Acronyms and Short Forms Glossary Download

• Introduction
• What is Rehab
  • Occupational therapists
  • Physical therapists
  • Speech Language Pathologists
  • Other rehab staff
  • Complementary therapies
• Rehab & Physical Issues
• Rehab & Emotional Issues
• Rehab & Cognitive Issues
• Rehab & Activities
• Accessing Services
• Working with Rehab
• Sticking with Treatment
• Self-management
• Rehabilitation Resources

Other people involved in rehabilitation

Physiatrists
Physiatrists are medical doctors that specialize in rehabilitation. They work to identify and treat people who have a disability.

List of services offered (please note this list is not exhaustive)

• Assessment of:
• health-related challenges you may be living with
• problems with the skeletal structure, such as arthritis and herniated disks
• problems with nerves and muscles
• soft tissue injuries
• chronic pain
• Treatments include:
• Working with you to develop a reasonable set of short- and long-term goals.
• Requesting medical tests to help make a proper diagnosis.
• Prescribing the necessary medications to ease pain and increase joint movement.
• Prescribing orthotics, braces, and other helpful tools.
• Providing an exercise plan that rebuilds strength and flexibility in an injured or weakened body part.
• Providing a tailored activity plan that meets your fitness goals without causing further pain or injury.
• Referring you to other rehabilitation professionals if needed.

Please refer to the “What is a Physiatrist?” section of the Canadian Association of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation (http://capmr.ca/) website for more information.

Dietitians
Dietitians are responsible for developing and running a wide variety of food- and nutrition-based programs.  The most important job of a dietitian for you is to create a healthy eating plan. Healthy eating helps the body function in the best way possible and can help to prevent disease.
For more information on dietitians, please visit the Dietitians of Canada website: http://www.dietitians.ca/

Social Workers
Social workers address challenges in the lives of individuals (i.e. emotional, social or work life), families (i.e. changing relationships, grief/loss), or communities (i.e. teaching coping strategies).  Social workers help clients to identify the root cause(s) of these challenges and to develop the skills and confidence to overcome them¹.  They also help you find the information you need and suggest where to find help from the community.  Social workers can be especially important during times of transition (e.g., moving from hospital to home, or from homelessness to supportive housing), as they can help coordinate the services you need and work with you to manage your feelings about change.  Social workers may also provide counselling and psychotherapy if you are experiencing challenges with mental health.
For further information on social work, please visit the Canadian Association of Social Workers website: http://www.casw-acts.ca/en.

Vocational or Employment Counsellors
A vocational, or employment, counsellor helps clients with their working life.  They can help if you want to go back to work, or if are working, but are worried about your future work life.

The vocational or employment counsellor works with you to overcome barriers to working, and recommends tools and routine changes that allow you to work to your full potential. These changes may include: updating your resume, building skills to prepare you for a new type of job, counselling you about requesting additional support from a current employer (i.e. flexible hours to attend medical appointments, the ability to work from home), or talking about whether or not you should disclose your HIV status in the workplace.

For further information on vocational counselling, please visit the Vocational Rehabilitation Association of Canada’s website: http://www.vracanada.com/