Return To Work After Brain Injury:Only Bright Spot

Return to Work After Brain Injury: Craig Part Ten 

Craig talks about his return to work after brain injury, his trials on keeping his marriage together and the rehabilitation plan.

So in that period of time in between three weeks and three months, the only treatment you were getting when you weren’t an in-patient was this marital counseling? 

Marital counseling and then until I got my neuropsychological evaluation.  That’s when they came up with the cognitive rehab plan.

When was the neuropsych done? 

I did it in February and I got my results the beginning of April.

That’s a long time to wait for diagnosis.

It is, yep.

Did you ever attempt to go back to work? 

Yeah I was actually working by the time I went into get my psychological evaluation.

So you get hurt August 15, when is it you first try to return to work after brain injury?  

Oh, geez, the end of October.  I believe after that I was working at the camp.   I was working.

So by the November 1.  Six weeks out you were able to return to work after brain injury How does that work out? 

Well it felt good, because I felt like that’s where I belonged.  I mean I was very passionate about, what I did with people and so it felt, that felt good.  I could relate more to the clients at that point than I could anyone else.

Tell me more about the job you had and the return to work after brain injury. 

I did behavior supports.  We worked with some of the most behavioral folks in Washington.  A lot of them, with the downsizing of institutions, came from institutions.  It was my job to behaviorally help them live independently. Actually I loved what I did.  I worked with students at that point.   You ever heard of People First?

People First is an advocacy organization, worldwide.   We developed, “respectful language.”   You’ve probably heard of that.  That is kind of our claim to fame is the “respectful language” law.  We teach people that they’re equal participants in the community.

At that point I was working with high school students, that it was thought that would never amount to anything.

I remember Sean.  He was someone I support and one of the reasons I went back.  He was in law school and that was unheard of for somebody who had a severe developmental disability.  He is actually our state’s assistant attorney general right now.  And so I’ve kept up with that, but, my perspective changed.

Next in Part Eleven – No Preparation For Frontal Challenges Before Discharge