Making it WorkTM Online Program
Arthritis is the most common health reason why Canadians stop working. One in five people living with rheumatoid arthritis leave the workforce within five years of receiving a diagnosis. And almost half of working-age Canadians with osteoarthritis report not working or attending school.
The inability to work has a tremendous impact on a person’s financial, social and emotional well-being. Despite the importance of this problem, there are few services available to people with arthritis to help deal with employment issues. To address the unmet needs of workers with arthritis, we have developed a one-of-a-kind, online program, called "Making it WorkTM to fill this gap in arthritis health care services.
Led by Dr. Diane Lacaille, our multidisciplinary team has created the Making it WorkTM Program as an online intervention to support workers with arthritis. Making it WorkTM provides education, resources and strategies for managing arthritis and employment. The program is the result of more than a decade of scientific research, it provides research-backed tools and techniques within a comprehensive online program that you can do at your own pace. The program has been developed collaboratively by rheumatologists, health care professionals, patient partners and knowledge translation specialists to offer workers with early access to the skills, interventions and resources needed to continue working. Our program can help you to maintain health and a balanced working life, and prevent work disability due to arthritis.
What is Making it WorkTM ?
The Making it WorkTM program is an online intervention to support people with arthritis to remain employed and lead healthy and productive lives at work.
Who is Making it WorkTM for?
Anyone with arthritis who is concerned about their ability to work, and would like to learn strategies to help remain employed. Our program comes in two versions, one for people with inflammatory types of arthritis (for example, rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, lupus, ankylosing spondylitis, connective tissue diseases, and other spondyloarthropathies), and another version for people with osteoarthritis.
How can Making it WorkTM program help you?
- By helping you to remain in work as long as you wish to do so.
- By supporting you in adapting your work to your arthritis challenges, such as ergonomic issues and job accommodations
- By enhancing self-awareness of how arthritis impacts you at work
- By providing new knowledge about arthritis care and employment rights
- By providing access to resources and opportunities to practice new skills and techniques
- By empowering you to make changes at work, improving confidence in the ability to work
- By helping you deal with challenges encountered at work due to arthritis,
Program Description
Our Program
Our program can be completed as a self-directed program (start any time, complete at your own pace), or together with an online learning group (5 e-learning modules and 5 online group meetings over 9 weeks). After finishing the e-learning modules, our program continues with two further components; one session with an Occupational Therapist and one online session with a Vocational Rehabilitation Counsellor. You can complete as many or as few of the program components as you want. The full program components are:
- Interactive online e-learning modules.
- Online video group meetings.
- Online or in-person consultation with an Occupational Therapist (OT)*.
- Online consultation with a Vocational Rehabilitation Counsellor (VRC)*.
1. Interactive online e-learning modules. The program offers 5 interactive online e-learning modules that can be completed independently or alongside an online learning group. Each e-learning module takes approximately one to two hours to complete. If you want to learn independently, you can register to start these modules at any time, and work at your own pace. If you would like to learn with others, you can register to join a learning group, where you will can reflect and practice skills in a group setting in online meetings outlined below. The e-learning modules cover topics such as work and arthritis; management of inflammatory arthritis; disclosing diagnosis of arthritis at work; dealing with fatigue and stress at work; effective communication strategies; legal issues around employment, disability, and job accommodations; optimizing interpersonal relationships at work; ergonomics for your work environment and obtaining job accommodations.
2. Online video group meetings. Our program provides 5 online video group meetings lead by a trained facilitator specializing in arthritis and employment. Groups meet online every other week for 9 weeks, with meetings lasting 1 to 2 hours each. In every group meeting you will have opportunities to practice and expand on the concepts covered in the e-learning modules. At the group meetings you will meet other people like yourself and discuss arthritis and work-related issues, share experiences, and practice skills you learn in the program. (Contact us to register for the next available).
3. Consultation with an Occupational Therapist (OT)*. Working with an Occupational Therapist (either in person or online) can provide you with tools and strategies to support productivity, reduce fatigue and prevent injury. An OT can conduct a ergonomic assessment of your work environment and your work tasks, and offer suggestions on how to adapt your work tasks, environments, and equipment to help you reduce fatigue, strain, and risks for workplace injury or job loss. Working with an OT will help you to identify your individual needs for resources and adaptations to support your work. Making it WorkTM does not provide OT services, but recommend working with an occupational therapist in your area (https://caot.ca/site/findot. Costs for private OT services are often reimbursable through private insurance and employee benefit plans, or you may be able to access OT services through your workplace support or disability office.
4. Online consultation with a Vocational Rehabilitation Counsellor (VRC)*. We recommend meeting with a Vocational Rehabilitation Counsellor (VRC) for an employment counselling session to address work retention strategies, support your career planning. and connect you to appropriate career and counselling resources. A Vocational Rehabilitation Counsellor (VRC) is a health professional, trained to provide personalized employment counselling. This service is not included in the program cost, but if you have private insurance or employee benefits, the cost for private VRC services may be reimbursed by your plan. We can provide you with a referral to a Making it Work trained VRC (S100.00 CND). *We recommend meeting with the VRC after meeting with an occupational therapist (OT), because the OT's ergonomic assessment of your work environment and work tasks will help the VRC assist with appropriate career planning and job retention strategies.
Program Content
The content and activities of this program have been designed to provide you with knowledge, skills and practice so you are better prepared to handle the challenges of living and working with arthritis. Activities will increase your self-awareness so you understand better how your arthritis affects your ability to work. The program also provides you with tools and strategies to help you take action and make the changes you feel are necessary.
Throughout this program you will learn:
- A problem solving and goal setting technique to solve problems and to make changes;
- The ways fatigue may affect you and ways to manage it at work;
- The way stress may affect you and ways to reduce it at work;
- Different communication strategies that help you talk with your employer and co-workers to build support and get your needs met at work;
- Your legal rights and your employer’s legal obligations about disclosure, job accommodations, and Human Rights;
- Ways to improve your ability to ask your employer/supervisor for changes in your job to better adapt it to your arthritis;
- The basic principles of ergonomics—how equipment and furniture can be arranged for comfort and efficiency—and apply them to your work situation.
Program Fees:
- Online modules only - $25.00 CDN
- Group meetings and online modules - S250.00 CDN
- Vocational Rehabilitation Counselling Session - $100.00 CDN
- Occupational Therapist Session - Find an OT in your area through the Canadian Association of Physical Therapists (https://caot.ca/site/findot)
Technical Requirements:
Access to a computer or tablet/iPad (Mac or PC) that is connected to regular or high-speed internet (dial-up not recommended). Our e-learning platform is not compatible with smartphones.
