Introduction:

Rehabilitation is a multi-dimensional long drawn process- it includes training, education and therapeutic management of persons with disabilities to restore their physical, mental, emotional, social and vocational usefulness as per their capabilities. Rehabilitation workers/personnel play an important role in empowering and ensuring the full participation of people with disabilities.

There are several types of disabilities which require the service of rehabilitation professionals. Disabilities are generally categorized as physical impairments i.e any disability which limits the physical function of limbs or fine or gross motor ability; sensory disabilities such as Blindness, Low Vision, Hearing Impairment etc, developmental disabilities such as Autism, Cerebral Palsy, Mental Retardation, Down syndrome etc and mental disorders. These disabilities may be resulting from birth defects, illness, disease, accidents, or the stress of daily life.

People affected with different types of disabilities need different rehabilitation measures or aids & appliances for their functional freedom and mobility, such as medical intervention, therapeutic exercises, education in special schools or inclusive settings, vocational training and employment etc. Each individual faces unique challenge in overcoming their particular disability- rehabilitation workers offer emotional support and professional guidance to each one according to their needs. Rehabilitation counselors may also provide general and specialized counseling to people with disabilities in public human service programs and private practice settings.

In the past, rehabilitation workers primarily served working-age adults with disabilities. Today, the need for rehabilitation extends to persons of all age groups who have disabilities.

But every rehabilitation service professional cannot be trained in dealing with all of these varied disabilities in different age groups. So while considering a career in this field, one has to consider what category of people they are interested to work with, such as people with mental disability, physical disability, anti social behavior and so on.

A rehabilitation worker identifies the client's specific difficulties and develops a plan of action to remove or reduce the barriers the client faces. The first step is to determine the nature and extent of the disability and evaluate how that disability interferes with work and other life functions. This determination is made from medical and psychological reports as well as from family history, educational background, work experience, and other evaluative information. The next step is to determine a vocational direction and plan of services to overcome the handicaps to employment or independent living. The rehabilitation counselor or worker coordinates a comprehensive evaluation of a client's physical functioning abilities and vocational interests, aptitudes, and skills. They deal with the whole person and work with each client to develop an individualized rehabilitation plan including training to increase the individual's capacity to live independently, and in many cases help to develop job skills, obtain jobs, and be included in the community.

Eligibility & Course Areas:

Educational:

One with 10+2 can enter the field of rehabilitation. However for more advanced positions in the job arena, bachelors degree is preferred. There are specialised degree/diploma programs for different disabilities such as for Hearing Impaired, Visually Handicapped, Mental retardation, physical therapy etc as well as general program for special education. For diploma and bachelors programme 10+2 is sufficient. For Masters and Post graduate programme bachelor degree is the required qualification. Bachelor courses is generally of 3-4 years and masters programme is of 2 years.

Personnel attributes:

One of the chief personnel attribute required for rehabilitation career is the ability to get along well with other people and being good to them. A rehab professional should have an affectionate nature, patience, kindness, gentleness, genuine concern without losing objectivity, a practical approach and an encouraging and positive attitude. Rehabilitation counselors work with many different kinds of clients and must be able to see situations and problems from their client's point of view. They must be both patient and persistent. Professionals in rehabilitation services should be able to gain the trust of others easily and to think logically. They must communicate well with people, particularly people under a great deal of stress. Rehabilitation service professionals often have to motivate their clients as well as influence people who can assist and support their clients.

Job Prospects & Career Options:

If you want to build a rewarding career in the healthcare industry and you are a person interested in serving the society this is the right choice for you. Employment for Rehabilitation specialist and physical therapist is expected to increase faster than average, as there is a growth in the number of individuals with disabilities requiring professional intervention. People in this field work in a wide variety of settings including hospitals and clinics, rehabilitation centers, mental health centers, community service programs, public health departments, state & central vocational rehabilitation departments, colleges & universities, special schools and residential care houses, which are equipped with the necessary tools to help patients adjust to living independently with their disabilities.

Some Rehabilitation Therapists/workers may choose NGOs working for rehabilitation of children, elderly people and disabled. They also have the option to open their own rehabilitation clinics. Those who obtain a doctorate in rehabilitation counseling or related field may teach or conduct research at the college or university level. Often rehabilitation professionals work along with other social service professionals, medical specialists and therapists.

