A Framework for Career Reconstruction Following Personal Injury and Disability

Document Type

Book Section

Publication Date

7-21-2019

Publication Title

Handbook of Innovative Career Counseling

Publisher

Springer Nature

Publisher Location

Switzerland

First page number:

391

Last page number:

403

Abstract

Obtaining a new job or finding a new career is of prime importance for many seriously injured adults from motor vehicle injuries, workplace accidents or other personal injuries (e.g., medical negligence, public liability). The huge number of such cases world-wide calls for career, vocational rehabilitation or employment counsellors to heighten their awareness of the specific issues related to adult personal injury and disability. At the outset, the general situation in Australia is used as an example of the problems in earning and learning of those with disabilities. Issues of lower than average educational achievement, the impact on employment participation and the extent of discrimination are outlined. With this background in mind, the present state of career counseling for personal injury and disability is reviewed and a framework for a career counseling approach is proposed that (a) addresses (a) the existential needs of the person and (b) builds upon their pre-injury vocational identity in order to adapt. A career construction outlook that promotes adaptability and resilience is proposed as a basis for working with personal injury in those who are moving back to the world of work.

Keywords

Personal injury; Disability; Career development; Career construction theory; Return-to-work

Disciplines

Disability and Equity in Education | Education

Language

English

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