Julia Cham, a leading Rehabilitation Consultant and Team Manager at APM WorkCare in Brisbane, offers insights drawn from her extensive twelve-year career in occupational rehabilitation.
Experienced in injury management and return to work services across various industries, Julia has honed her approach to handle cases involving complex physical and psychological barriers.
Her emphasis on proactivity highlights her commitment to guiding clients back into their professional roles.
Below, Julia identifies key motivational elements that are instrumental in fostering a recovery-oriented mindset among injured workers:
The value of purposeful work
Engaging in meaningful work that benefits others injects purpose into the recovery journey.
This drives individuals to overcome their limitations and contribute positively to their surroundings.
Rediscovering joy outside work
Recovery is not just about resuming work; it's also about reclaiming the enjoyment of life's pleasures beyond professional duties.
This rekindling of interests serves as a powerful motivator for injured workers.
Financial recovery and stability
The aspiration to restore financial security and serenity plays a significant role in the recuperative process.
It is a foundational aspect of returning to a pre-injury state of wellbeing.
Evaluating psychological readiness for rehabilitation
Determining a worker's preparedness for rehabilitation is streamlined by screening tools such as APMiQ.
However, forging personal connections through regular communication is paramount to understanding the underlying motivations of each individual.
The critical role of support systems
Julia emphasises the importance of support networks, including family, friends, and colleagues, whose encouragement can lead to heightened motivation and a successful reintegration into the workplace.
The influence of the workplace environment
A nurturing and responsive work environment substantially affects recovery outcomes.
Julia has observed the contrast between supportive workplaces that proactively address workers' concerns, and those that fail to do so, often resulting in a strained worker-employer relationship.
Rekindling the will to recover
To re-engage those who have lost motivation, it is essential to tap into their personal incentives.
Understanding what drives them—whether it's family time, recreational activities, or financial responsibilities—is key to re-establishing their commitment to recovery and meaningful work participation.
Through Julia's seasoned perspective, it becomes clear that a comprehensive approach addressing the multifaceted nature of recovery is indispensable in successfully motivating injured workers towards a positive return to their jobs and lives.
About Julia Cham
Julia Cham is a Lead Rehabilitation Consultant and a Team Leader at APM WorkCare within the Brisbane team.
Julia has over 12 years of occupational rehabilitation experience, providing injury management and return to work services to our veteran community, along with a range of industries including defence force, healthcare, administration, transport, and local, state and federal governments.
Julia has worked with various government legislations with a focus on returning clients back to their pre-injury role or an alternative role.
Julia effectively manages clients with highly complex physical and psychological concerns and achieves good outcomes through addressing psychosocial barriers and motivational interviewing.
Julia believes that proactiveness in return to work is a crucial step in rehabilitation.
Julia has strong communication skills and builds rapport quickly with clients and other stakeholders to effectively manage competing stakeholder interest and facilitate best practice outcomes.