Return to Work

From the Clinic to the Worksite — A Complete Approach

Nelson BC Return to Work

From assessment and treatment to worksite intervention and coordination, our experienced team supports individuals and employers through every stage of returning to work. The Return to Work (RTW) process can be complex, with numerous factors that have the potential to impact success. We collaborate closely with employers, insurers, and healthcare providers to help individuals regain function, confidence, and productivity — returning to their life roles, including their careers.

Some of the assessments and interventions with the most practical application include: recognizing and appropriately addressing psychosocial barriers, early referral to an interdisciplinary rehabilitation team, effective and goal-oriented communication between stakeholders, and implementing strategies to strengthen or reinitiate the “occupational bonding” between the worker and employer. Initiating appropriate interventions has the potential to generate solutions that encourage a successful and durable return to work.

Progressive Goal Attainment Program (PGAP)

Each year, hundreds of thousands of people become disabled due to injury or illness. Whether addressed in relation to personal, social, or health care costs, chronic disability remains one of the most expensive health problems facing modern society.

PGAP is an evidence-based, standardized, community-based intervention designed to prevent or reduce the severity of disability that can arise following injury or illness. It is the first program of its kind specifically designed to target the psychosocial risk factors for disability. Psychosocial factors were chosen as targets of the intervention on the basis of emerging research supporting their relevance to return-to-work outcomes and their amenability to change.

Delivered by rehabilitation professionals including occupational therapists, physiotherapists, nurses, rehabilitation counsellors, psychologists, and kinesiologists, PGAP is a life-role reintegration program for individuals struggling with pain, depression, cancer, and other chronic or debilitating health and mental health conditions. It is designed to complement existing clinical services. KHS has been providing PGAP intervention since 2007. We currently have 6 PGAP clinicians who have completed the 3rd Edition Training, and 2 clinicians capable of providing the telephonic version of the PGAP intervention (PGAP-Tel).

Occupational Rehabilitation Program

Our Occupational Rehabilitation Program (up to 6 hours per day) provides a comprehensive, individualized interdisciplinary rehabilitation approach. The goal is to maximize the participant’s functional abilities with a focus on returning to work if medically appropriate. Treatment goals are discussed in detail with the fee payer prior to initiating treatment to ensure optimal results specific to each individual case.

Our treatment team includes Physiotherapists, Occupational Therapists, Kinesiologists, Psychologists, and Physicians. Treatment includes individualized exercise rehabilitation programming, physiotherapy, exercise therapy, work simulation activities, case coordination, and psycho-education.

Functional Capacity Evaluation (FCE)

A Functional Capacity Evaluation is a comprehensive, standardized assessment of an individual’s physical abilities as they relate to work demands. FCEs are used in return-to-work planning, disability determination, and pre-employment screening — providing objective, defensible data to support decision-making by employers, insurers, and healthcare teams.

Job Demands Assessment (JDA)

A Job Demands Assessment is a detailed, quantitative on-site evaluation of the critical physical demands of a specific job. The JDA is highly useful when used alongside occupational rehabilitation programs, return-to-work planning, and Functional Capacity Evaluations to ensure that the assessment and preparation for return to work accurately reflect what the job actually requires.

Ergonomic Assessment

An ergonomic assessment evaluates the individual alongside their workstation or worksite, providing specific recommendations to reduce injury risk, improve comfort, and support a safe and sustainable return to work.

Return to Work Coordination

Research consistently identifies workplace processes as key predictors of successful return to work — including clear goals, proactive employer response, workplace accommodations, elimination of risk factors, modified duties, and effective ergonomic strategies.

Our return to work coordination includes the development and implementation of appropriate rehabilitation and the transition back to work, involving:

Worksite visits
Return to work planning
Return to work implementation and monitoring
Job coaching

Pre-Employment Functional Evaluations

KHS completes comprehensive pre-employment functional evaluations for employers as part of their hiring process — assessing the individual’s physical capability against the specific demands of the job to support informed, safe hiring decisions. As well, we have qualified clinicians who complete pre-employment assessments for BC Ambulance paramedic candidates.