Physiatry | Neuropsychology | Rehabilitation Psychology | Social Work | 
Care Management | Vocational Services | Speech Therapy | Therapeutic Recreation | Rehabilitation Nursing | Physical Therapy | Occupational Therapy | Creative Therapies

Physiatry
Board-certified physicians in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, called physiatrists, are attending physicians and treatment team leaders for all patients in the rehabilitation program. They provide daily medical care and are trained to diagnose and manage the special medical problems associated with spinal cord, stroke, and brain injuries. These specialized physicians also provide education to patients and families.

Neuropsychology
Neuropsychological assessment includes administration of specialized tests in order to identify cognitive, behavioral, and emotional deficits due to stroke, brain injury, or other neurological conditions. The results are used in planning for appropriate rehabilitation and in determining readiness to return to independent living, school, work, or other functional activities.

Rehabilitation Psychology
Rehabilitation psychologists offer counseling and psychotherapy to help patients develop coping and adjustment skills. The psychologist’s role is to provide a supportive environment where patients can focus on adjusting to their disability and the effects it has on their lifestyle and family.

Social Work
Serving as a liaison between the patient, family, and team, social workers communicate patient goals, progress, and discharge plans. Social workers also provide counseling to assist patients and families in coping with their adjustment to injuries and disabilities, and they facilitate plans for discharge by identifying appropriate resources to support the patient and family in the community.

Care Management
The case manager coordinates available resources and communicates to all involved parties regarding goals and progress. The case manager functions as a liaison between the patient and his/her insurance carrier to assist in answering questions regarding securing payment for needed services.

Vocational Services
As an integral part of the rehabilitation program, vocational services are designed to help individuals develop reasonable expectations of employment based on their individual strengths and limitations. Vocational counselors identify these factors through various tests, which assess the person’s readiness for work.

Speech Therapy
Speech-language pathologists evaluate and treat deficits in the areas of speech, language, thinking, and swallowing. They offer patient-tailored communication aides and strategies to assist patients with aphasia, cognitive deficits, tracheostomy, or other communication disorders. Through this therapy, the family and patient are educated to facilitate optimal independence with communication and swallowing.

Therapeutic Recreation
Therapeutic recreation is a division of therapy that uses leisure activities to improve functional abilities, assist in coping with life changes, and reinforce physical and occupational therapy skills in a more relaxed and social environment. Patients work with specialists to identify new leisure pursuits, adapt previous leisure activities to current abilities, and identify activities in the community in which the patient can participate.

Rehabilitation Nursing
Rehabilitation nurses are specially trained to work with individuals with disabilities. The primary nurse is responsible for developing a nursing care plan to meet the unique physical, emotional, and educational needs of the patient and family. The nurse will monitor the patient’s medical condition, level of alertness, nutrition, bowel and bladder function, response to medications, and vital signs. The responsibilities of the rehabilitation nurse will vary depending on the stage of recovery of the patient.

Physical Therapy
Physical therapy treatment focuses on improving mobility, relieving pain, and restoring function. The goal of the treatment program is to assist patients in achieving their maximum level of independence in order to stay as active as possible at home and in the community. The physical therapist assesses and treats the areas of strength, joint range of motion, balance, tone, endurance, gait, transfers, mobility, and functional activities. Equipment needs are also assessed and obtained to maximize mobility and independence.

Occupational Therapy
Occupational therapists design programs to help patients achieve maximal independence in their daily living activities. Services provided include helping patients gain improvement in self-care (dressing, grooming, bathing, and eating), home management activities, parenting, and upper extremity function. Often, occupational therapists will introduce assistive devices, adaptive equipment, and casting/splinting to help individuals gain function in their activities of daily living.

Creative Therapies
Art and music therapists provide patients with the opportunity to express feelings in a creative environment. The development of personal interests, formation of creative problem solving techniques, acquiring insight, and discovering new skills are some of the advantages of taking part in creative therapies. Successful creative experiences that focus on abilities can improve self-esteem and motivation.