Rehabilitation

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Rehabilitation Neuro- Psychology

• Mike Martin, Ph.D.
• Roosevelt Warm Springs,
• Warm Springs, GA

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Overview

• Definitions
• My Professional Background
• What I do
• Frustrations

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What is Rehab Psychology?

• Work in healthcare settings
• Focus on facilitating physical rehabilitation
• Focus on adjustment and coping related to
  disability
• Different focus on mental illness and
  pre-existing personality issues than traditional
  clinical/counseling psychology

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What is Neuropsychology?

• Applies principles of assessment and intervention
  based upon the scientific study of human behavior
  as it relates to normal and abnormal functioning
  of the brain
• Main functions
• Determine location and extent of brain injury
• Make comments on level of cognitive/emotional
  functioning
• Make treatment recommendations

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Professional Background

• Roosevelt Warm Springs Rehabilitation Hospital
  and Long Term Acute Care Hospital
• Re-specialization (first in rehab then in neuro)
• Work with medically complex cases (cardiac,
  pulmonary, cancer, etc.)
• Work with strokes, brain injuries, spinal cord
  injuries, orthopedic injuries, and amputees

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Why I Chose Rehab Psych

• Focus on health and on strength rather than on
  pathology
• Can do a whole lot of good for people at a very
  vulnerable time in their lives
• Enjoy the medical setting
• Enjoy a fast pace

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Why I Chose Neuropsych

• Have worked mostly with neurologically impaired
  individuals
• Fascination with brain and how it works
• Inability of MRI/CT scans to explain dysfunction
  or predict recovery

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Rehabilitation Settings

• Inpatient and Outpatient
• Work with various other professionals
• Physicians
• Nurses
• Case Managers
• Physical Therapists
• Occupational Therapists
• Speech/Language Pathologists
• Recreation Therapists
• Many others (respiratory therapy, dietitians,
  etc.)

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What do I do?

• Facilitate emotional adjustment to disability
• Cope with pre-existing conditions
• Work with families
• Work with fellow staff
• Psychological/Neuropsychological assessment
• Education

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Emotional Adjustment to Disability

• Denial
• Anger/Hostility
• Depression
• Bargaining
• Acknowledgement
• Acceptance

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Pre-Existing Conditions

• Depression
• Anxiety
• Schizophrenia
• Personality Disorders
• You name it!

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Work with Families

• Sometimes family having harder time than patient
• Try to impart Rehab Spirit
• Learn about what patient was like premorbidly
  (before medical issue leading to rehab)

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Work with Fellow Staff

• Discuss how to accommodate mental illness,
  personality, etc.
• Educate on emotional states following disability
• Work on reinforcing progress at all stages
• Provide lots of support when there are difficult
  cases

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Psychological/ Neuropsychological Assessment

• Memory
• Problem-solving ability
• Other Neuropsychological Tests
• Personality Tests
• Vocational Assessment

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Education

• Work with patients so they can know what is
  normal following what they have been through
• Teach about the rehab process
• Teach techniques such as relaxation
• Educate families

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Frustrations with Rehab Psych

• Psychology is not primary
• Patients do not come see me for psych reasons
• Limitations on what you can do
• Sometimes miss traditional mental health setting
• Patients who do not get well no matter how hard
  they work