Role of rehabilitation providers
Workplace rehabilitation providers and the consultants who work for them play a vital role in the return to work process of an employee with a work-related injury or illness.
The rehabilitation authority (who is usually the employer) is responsible for managing the rehabilitation process of employees.
They can choose to use an approved workplace rehabilitation provider to develop and implement a rehabilitation program for their employees. Some choose to manage this process in-house.
Workplace rehabilitation providers
Rehabilitation providers have employees, or use consultants, with the appropriate qualifications, experience and expertise.
Their role is to provide timely intervention and services, based on the assessed need of the employee and the workplace.
Types of services
Workplace rehabilitation providers are organisations accredited to deliver workplace rehabilitation services to help injured employees return to work.
Prescribed workplace rehabilitation services include:
- initial workplace rehabilitation assessment
- assessment of the functional capacity of an employee
- workplace assessment
- creating and monitoring a rehabilitation or return to work plan
- creating suitable duties plans
- job analysis
- advice about job modification
- rehabilitation counselling
- vocational assessment
- advice or assistance in job seeking
- advice or assistance in arranging vocational re-education or retraining.
Workplace rehabilitation providers also take part in case conferences.
Approval to deliver services
In order to deliver rehabilitation services in the Comcare scheme, workplace rehabilitation providers must:
- be approved by Comcare
- get a referral from the rehabilitation case manager before providing the service.
Our directory helps employers find Comcare-approved providers in their state or territory.
Find a workplace rehabilitation provider
Consultants working for a provider
Some workplace rehabilitation providers employ consultants to provide services.
Consultants are usually one of the following professionals:
- rehabilitation counsellor
- occupational therapist
- physiotherapist
- exercise physiologist
- psychologist
- nurse
- medical practitioner
- speech pathologist
- social worker.
You need to be approved by Comcare if you are working as a consultant for a workplace rehabilitation provider in the Comcare scheme.