Work Related Issues

August, 2002 Developed by Mary Ellen Copeland PO Box 301, West Dummerston, VT 05357-0301 www.mentalhealthrecovery.com

You may feel that you are ready to start working, return to work, work more hours, change jobs or make some other changes in your work situation. If so, you may want to develop a special Wellness Recovery Action Plan to address these issues, or you may want to include them in a WRAP you have already developed for yourself or one you plan to develop.

Answering the following questions and reviewing the sample WRAP for work may help you with this.


Questions you may want Questions you may want to consider if you are not to consider if you are not working:working:

What would be my ideal job?

How many hours a day and how many days a week can I realistically work?

How much can I work and still be able

to do the things I know I need to do to keep myself well?

Do I need regular hours or would a flexible schedule be better for me?

Is it really the best thing for me to do right now?

Why do I want to work? How would it benefit me?

How do I know I am ready to work?

What are the special talents, abilities,

and experience that I would bring to a job?

Continued


Do I need more education or training to get the job I want? If so, how could I make that happen?

Would I prefer to be self employed or to work for someone else?

What accommodations would I need

from an employer to be able to work?

What would I tell employers about my mental health related issues?

Can I share a work space with others or do I need private space to work?

Could I consider working for someone else from my home?

How would getting a job affect my family life, social life and other responsibilities?

What changes do I need to make in my life in order to be able to work? How can I make these changes?

Continued


Do I have transportation to get to a job site? If not, what could I do about it?

Will I need new or different clothes if I have a job? If so, how can I get them?

What resources are available in the community that would help me find and keep a job?

What will I do to take care of myself

when I am working

How I will relieve work related stress?

How I will know when I can’t work?

How I will know when it is not the right job for me or when I need to change jobs, work fewer hours, or quit? How will I make these changes happen?

Who can assist me and support me as I look for work and begin working?

Continued


What steps do I need to take to find work that suits me? For instance, I could:

Contact a vocational rehabilitation or employment counselor

Enroll in a training or educational program

Visit the local Employment and Training office

Take some skills or aptitude tests

Talk to some of my supporters to get their feedback

Gather information on child care and transportation options

Contact potential employers


What changes do I need to make in my current work situation and why do I need to make them?

Am I ready to make these change?

How could I make these changes?

Does the job I have now make my life better or more difficult?

If my job makes my life more difficult, what could I do to change that?

Do my employer and the other employeestreat me well? If not, what can I do to change that?

Be advised: Many people who try to doshift work or work at night find it causes an increase in troubling and distressing symptoms. If you are in such a position and are having a hard time, this may be the reason. You may want to avoid such positions or have your work schedule modified.

Changing Your Current Changing Your Current Work SituationWork Situation


(Sample(Sample))


Below is a list of possible work related wellness tools. You can think of many others.

Getting to bed by 10 PM on work nights

Getting up at 7 AM on work days

Getting my clothes ready for work

Buying clothes

Arranging transportation

Making lunch and snacks

Relaxation and stress reduction techniques

Talk to my employer

Talk to my co-workers

Talk to a supporter

Talk to my vocational rehabilitation counselor

See my counselor

Call my health care provider

Arrange child care


How I work when I am wellHow I work when I am well

I get to work on time

I usually stay focused

I am able to work together with my co-workers

I can accept kind criticism

I am flexible and easy to work with

I am:

responsible

creative

can make good decisions based on common sense


Things I need to do every Things I need to do every day to stay well when I day to stay well when I am am working:working:

Get to bed at 11 pm and get up at 7 am

Eat a healthy breakfast and dinner

Pack my lunch and lunch for the children

Set out my clothes for work the night before

Take a shower and dress

Do at least two stress reduction exercises each day

Transport children

Do everything on my personal Daily Maintenance Plan


Things I might need to do:Things I might need to do:Buy bus tickets

Get the car fixed

Get gas in the car

Buy groceries

Call my health care provider

Do the laundry

Buy some new clothes

Arrange an appointment with a care provider or family member

Set up an appointment with a vocational counselor

Check in with my vocational counselor about my benefits

Peer counsel

Meet with my bosss


List those things that if they happened at work or were in some way related to work might upset you.