The duties of a rehabilitation worker/professional vary depending upon the people with whom they work and the setting in which the work takes place. Regardless of the population or setting, rehabilitation professionals help people deal with the personal, social, physical and vocational impact of their disabilities. Most rehabilitation workers work with special groups which include blinds, the mentally ill, physically disabled, hearing impaired, mentally retarded, autistic children, elderly people, prisoners etc. The clients of a rehabilitation worker can be of any age, gender, ethnicity or religion. Again, some specialize within a larger group. For example, a rehabilitation worker may work exclusively in the area of vocational rehabilitation or occupational therapy. Rehabilitation workers serve not only the patients but also the families of the patient.

Colleges offering Training/Courses in Rehabilitation:

• CARE Institute of Behavioral Science, Chennai
• Sarojini Naidu Government Girls Post Graduate (Autonomous) College, Bhopal
• MJRP College of Education, Jaipur
• Mesco Institute of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Hyderabad
• Institute of Health and Management Studies (IHMS), New Delhi
• Holy Cross College (Autonomous), Tiruchirappalli
• All India Institute of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Mumbai
• National Council of Education Research and Training, New Delhi

Areas of work:

Special Education- Special education is a branch of rehabilitation meant to provide education to students with special needs in a way that takes into account individual differences and needs of students. Special schools, integrated schools or special classes in regular schools and special education programs in community base settings employ special educators to work with children with mental retardation or other disabilities. The main aim of special education is to make a child adjust himself in school, family and other social attachments so that they may be able to solve their day to day problems.

Special education teachers must be organized, patient, able to motivate students, understand their students special needs, and accept differences in others. Special education teachers help their students progress not only academically but also behaviorally by helping them develop emotional awareness, conduct themselves in a manner that is socially acceptable, and feel comfortable in social situations. Special education teachers spend much of their time working with students, parents, school faculty and administrators and others.

They must have the ability to communicate effectively and be cooperative. As these teachers work with students who have learning difficulties, they must be creative and apply different types of teaching techniques to reach every student.

Clinical/Therapeutic Rehabilitation- Clinical/Therapeutic Rehabilitation is the science which is meant to provide clinical and specific therapeutic services to persons with disabilities. These therapist play a vital role in helping physically challenged individuals acquire skills that will enhance their quality of life. They serve developmentally disabled patients to help regain their physical, social and mental abilities through therapeutic activities and exercises. Therapeutic rehabilitation consists of the following group of professions: Occupational Therapy, Physical Therapy, Rehabilitation Counseling, Art Therapy, Prosthetics and Orthotics, Recreation Therapy and Speech Pathology. The strategies of these therapists include exercise, creative arts, massage, heat, light, water, electricity and specific therapeutic apparatus.

Individuals recovering from a wide range of surgeries, injuries or illnesses, elderly persons, those recovering from accidents and many other groups of people rely upon rehabilitation therapy professionals to improve their quality of life and overall health. Rehabilitation Therapy has also been proven to provide significant benefits to patients with ongoing medical conditions such as: Joint replacements, Arthritis, Orthopedic Surgery, Strokes, Amputation, Open Wounds and Neurological conditions.

Psycho-social Rehabilitation- Psycho-social Rehabilitation professionals provide community based support and services to people diagnosed with severe mental illnesses. The goal of psycho-social rehabilitation is to teach skills and provide community support so that individuals with a mental illness can function in social, vocational, educational and familial roles. It not only include medical and psycho-social treatment but also ways to foster social interaction, promote independent living and encourage vocational performance. There are career opportunities in a variety of psychiatric and community mental health settings.

Vocational Rehabilitation- Vocational Rehabilitation is the continuous and coordinated process of rehabilitation science, which is meant for pre-vocational and vocational training, vocational guidance & counseling, selective placement designed to enable an adult disabled person to secure and retain suitable employment for their independent living. A vocational rehabilitation counselor develops and implement educational and supportive programs to increase the clients employability. Their support may include job training, making the person comfortable at their workplace, counselling on how to improve their performance or change habits that were not perceived favorably at the workplace. They usually work with adults and not with children. They may work with mentally and emotionally disabled or who have suffered the loss of their capacity to continue in a career field because of illness or injury.

Rehabilitation Management and Administration- Rehabilitation Management and Administration is the field of study for planning, organizing, financing, directing, supervising, inspecting and evaluating the rehabilitation services provided by the institutions dealing with disabled persons.

Challenges:

• Is physically demanding
• Is mentally demanding
• Stress and burnout
• Lack of ample job oppurtunities
• Low or mediocre Salaries

Remuneration:

Earning varies based on area of specialization and employer. They have alternate options to work full time or part time to earn handsome salary.

Fresh rehabilitation therapists/ worker can earn a starting salary of Rs 8,000-10,000 per month. However, with 1-2 years of experience, remuneration increases. In private hospitals and clinics, pay packages are quite higher.