505
San Marin Dr. Bldg. A, Suite 300, Novato, CA 94945
Phone: 415-897-2400
Administration Fax: 415-897-2422
Data Fax: 415-897-2443
Toll-free for Patients: 1-800-232-3773
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Vocational Rehabilitation
The benefits of employment for people on dialysis are numerous. Increased income, independence, and energy are just a few examples. It is unreasonable to expect all patients to become employed, but identifying and encouraging those who have the potential for employment is a practical goal. The resources below can help achieve this goal:
Resources for Renal Professionals
Effective Strategies for Improving Employment Outcomes for People with Chronic Kidney Disease (pdf - 136 pgs)
Building Quality of Life: A Practical Guide to Renal Rehabilitation (pdf - 44 pgs) - Explains in detail how dialysis units can plan and implement a renal rehabilitation program. The guide includes step-by-step processes for rehabilitation programming, from assembling a team to developing benchmarks to measure results. The guide also includes the Unit Self-Assessment Tool for Renal Rehabilitation (USAT), which measures effectiveness of existing programming.
Evaluation: Unit Self-Assessment Manual for Renal Rehabilitation - Assessment is the logical first step for any dialysis unit interested in starting or improving renal rehabilitation programming. This 38-page manual from Life Options includes guidelines for the USAT's use and interpretation, including the rationale for unit self-assessment, a description of the USAT criteria, an explanation of scoring, suggested action steps based on scores, and tips for use of the USAT.
In Control - Newsletter from Life Options focused on vocational rehab issues including what to say to CKD patients about working.
Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) Survey Results 2004-2006 (pdf) - Describes the results from the most recent Network 17 Annual VR Surveys.
Vocational Rehabilitation Tracking Tool 2008 (pdf) - An ongoing list of Vocational Rehabilitation events for the upcoming year which will allow social workers to monitor, track and summarize patient activities for the 2008 VR Survey.
Vocational Rehabilitation Best Practices Checklist (pdf) - A utility for dialysis social workers to implement VR services.
Laws to Protect a Disabled Worker
Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA)
Entitles eligible employees to take up to 12 weeks of unpaid, job protected leave each year for special medical reasons.
http://www.dol.gov/esaAmericans with Disability Act (ADA)
Makes it unlawful to discriminate in employment against a qualified individual with a disability.
http://www.usdoj.gov/crt/ada
http://www.eeoc.gov/facts/ada18.html
http://www.socialsecurity.gov/work/workta.html
Vocational Rehabilitation Offices
American Samoa
Division of Vocational Rehabilitation
Department of Human and Social Services
http://americansamoa.gov/departments/depts/hss.htmGuam
Division of Vocational Rehabilitation
Department of Integrated Services for Individuals with Disabilities
http://www.guamdol.net/content/view/115/182/Hawaii
Vocational Rehabilitation and Services for the Blind Division
Department of Human Services
http://www.hawaii.gov/dhs/self-sufficiency/vr/index_html#VRNorthern California
Department of Rehabilitation
http://www.dor.ca.gov/Saipan
Vocational Rehabilitation Agency
http://ovr.gov.mp/
Resources for Patients
Employment: A Kidney Patient's Guide to Working & Paying for Treatment (pdf - 108 pgs) - This Life Options booklet has information for people on dialysis or with transplants. Topics include employment and vocational rehabilitation; Medicare, Medicaid, and health insurance; disability programs, including SSDI and SSI; and federal legislation affecting kidney patients. The booklet also includes a glossary of terms and a list of resources.
Encouragement: Bridging the Barriers (For Patients and Their Families) - This 44-page booklet from Life Options defines renal rehabilitation in terms that patients and families can understand. Several patient profiles highlight the reality of rehabilitation. The booklet also includes answers to common questions about kidney disease, working, tips for traveling, and a brief section on the role of family members.
Facilities in Network #17 that have shifts after 5 pm (pdf)
Keeping Your Job with Kidney Disease (pdf)
Life Options Rehabilitation Program - This website developed by Life Options contains lots of in-depth information and resources about vocational as well as general rehabilitation. Check out the Teaching Tools (also available in Spanish) which cover a wide range of topics and are easy to print out for patients.
Patients In Control - Patient newsletter from Life Options with articles about starting and/or continuing employment.
Working with Kidney Disease (pdf - 16 pgs)
Why Work? (pdf) - (En Espaņol/Spanish Version) (pdf) - A poster that lists the many benefits of employment and related resource contact information for patients.
Did You Know Dialysis Patients Can Work and Still Keep Their Social Security Benefits? (pdf)
(En Espaņol/Spanish Version) (pdf) - A list of the many benefits of employment and contact information for Work Incentives Planning and Assistance organizations.Employment Facilitation Letters (pdf - 2 pgs) - A template for physicians writing employment letters on behalf of patients (dialysis or peritoneal) seeking or maintaining employment.
505 San Marin Dr. Bldg. A, Suite 300, Novato, CA 94945
Phone: 415-897-2400
Administration Fax: 415-897-2422
Data Fax: 415-897-2443
Toll-free for Patients: 1-800-232-3773