Having a disagreement with a co-worker

Making a big mistake

Being corrected by your employer

Being notified that benefits are being decreased

Losing child care

Equipment break-downs

Sexual harassment

Stigma

Being passed over for a promotion

Having too much to do

People at working not getting along well with each other

Missing breaks

Transportation problems

Being late


Triggers Action PlanTriggers Action Plan

If I am triggered, depending on the trigger I might:

Take a five minute break and do some deep breathing

Speak to my employer

Contact my voc rehab counselor

Speak to co-workers

Arrange to have dinner with a supporter

Do extra stress reduction exercises

Take a day off

Arrange an appointment with my counselor


Not looking forward to going to work

Not wanting to go to work

Being late

Falling behind in my tasks

Anxiety

Irritability

Difficulty doing what I need to do

Messy work space

Cry easily

Inability to concentrate

Forgetting things

Losing things


Early Warning Signs Early Warning Signs Action PlanAction Plan

If I notice several of these early warning signs I will do the following:

Take a personal day and do something or several things I really enjoy

Spend time doing only relaxing or fun things in the evening

Talk to a supporter each day

Peer counsel once a day

Do a focusing exercise

Arrange a special visit with my counselor

Ask for help with specific tasks

Temporarily shorten my work hours

Negotiate job changes


The following signs will let me The following signs will let me know that I am feeling much know that I am feeling much worse:worse:

Feel like I am dragging myself to work

Miss the bus three days in a row

Fighting with my co-workers

Very irritable

Making many mistakes

Unable to stay focused on my work for more than a few minutes

Taking unsafe risks

Unable to pay attention when others are talking to me

Can’t read

Feeling very anxious

Sweating excessively


When Things have Gotten When Things have Gotten Much Worse Action PlanMuch Worse Action Plan

If I notice several signs that things have gotten much worse I must do all

of the following:Arrange to take at least three

days off

Discuss my situation with my employer

Talk to my vocational counselor

Talk to my care provider

Each day at least:

One Peer counseling session

Two focusing exercises

Spend at least two hours each day doing things I enjoy

Consider making some job changes— take action if appropriate

If necessary, contact my state agency of protection and advocacy


If you are in a crisis, ask your supporters to assist you and to follow the crisis plan in your personal WRAP

Be sure the plan tells them to contact your employer, who you want to contact your employer and what you want them to tell your employer. You may want them to call her or him with updates as you feel better.


After you have been in a crisis and have been out of work for some time, you may have to carefully consider if, when, and how you will return to work.

Questions you might need to ask yourself include:

What role did work play in causing

this crisis?

Is there something about the work I need to change?

Do I need to talk to my employer to negotiate some changes in my work?

Do I need to work fewer hours?

Should I resign and look for a different job? If so, how should I proceed?


In the timetable for resuming In the timetable for resuming responsibilities section of your responsibilities section of your personal WRAP, you could plan personal WRAP, you could plan something like the following (you something like the following (you may need to revise this plan as may need to revise this plan as you proceed):you proceed):Responsibility:

Going back to work

Who has been doing this for me:

My co-workers have taken over my data entry work and Susan took responsibility for my classes

While I am resuming this responsibility I need:

To be sure I do everything on my

Daily Maintenance Plan

My spouse to continue doing my household chores

Full time child care

Continued


Plan for resuming workThree days after I determine I

am in the post crisis stage, I will go back to work for 2 hours a day for five days

For one week go back to work half time

For one week work 3/4 timeResume full work schedule


Check out the following resources Check out the following resources which may give you guidance and which may give you guidance and help answer your work-related help answer your work-related questions.questions.

Your public library

The internet: If you do not know how to use the internet, or do not have the needed equipment, most libraries now have computers you can use and can help you learn how to use the computer and access the internet.

Your State Department of Employment and Training

Vocational Rehabilitation Services

National Rehabilitation Information Center

ABLEDATA Database of Assistive Technology

8455 Colesville Road Suite 935Silver Spring, MD 20910-3319

V/TT: 800/227-0216 or 301/589-3563

Documents

Work Related Issues