Connecting professionals can promote interdisciplinary trauma-focused therapy and return-to-work support for clients with work-related PTSD. This blog outlines a recent presentation at the BCACC conference, Nov 3-4th 2023, Vancouver, BC, www.conference.bcacc.ca
Frontline workers carry a high risk of exposure to traumatic events in their everyday work duties and are at an increased risk for work-related post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Practitioners lack clear guidance on how to support these individuals collaboratively to facilitate both mental health recovery and return to work, particularly for those receiving treatment in the context of a claim with a workers’ compensation board in the Westcoast Resiliency Centre.
This workshop describes the treatment of frontline workers who have experienced numerous traumatic events over the course of their careers, and subsequently filed a claim with the Workers’ Compensation Board of British Columbia (BC). An interdisciplinary program involved both counselling and occupational therapy interventions, including a trauma-focused prolonged exposure therapy followed by a gradual return to work. The outcome suggests that intensive, interdisciplinary trauma-focused treatment is a promising approach for supporting first responders with their recovery and return to work.
The presenters discussed how these might relate to and be used for peer-learning and peer-support among professionals working in the field of return-to-work and trauma-focused services. The session concluded with an overview of how lessons learned from past cases may be used to improve interdisciplinary collaboration in PTSD treatment.
Session objectives for connecting professionals:
- Learn how to create an interdisciplinary PTSD treatment plan;
- Discover which counselling, occupational and prolonged exposure therapy tools to use for work-related PTSD;
- Learn how to adapt treatment to address the unique needs of first responders.
Ref. Mackoff, J., Klimas, J., Torchalla, I. (2023) Connecting professionals to promote interdisciplinary trauma-focused therapy and return-to-work support for clients with work-related PTSD. British Columbia Association of Clinical Counsellors, Nov 4, Hyatt, Vancouver, BC. Link to session handouts can be accessed here.
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