The WorkWELL program was developed for insurers and employers to provide specific services for individuals experiencing mental illness, to be delivered by mental health specialist occupational therapists. All of the CWRS mental health occupational therapists have at least a decade (or more) of direct treatment experience working with individuals with mental health issues.
CWRS combines our expertise in vocational rehabilitation with mental health occupational therapy, to help people recovering from psychological illness to improve their functioning with home and community based activities of daily living, with the ultimate goal of return to work.
CWRS occupational therapists will work with an individual to increase their functional capacity and help them return to WorkWELLNESS. The occupational therapist will develop individual treatment pathways to stimulate wellness, reinforce strengths and provide practical strategies to increase participation in daily activities and attainment of goals.
If the worker is work ready at the time of the referral, the occupational therapist will meet the worker and the employer at the workplace, to devise a suitable duties program and provide education in the best way to support a person with mental illness to return to work.
WorkWELL Program - getting your workers back to wellness
What is it?
WorkWELL combines expertise in vocational rehabilitation and specialist mental health occupational therapy , to support people recovering from psychological conditions to improve their functioning in the home and their community daily living activities, with the goal of return to work.
CWRS focus on increasing the functional capacity of a client with psychological injury or illness to return to WorkWELLness. Our mental health occupational therapists (MHOT) are available to our clients throughout the week, not solely for their 1 hour treatment appointment thus allowing a more holistic approach to intervention.
As CWRS is also on the panel for WorkCover return to work services, we are also then able to provide the full continuum of services including workplace assessments and development of suitable duties program when our client is ready to return to work.
What does it involve?
- Cognitive Behavioural Therapy
- Sensory modulation interventions. Sensory strategies work quickly to increase feelings of calm, connection, focus, safety and security
- Psychoeducation, identification of triggers, early warning signs and stress vulnerabilities
- Energy conservation and pacing strategies for management of chronic conditions
- Use of neuroplasticity principles
- Mindfulness and meditation
- Focus on the use of meaningful activity as a mechanism to return to health
- Assessment of cognitive, emotional and psychological triggers in the workplace to develop suitable duties programs that are considerate of mental health issues
- Consultation with key treating providers (psychologist, psychiatrist, GP) to ensure a collaborative approach to treatment and attainment of goals
What conditions do we treat?
- Depression
- Anxiety
- Post Traumatic Stress Disorder
- Adjustment to injury
Point of difference
- MHOT’s have at least a decade of direct mental health experience
- 1:1 sessions with the MHOT plus a case management approach where the client can contact the OT during the week by phone or email. This provides our clients with the support to deal with set backs rather than waiting for a weekly or fortnightly appointment
- Practical nature of intervention is focused on goal achievement
- Incorporates body based strategies to deal with anxiety or stress. Being a ‘bottom up approach’, it does not require thinking (such as CBT strategies) to illicit change, thus is effective even in times of extreme distress
- Offered via telehealth so clients can live anywhere and treatment is not impacted by COVID lockdowns
- MHOT can continue to provide support to the worker as part of the RTW approach. No need to be referred to a different provider to commence the pathway towards suitable duties
How to refer
Please note on the workers compensation medical certificate “CWRS mental health occupational therapist” and forward the medical certificate, with client details to:
E: admin@cwrs.com.au F: 07 5443 5429
