Occupational therapy's role in helping clients work

Work is one of the eight areas of occupation identified in the Occupational Therapy Framework: Domain and Process, 2nd Edition (Framework-II; AOTA, 2008). Work is an important occupation for most individuals in industrialized societies-from adolescence through adulthood. Nearly 50% of Americans have one chronic health condition, and of this group, nearly half have multiple chronic conditions (Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, 2004). There are more than 130 million people in the United States with one or more chronic illnesses (American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine [ACOEM], 2009). The current workforce "is aging and is increasingly burdened with chronic illnesses (across all age groups), functional impairments, and work disability" (ACOEM, 2009, p. 114). Clients being seen by occupational therapy practitioners are often seeking guidance to help them secure employment, negotiate work duties and environments that are safe for them, help them stay working on a long-term basis, ensure work is not causing new health conditions, and help them prepare for retirement. Yet many practitioners do not feel equipped to perform work rehabilitation with their clients.