his job. He may not even return to work.
These techniques need to be socially acceptable. They cannot differ too radically from the way a normal person functions. For instance, a man with a double leg amputation may use a wheelchair at home without his prostheses. But when he is at work, he will always wear the prostheses to stand and walk on his prostheses like a normal person. These techniques may also be used to conserve energy of the disabled person. For example, a person who has had a trauma to his leg may use a chair with wheels for moving about at his office. A person with a painful back may sit in his chair with a support pillow. If the adaptive technique is too strange, the person draws attention to himself, which can be negative.
2. What is job modification?
(Only one of the following answers is correct.)
a) making a job easier for the person to do,
b) removal of barriers in the workplace,
c) changing a person's place of work.
Assistive Devices
Mechanical devices are tools that help a person do his job. These devices increase in complexity as the degree of functional limitation increases. Learning about the assistive tools is sometimes a formal process. A client may be fitted with braces or splints that must be used or worn in a certain way so that he can do normal activities. Observing the client and asking questions will help him get the proper fitting. For example, if a client doesn't use his cane or looks uncomfortable when he is using it, the cane may be too long or too short. The cane user's arm should have a 15-20 degree bend and the length should end at the hip level.
Planning ahead is an adaptive technique to avoid problems. For example, if a person walks slowly, he needs to plan the amount of time he will need to get from one place to another. If he is in a wheelchair, he needs to know if the place where he is to work has an entrance for wheelchair users and where it is located. Another example is weakness in the legs that may lead a person to fall. The adaptive technique is to teach a person to fall and how to get up again. If a person is properly prepared, he can roll with the fall, avoid entanglements and prevent injury to himself.
Acceptance by a supervisor or employer can be gained by using the proper assistive device. If a client walks unsteadily, the employer may reject him. However, the client may be much more employable in a wheelchair that gives him the stability that he needs while he is working.
3. Planning ahead is:
(Only one of the following answers is correct.)
a) helpful to the person who has limitations so that he gets to work on time,
b) nonsense because life is complicated and a person always changes his plans,
c) so that a person will have a good retirement.
Orthotic Devices
These are mechanical assistive devices that are attached to the body with precision. They have three functions: to support the body weight, to control joint motion, and change the shape of body tissues. An example of body weight support is a leg brace that supports the knee joint. An example of a joint control device is a short leg brace that helps ankle movement and prevent foot drop. Orthotic devices that change body tissues include body corsets, shoe inserts that change bone structures to correct positions inside shoes. The doctor usually prescribes these devices to prevent additional deformity and improve function. In addition to improving function with these devices, they may also conserve a person's energy and help his appearance.
The counselor needs to develop observational skills to see when an orthotic device might be helpful. A client's gait is often revealing. A limp may mean that the client has a back problem, legs of different lengths, a knee problem, or dislocated hip.
Use each of these words in the definitions below:
A. Orthotic devices, B. Assistive devices, C. Adaptive techniques.
4. electronic braille printing machine
A,
B,
C.
5. leg brace
A,
B,
C,
6. a willingness to learn new ways of doing a job
A,
B,
C.
Job Modifications
During the process of job analysis, the counselor can consider how a particular set of job tasks and equipment could be modified to help a disabled person return to work. The rearrangement of job tasks, adaptive mechanical devices, or redesigning equipment can make the disabled person more employable and help other workers as well. Perhaps a simple rearrangement of materials or fabric that is put into a machine will be helpful.
Sometimes a job schedule can be changed to help the person with limitations. Flexible time scheduling can allow a disabled person to come to work when his strength is greatest. Or maybe he can share a job with another person, working for 4 hours, then the other person works the remaining 4 hours. Another alternative is to have workers divide up job tasks so that the more able-bodied worker can share the various parts of a job instead of one person doing one activity all day long.
Removal of Barriers
Sometimes we can change the job so that a disabled person can do it, but he cannot get into the building where he is to work or get transportation to work. When looking at the workplace we need to consider whether there is enough room for the worker to move about freely. We need to know if he can get access to the toilet and the emergency exit. The lack of an elevator is a big problem for some people who cannot walk or who have heart disease. Sometimes having a person come to work early and leave early can solve the transportation problem. The man with the amputated leg got up early and used the subway when it was not so busy. He left when there was a quiet time in the afternoon. With this plan, he did not have to be frightened of falling or tripping into lots of people.
There are specifications to make buildings fully acceptable for the handicapped. These specifications are used throughout Europe and America. Experience shows us that these specifications are not only good for handicapped persons, but for persons who have other medical problems such as heart disease or arthritis.
- At least one entrance of a new building must be at ground level.
- Parking for handicapped vehicles must be marked in parking lots.
