Empowering return to work after ABI: Best practices and interventions (February 17, 2026)

Presented by: Mackenzie Klauck and Zoe Fallis  

Occupational therapists are often called upon to provide insight into a client’s ability to return to work and provide appropriate accommodation. As each workplace and acquired brain injury (ABI) is unique, effective vocational rehabilitation poses a complex challenge. On average, only about 40% of employees with ABI return to work within two years of injury (Aas et al., 2017), with little research on employment retention. A holistic model, aligned with occupational therapy principles, is needed to consider the client, their contexts, and their occupation. By highlighting best practice guidelines and providing clinician expertise, occupational therapists can become confident leaders in facilitating return-to-work outcomes. This webinar will outline the current landscape of returning to work after an ABI. It will explore the assessment of a client’s ability and readiness to return to work. The webinar will provide clinicians with a comprehensive overview of how to prepare a client to return to work, the components of a return-to-work plan, and how physical, cognitive, and emotional symptoms impact the return-to-work process.

After taking part in this webinar, participants will be able to: 

1. Understand the current research on returning to work after an ABI and how to apply it to practice.
2. Understand the key components of a return-to-work plan.
3. Apply 3-4 interventions/strategies to help prepare a client return to work.

Level  Beginner (0-2 years of experience in this specific practice area)

Area of practice Brain and Spinal Cord Injuries, Return to Work 

Client age group Adults (20-64 years old)