Page Utilities
Jeffrey Kreutzer, PhD, The National Resource Center for Traumatic Brain Injury, Virginia Commonwealth Model Systems of Care
A fifty-five year old bookkeeper had a severe brain injury. He was unconscious for three weeks and hospitalized for five months. Cognitive evaluation at the time of discharge revealed standardized math test scores at the second-grade level.
A twenty-nine year old construction worker had a moderate brain injury. He was hospitalized for less than a month. Even with medication, he suffered from “stabbing” headaches daily for three to five hours at a time. When they came on, he had to stop whatever he was doing and sit down until he felt better.
A forty-six year old newspaper editor had a concussion and lost consciousness for less than an hour. He was seen briefly in the emergency room and returned home. The editor was unable to sleep more than three hours at a time and could not remember what he read. He spoke slowly, often went off topic, and had word-finding problems.
Each of these people had a serious injury and each had a challenging job. Yet, they were all able to hold a job and felt secure in their positions.
How Did They Do It?
The bookkeeper and construction worker were employed in businesses owned by immediate family members. The editor had been working with the same group of co-workers and support staff for more than 20 years. All three of them were given as much understanding, patience, and support as they needed. In each case, co-workers gladly took on at least some of their job responsibilities.
Job counselors have had a hard time predicting work success from medical data and standardized test results. Support in the work environment seems to be the most important predictor of success.
What Can I Do?
There are at least three things you can do to affect the level of support you receive in the workplace. First, you can avoid choosing or staying in a job where employers and co-workers don’t believe in supporting one another. Second, you can do things to encourage the support of co-workers and supervisors. Third, you can avoid doing things that discourage others from supporting you.
From the National Resource Center for Traumatic Brain Injury, Virginia Commonwealth Model Systems of Care. Reprinted with permission. www.neuro.pmr.vcu.edu.
Jeffrey Kreutzer, PhD,
Jeffrey S. Kreutzer, PhD, ABPP, is the Rosa Schwarz Cifu Professor of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU), Medical College of Virginia Campus. There, he is also a professor of Neurosurgery and Psychiatry. Dr. Kreutzer serves as Director of Virginia's federally designated Traumatic Brain Injury Model System and coordinates VCU Health System outpatient services for families and persons with brain injury.
For the last two decades, he has been active in implementing empirically based vocational rehabilitation, psychological support, cognitive rehabilitation, and family support programs.
Dr. Kreutzer has co-authored nearly 150 peer-reviewed publications, most in the area of traumatic brain injury and rehabilitation. Co-Editor-in-Chief of the international journals Brain Injury and Neurorehabilitation, he has also published a dozen books focused on topics including vocational rehabilitation, community integration, behavior management, and cognitive rehabilitation.
Currently, he serves as Editor-in-Chief of the soon to be published by Springer, New York, Encyclopedia of Clinical Neuropsychology.
The contents of Brainline (the “Web Site”), such as text, graphics, images, information obtained from the Web Site’s licensors and/or consultants, and other material contained on the Web Site (collectively, the “Content”) are for informational purposes only. The Content is not intended to be a substitute for medical, legal, or other professional advice, diagnosis, or treatment.
Specifically, with regards to medical issues, always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on the Web Site. If you think you may have a medical emergency, call your doctor or 911 immediately. The Web Site does not recommend or endorse any specific tests, physicians, products, procedures, opinions, or other information that may be mentioned on the Web Site. Reliance on any information provided by the Web Site or by employees, volunteers or contractors or others associated with the Web Site and/or other visitors to the Web Site is solely at your own risk.
See All TBI Topics