A Comparative Study of the Job Tasks, Functions, and Knowledge Domains of Rehabilitation Professionals Providing Vocational Rehabilitation Services in Australia and Germany

Abstract

Vocational rehabilitation services have been implemented in a number of countries to facilitate the return to work of sick and injured workers, yet little research has been undertaken to document competencies required to provide services globally. This study compared the job tasks, functions, and knowledge domains deemed important by Australian and German rehabilitation professionals working in vocational rehabilitation settings to identify common practice domains. An online survey comprising items from the Rehabilitation Skills Inventory–Amended and the International Survey of Disability Management was completed by 149 Australian and 217 German rehabilitation professionals. Items from each measure were submitted to factor analysis, using principal axis factoring as the extraction technique. Three common domains were identified: (a) vocational counseling, (b) workplace disability case management, and (c) workplace intervention and program management. Differences in skill and knowledge domains centered on the levels of specialization in vocational rehabilitation practices in each country. Ongoing transnational research is required to ensure that a “global curriculum” covers core competencies, while at the same time allowing for specialization at a local level.

Evaluation of competencies in the field of vocational rehabilitation and the employment of persons with disabilities

“…A recent comparative study (Matthews et al, 2013) indicated differences in the perceived competencies of Australian and German vocational rehabilitation professionals related to historical development of professionals and to legislative policies. In the participating countries, the use of interventions came last among the stated competency sets; however, it is an interesting fact that in the Australian research, it came first, being the most frequently used.…”

“…Experts invest considerable time in investigation of the functional performance of individuals with disabilities in terms of job requirements. Only very few authors have studied the competence of rehabilitation experts in successfully performing their activities (Middleton et al, 2000;Matrone and Leahy, 2005;Noll et al, 2006;Pransky et al, 2010;Matthews et al, 2013). Only very few authors have studied the competence of rehabilitation experts in successfully performing their activities (Middleton et al, 2000;Matrone and Leahy, 2005;Noll et al, 2006;Pransky et al, 2010;Matthews et al, 2013).…”

Contemporary vocational rehabilitation in Australia

“…A recent Australian-German research initiative has provided one of the first transnational comparative analyses of vocational rehabilitation knowledge and skill domains [24]. Using the same methodology and instrument, three common knowledge and skill domains were identified: vocational counselling, workplace disability case management, and workplace intervention and program management.…”

Introduction to the Special Issue on International Rehabilitation Counseling Research

“…With the exception of their perceived higher levels of basic research methods and statistics competencies, the results of the Japanese study mirrored the findings of EBP survey studies of rehabilitation counselors in the United States (e.g., Bezyak, Kubota, & Rosenthal, 2010;Graham et al, 2013;Tansey, Bezyak, Chan, Leahy, & Lui, 2014). Matthews et al (2015) conducted a transnational study to identify core competencies required to provide vocational rehabilitation services in Australia and Germany. An online survey adapted from the Rehabilitation Skills Inventory and the International Survey of Disability Management was completed by 149 Australian and 217 German rehabilitation professionals.…”