About the course

Integration into the labor market is an important component in building the path to adulthood, independence, and identity development. Work is a source of social connections, of building self-esteem, it is a place where a significant portion of the day is spent, and it enables involvement and activity, participation, and a sense of belonging.

The course will address key topics from the evolving and dynamic world of work and focus on the integration of candidates into the world of work. The course will prepare participants to implement the innovative work skills intervention: “Cognitive Skills for Work” (CSW [1] ), which focuses on the cognitive/functional domain.

Key course content : Concepts from the field of work in general and work in the open market in particular, such as: characteristics of the world of work, analysis of occupations. Criteria for accompanying candidates in the career development process, including: building a personal occupational vision and developing occupational competence. In the second half of the course, you will learn in depth the intervention “Cognitive Skills for Work”.

The goals of the intervention are to clarify the relationship between cognitive functioning and work, and to help the individual develop effective strategies to improve their cognitive skills, or to reduce the effects of cognitive impairments, in order to enable them to choose, achieve, and maintain their employment goals.

Course objectives

Introduction to concepts such as: recovery, integration, work, cognition, and career development in the context of integrating people with disabilities into employment. The learner will acquire a variety of tools and become familiar with functional cognitive supports, which help improve his ability to accompany people with disabilities in their integration into work.

Learners will be trained as facilitators to implement the intervention: “Cognitive Skills for Work” (CSW [2] ).

The intervention lesson will include: background for developing the model, the various intervention components, strategies and skills for transferring the intervention and implementing it in the field, while exposing people to knowledge about cognition and work, identifying the person's strengths, challenging negative thinking patterns, dealing with attention and concentration difficulties, dealing with memory difficulties, developing routines at home and in the job search process, strengthening planning and problem-solving skills, and improving thinking speed. 

Course structure

 The course includes 18 sessions, which will include learning, training on the intervention, and group guidance for accompanying, implementing, and implementing the intervention in practice, while delivering and implementing the intervention in the frameworks.

The course includes the implementation of the intervention in the field by the students : leading a weekly CSW group in the rehabilitation service where the students work. 

The course will take place online via “ZOOM”

Participants

The course is intended for 30 participants, consisting of 2 instructors from an organization/instructor and a professional/professional with experience in facilitating groups, working in the Ministry of Health's sheltered employment and supported employment services, and/or for employees leading employment promotion projects and individual initiatives for this population in the open market.

Course requirements

• Attendance is required for 90% of classes.
• Submitting monitoring reports on how the intervention is being delivered on a regular basis.
• Each participant is required to complete the assignments given by the course coordinator.
• The “Cognitive Skills for Work” intervention relies on a workbook and a guide for course instructors, which are required for each participant in the intervention group, therefore the organization must commit to providing the booklets to the group participants. (A file will be provided by the school).
• A student who does not complete his course obligations will not be able to participate in another course at the Rehabilitation School until he completes his aforementioned obligations.

Admission conditions

• Currently working in the field of occupational rehabilitation in mental health.
• Register for the course with another participant, from the same framework or from another organization, in order to guide the group together, at least one of whom is a professional.
• Commitment to guide a group during the course in the service in which the participant is employed.
• Commitment to lead another group the year after completing the course
• The number of participants in the course is limited, so hurry up and register.

[1] The intervention was developed by Prof. Susan McGurk and Prof. Kim Meuser from the Center for Psychiatric Rehabilitation at Boston University and was translated and adapted for Israel by the Shekhulu Tov group and the Rehabilitation School.