Occupational therapists form part of the vocational rehabilitation multidisciplinary team, in returning patients back to work after any form of injury or illness. Among the services that they provide is work intervention procedures, which is comprised of different components that are implemented to rehabilitate patients’ work occupation, in order to ensure entry into, and/or return to the open labour market. The right of South African citizens’ opportunity to work is protected by specific legislation. When this right is affected by illness, injury or disability, the National Health Insurance system intervenes and ensures adequate healthcare services that are delivered equitably. The public healthcare services are delivered to over 84% of the South African population, of which a majority is dependent on public healthcare for medical intervention, including rehabilitation from different professions such as occupational therapists. To rehabilitate patients’ work occupation, occupational therapists follow different procedures as part of intervention. When researched, however, it was found that when this intervention was executed, it occurred haphazardly. The aim of the study was to explore the occupational therapy work intervention procedures that should be implemented by occupational therapists in the Gauteng public healthcare sector. A qualitative, explorative and descriptive research design was used. Data was collected through a workshop, working from an appreciative stance. Purposive sampling was used. Seventeen occupational therapists who practised in vocational rehabilitation and implemented work intervention procedures in the Gauteng public healthcare sector attended the workshop. Data was analysed using the creative hermeneutic data analysis method. The work intervention procedures for occupational therapists were generated. Client-centredness was identified to be at the heart of work intervention procedures, which entail different components, such as legislation, empowerment, assessment, planning, prevocational and vocational skills, work visit, job analysis, work hardening and conditioning, placement and follow-up. Occupational Therapy work intervention procedures for the public healthcare sector in the Gauteng province, were successfully explored and generated. The results showed that although there are procedures that can be followed in work intervention, the implementation process is not linear, and the procedures should be customised to individual patients. / Dissertation (MOccTher)--University of Pretoria, 2019. / Occupational Therapy / MOccTher / Unrestricted

Midcareer women are leaving the information technology (IT) career field at a much higher rate than are men. This attrition has contributed to a decreasing percentage of women in the IT field, hindering the creativity, innovation, and productivity that can result from a diverse workforce. This phenomenological study addressed a gap in the current research by examining the lived experience of women who have left the IT field. The conceptual frameworks of the study included Rhodes and Doering's integrated career change model based on traditional turnover theory, a model of gender and power in careers by Ragins and Sundstrom, and a career commitment model from Fu that accommodates the unique occupational culture of IT. The research questions explored the experiences, thoughts, and feelings that led these women to leave the IT profession after gaining years of experience. Participants were interviewed using a researcher-designed interview instrument and data were analyzed using a priori codes derived from the conceptual framework and literature review to guide analysis, assisted by software designed for this purpose. The main themes emerging from this study included: negative aspects of the IT culture and organizational climate, challenges of work/life balance, and gender bias and discrimination. The social change implications of knowledge gained through this study include positive changes in the experience of midcareer women in IT, improved retention of midcareer women in IT in corporations and government, and the increased productivity and innovation that is possible with a fully staffed and more diverse workforce.

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Thesis (M.S.)--Boston University / Epilepsy which has the longest known medical history of any disease effects a large segment of our population. In the United States, there are about a million persons affected with this connition which is characterized by a seizure or fit. It has been said that about seventy five recent of this group can have seizures controlled by medication. However, other studies have shown that with control of seizures, it does not follow that the problems of this group are solved, The difficulties besetting this chronically ill group seem at times to be almost insurmountable. Our society, because of its fears and lack of knowledge about the illness, discriminates against the epileptic in employment, education and other social activities, There are even discriminatory laws relating to his employment, marriage, and driving a car.

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Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) had its beginning in 1918, when Congress granted to the Federal Board of Vocational Education the power to provide for the training of "any disabled veteran who was unable to carry on a gainful occupation, to resume his former occupation, or to enter upon some other occupation, or having resumed or entered upon such occupation was unable to continue the same successfully." (U.S. Department of Health, Education, and Welfare, 1972). Called the Soldiers Rehabilitation Act, this measure made clear the basic goals of vocational rehabilitation. In 1943, a milestone year, services were extended to all disabled individuals who met the basic criteria of (a) having a disability (physical, emotional, or mental) which (b) poses a substantial handicap to employment, and (c) for whom a reasonable expectation exists that upon receiving services the individual can again (or for the first time) engage in gainful employment.

"The purpose of this study was to compare the work performance of two groups of handicapped veterans. One group had diagnosed psychiatric handicaps, and the other group physical handicaps. All of the veterans were member-employees on the Member-Employee Program at the Veterans Administration Hospital, Coral Gables, Florida, between July 27, 1957 (the inception of the Program), and September 30, 1959. Selected evaluative items defining work performance were compared for possible differences between the two groups"--Introduction. / Typescript. / "June, 1960." / "Submitted to the Graduate School of Florida State University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Social Work." / Advisor: Merle M. Foeckler, Professor Directing Study. / Includes bibliographical references.

U.S. Army Regulations require soldiers to be fit, as excessive weight negatively impacts their readiness, health, and morale. A quantitative study examined if personal, behavioral, and/or environmental factors predict a soldier's self-efficacy and body mass index. Data were obtained from 117 soldiers on 6 scales: the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery, the Army Physical Fitness Test, the General Self-Efficacy Scale, the Stress Management Questionnaire, the Lifestyle Assessment Inventory, and the Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire. Multiple regression analysis was used to determine if personal (intellectual capabilities and physical fitness), behavioral (lifestyle and stress management), and/or environmental (supervisor leadership) factors predict self-efficacy and body mass index in a convenience sample of battalion personnel. The analysis showed that lifestyle and stress management behavioral factors predict self-efficacy, whereas physical fitness predicts body mass index. In addition, there were significant correlations between self-efficacy, personal factors, and behavioral factors; between personal factors, behavioral factors, and body mass index; and between behavioral and environmental factors. Positive social change implications include the U.S. Army using these findings to promote healthy lifestyles, reduce stress, and increase physical fitness among soldiers to achieve higher self-efficacy and a lower body mass index. These findings also suggest that the military services would see better physical readiness by considering personal, behavioral, and environmental factors to meet standards.