Handbook of Vocational Rehabilitation and Disability Evaluation ― Application and Implementation of the Icf

This book presents the state of the art in the application and implementation of the WHO's International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) in the areas of vocational rehabilitation as a primary topic and disability evaluation as a secondary topic. Application of the ICF and implementation strategies toward a holistic and comprehensive approach to work disability and vocational rehabilitation programs are presented along with clinical cases and exercises. The ICF as a topic in health and disability has been gaining momentum since its approval by the World Health Assembly in 2001, and great progress has been made since then. However, the integration if the ICF in the realm of vocational rehabilitation has been lacking despite the fact that work and employment are a major area in people's lives, particularly those who have work disability. This book will advance the professional practice of vocational rehabilitation, rehabilitation counseling, occupational medicine, and allied health science.

Reuben Escorpizo is a Clinical Assistant Professor in the Department of Rehabilitation and Movement Science at the University of Vermont in Burlington VT USA. Prior to moving to Burlington, he was an Assistant Professor in the Department of Physical Therapy at the Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center in New Orleans, LA USA. He is also a senior research scientist at the Swiss Paraplegic Research and the ICF Research Branch in collaboration with the WHO Family of International Classifications in Germany (DIMDI), both located in Nottwil, Switzerland. He conducts research on the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF), patient outcomes, work and employment, work rehabilitation and return to work, spinal cord injury, and arthritis.

Soren Brage is a Chief Medical Officer and Researcher in the Research Section at the Directorate for Labour and Welfare, Oslo, Norway. He is also a practicing medical advisor for the National Insurance Administration. He is a family physician by background, and has been a Senior Researcher at the University of Oslo 1998-2007. He is an expert in Social Insurance Medicine, and President of the European Union of Insurance Medicine (EUMASS/UEMASS). In addition to research on the use of ICF in social insurance, his field of study includes sick leave, disability benefits, disease classifications, medical practice, and international collaboration.

Debra Homa is an Associate Professor in the Department of Rehabilitation and Counseling at the University of Wisconsin-Stout, where she teaches graduate and undergraduate courses in vocational assessment, job placement, and rehabilitation counseling. She has over 25 years of experience working as a vocational evaluator and rehabilitation counselor in a variety of settings including private rehabilitation agencies, non-profit community-based rehabilitation agencies, and hospital-based programs. Her current research interests include the ICF, vocational assessment, and client outcomes in rehabilitation, with an emphasis on employment outcomes.

Gerold Stucki is the Professor and Chair of the Department of Health Sciences and Health Policy at the University of Lucerne, and the Director of Swiss Paraplegic Research and Director of the ICF Research Branch in collaboration with the WHO Family of International Classifications. In this capacity as well as within his role as part of WHO’s ICD-11 Revision Steering Group and as past president of the International Society of Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine (ISPRM), he has been promoting the implementation of the ICF in medicine, rehabilitation and the health sector at large, developing transdisciplinary academic training programs focusing on human functioning, disability and health and has been collaborating with WHO on various projects toward achieving WHO’s vision that “all persons with disabilities live in dignity, with equal rights and opportunities"