- If entrance ramps are needed, the slope should not rise more than 1 meter to every 12 meters in length. This is the international standard for ramps for handicapped people.
- At least one stall in each toilet should be able to accommodate a wheelchair.
- Doors leading to danger areas need to be identified by touch for the blind.
- Telephones should be installed so that persons in wheelchairs can reach them.
7. Job modification is:
(One or more of the following answers may be correct.)
a) rearranging a set of work tasks so that the handicapped person can work productively with ease,
b) rearranging the furniture or machinery in a workplace,
c) helping the handicapped person to find a different job with his employer.
Alternative Employers
If a person cannot return to his former job, the counselor must find other work for him that uses his experience and knowledge. As mentioned in another lecture, a person's experience can be transferred from one job to another. The counselor must look at alternative jobs to be sure that the handicapped person can do them.
The counselor usually meets with a prospective employer to find out what the job duties are and where they are performed. The counselor needs to fully understand the job and the wages that his client will receive.
Another alternative type of work is the use of other knowledge that the person has gained. Perhaps the person has a hobby in which he is very knowledgeable and this knowledge can be used as the basis for another job. For example, a former acquaintance of ours enjoyed stamps and other collections of postal memorabilia. When he was injured at his job as a dental assistant, he was able to start his own business in stamps and made his living in that way.
According to information written by the Moscow government, every business employing 15- 30 persons must have 1 position open for a handicapped person. If the business is larger, 3% of the positions must be available for handicapped persons.
A resume is basic to any job search. It is one or two pages of typewritten material that conveniently list a person's basic personal information, skill, and former jobs. This information is arranged in a way so that potential employers can quickly ascertain whether the person has the assets for doing a specific job. The objective of a resume is not to get a job, but to give an employer a composite picture of you.
The resume gives a client the chance to apply for many jobs and save time filling out long application forms. It also structures the interview for a job. A good resume individualizes the person and focuses on his/her unique combination of attitudes, skills, experience, personality, and goals.
You may think that the type of people we work with do not need such a document as a resume. However, with work experience and educational history, the employer wants to know what is the advantage of hiring such a person. The resume helps focus on the abilities of the client. There are many places in Moscow now that require a resume in preparation for being hired for a job. Professional drivers need a resume to find a job.
Before writing the resume, take time with the client to do a self-assessment on paper. Outline the client's abilities, work experience, and other activities. This will make it easier to prepare a thorough resume. Then start writing.
The key to an effective resume is to focus on the information needed by the targeted employer. The client needs to learn about the company he wants to work for. A resume that uses short but complete sentences stands out and calls attention to the person. If long sentences are used, it becomes hard to read and may simply be tossed into the wastebasket.
8. A resume is important because:
(Select the best answer.)
a) it is a good exercise in language ability.
b) it helps you get a job.
c) it gives a prospective employer a picture of who you are.
To begin, all of the information about how to contact the person is placed at the top of the page. For Russia, the return-to-work services ask for the following information: family name, first name, address, telephone, date and place of birth, citizenship, and family status. (The last three pieces of information are prohibited from resumes in the West - this is because this information may used to discriminate against a person for a job.) If there is an e-mail address, add that to the basic information.
The next section is called an objective. This tells potential employers what sort of work the client hopes to do. Be specific about the job that he wants. For example: To obtain and entry-level position with a printing house to learn basic principles of offset printing. The client may have to change the objective a bit for each different employer depending on the type of work he is applying for.
The following section is education. If the client has just finished an educational program, the educational information should be listed first. The most recent course of study should be listed first. Include the degree obtained, institution, and concentration of study. Note any academic honors or awards.
The work history section is next. Briefly give the perspective employer an overview of work that has taught you certain skills. Use action words to describe you job duties. The work experience should be in reverse chronological order, that is, the client begins with his most recent job and works backward to the first relevant job. Include the title of the job held, the name of the employing company, location of the company, and dates of work. Describe the responsibilities and emphasize specific skills.
For example, the person above who is looking for a printing job may have an interest in offset printing because he volunteered to help in a printing house. This experience was not paid work, but the person might write that he volunteered work at a printing house and learned to run a certain type of printing machine. If a person has formal education and work history, he needs to write in very specific terms what types of skills he has. For example, a sales manager may say that he supervised a staff of 10 salespersons and had annual sales of 60 million rubles. He can also add that was a 30% increase in sales over the previous year. This type of accuracy helps a perspective employer understand what a person has accomplished.
9. The objective section of a resume:
(Only one of the following answers is correct.)
a) can be changed according to the job a person wants,
b) shows that the person has ability,
c) draws the prospective employer's attention.
