ABSTRACT
The vocational restoration process may be conceptualized as a “narrowing” process, both as it applies to persons with traumatic brain injury as well as to other disability groups. The diagnostic interviewing process is critical to the success of vocational restoration efforts with persons who have sustained a traumatic brain injury. The client’s self-report of psychosocial, cognitive, and related strengths and deficits, coping style, and vocational plans or lack thereof provides significant information to the Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) Specialist. A functional assessment, utilizing individualized situational assessment and on-the-job evaluation is generally the preferred method for obtaining the most useful information regarding work behaviors, quality, rate, endurance, skill acquisition, and interests. The range of targeted occupations can be further narrowed by taking into account the job market within a given location, the client’s earning requirements, and the employer’s expressed versus actual job requirements and related factors.