The Russian recommendation is also that the person needs to note other skills and knowledge. They include foreign language knowledge, typing and/or computer skills - include the type of software a person knows how to use, driver's license, and any other information that reflects your character. For example, if a person has been entrusted with delivering important letters on a regular basis, he may include that information and state why it was done and for whom. If the client has worked as a translator, that will be a positive asset for other work.
Travel to other countries is also important for the Russian resume. If the person has traveled outside Russia or to other parts of Russia, this should also be stated. The person needs to state where he went and the goal of the visit.
Another section that is often optional, but may be helpful is to add personal interests or achievements. Your client may have organized a conference or participated in sports or musical events. There are also academic contests or honors that tell the employer more about the client. Perhaps there is a hobby the client has which has brought some recognition. The client may have some responsibility in his local neighborhood representing the constituents before a local government body. This section will give an employer a wider view of who the person is. (Such information is not recommended in the West. There are laws about how much information a person has to give to a perspective employer.)
The final section is for recommendations from former employers and other professionals for whom you have worked or whom you have known. Be sure to phone the persons who you want to list in the recommendations and ask their permission before you list them. It is also wise to ask them if they will write a recommendation for you. Be sure to include who they are and their phone numbers. Of course, one does not give out that name one's present employer! In addition to former employers, the client can refer to local business people or professional people who know them. Former instructors, teachers, or ministers can be good references. It is NOT advisable to use physicians, social workers and psychiatrists as references. The recommendation section can also be on a separate sheet of paper and given to the perspective employer only if he asks for it.
10. Why is the section about personal achievements important?
(Only one of the following answers is correct.)
a) because it helps to boast about yourself to an employer,
b) because it helps the employer understand you better,
c) because you just need to complete the resume.
Now that the resume is finished, re-read it for content. Check the spelling of every word and correctness of every phrase. Then have someone who is knowledgeable in Russian read it with the client to be sure it says what it should say.
The design of the resume is important for the prospective employer. He reads or scans it, so the resume needs to be easy to follow. Use standard paper size of white or off-white paper. Print on only one side of the paper. Use a font size of 12 -14 and avoid italics, script, and underlined words. Do not shade or use horizontal or vertical lines. Do not fold the resume, but put it in a large envelope.
Most of this information came from www.jobweb.com.
Applications
Before an interview, the client may be asked to fill out an application form. This helps to structure the discussion about the job and the client's abilities to do that job. It is also a good indicator of the client's literacy ability. A well-prepared person should be able to fill out the form without assistance and deal competently with the questions asked. A counselor can help the client by obtaining a sample form from a business and working through it with the client. Neatness is essential. If your client has limited reading and writing skills, you may have to help him in any case.
Be sure to advise the client to give accurate information. Show him how to write the information in a favorable way. Past problems should be noted only if they might affect the ability to perform the job. While important facts should be given the employer, insignificant or irrelevant ones should not be mentioned. The client needs help to select information that is useful to the employer and concentrate on the abilities and skills rather than problems. For example, a person does not draw attention to his accident that caused him to have a disability. That is a big part of his life, but for the employer, the focus is on a person who can work well for him.
Disclosure
Some applications ask the applicant to specify what medical or personal conditions need to be considered in employing a client. This is an honesty issue because the nature of the disability might affect personal safety on the job. If the client must tell about a limitation, it needs to be described in functional terms rather than medical or psychiatric terms. It is easy for an employer to dismiss the application of a person if there is unfamiliar medical terminology. For example, a person might say that he has high blood pressure treated with medication.
Additional Information
Additional information may also help the client on a job application. If a client is asked what position he would like to have in the future, his answer should be related to the job he is applying for. If there is a question about why the person wants to become an employee of the company, the client may simply answer, "I have heard good things about this company." If asked why he left his last job, he may answer, "I left to work a more interesting job" or "I was laid off due to decreased work orders in the company".
11. Why is there a decreased emphasis on medical conditions when applying for a job?
(Only one of the following answers is correct.)
a) because work is work, not medical conditions,
b) because medical conditions should not interfere with work,
c) because the employer gets angry about medical conditions.
The Job Campaign
The job search should follow regular working hours and should be considered as a job itself. A minimum number of contacts should be made every day. Applications need to be filled out and returned. The client needs to keep a list of the contacts he has made, the date of the contact, and when he filled out an application and turned it in to a perspective employer.
The majority of employers note that their primary sources of personnel for their companies are the people who apply for work in person. If unemployed persons wait for openings to be advertised, they may wait for a long time because someone else has personally visited the employer and been hired. That means the employer does not have to advertise for workers.
The person going out to visit employers on a job search will have to dress neatly and be ready to talk with an employer. He also must be ready to fill out an application at the worksite.
Question:
12. Have you written a resume for a job? Was it a lot of work? Please describe.