Northern Lights Canada

Background

On September 9, 2003, Val Lougheed almost died in a head-on collision. She sustained catastrophic orthopaedic injuries and a brain injury. She spent the next five months in hospitals, and will be in active rehabilitation for the rest of her life. Ironically, at the time of the accident, Val – Social Worker, trainer and author – had been working in the field of rehabilitation herself for 25 years, and was in her 18th year as President and CEO of Northern Lights Canada, one of the largest vocational rehabilitation companies in the country.

Val now speaks of her experiences, combining her unique perspective as a patient/client and a practitioner.

ABSTRACT #1 TRAUMA, REHABILITATION AND RECOVERY

Part One – Keep Your Fork (1.5 hour Talk)

Objective

Val’s moving and inspiring story of recovery provides participants with an “insider’s” view of the experience of trauma, rehabilitation, recovery, and adjustment to a new life with physical and cognitive injuries.

Methods

Val tells her story in the narrative tradition of staying true to the events as she experienced them throughout her recovery. She presents an honest, open, and informing story about what it was really like to come back to “life” after near-death, considering aspects of pain, trauma, methods of helping, and narcotic pain killers.

This talk is based on the grounded qualitative research Val conducted on the narrative manuscript she wrote of her experiences, under the guidance of her Master’s advisor, Dr. Nancy Marlett, at the University of Calgary. Relevant theory is integrated into her story, to provide participants with a variety of perspectives into the meaning of her experiences.

Results

Participants will be filled with motivation to continue their important work as they consider:

• Why do some people recover and others don’t?
• What can patients/clients do to help make themselves better?
• What can practitioners do to facilitate recovery?

Conclusions

Insight, inspiration, and hope. Val’s session offers profound yet practical insights, along with hope for the future, for anyone involved in the process of rehabilitation – patients/clients and practitioners.

ABSTRACT #2 TRAUMA, REHABILITATION AND RECOVERY

Part Two – Be Still (1.5 hour Talk)

Objective

This session, which continues on from Part One, is Val’s story of her return to work. Starting at the point of ‘discharge’ from the acute care system, participants are provided with an “insider’s view” of the experience of shifting from the position of client to practitioner, and coming to terms with permanent physical and cognitive impairments.

Methods

Once again, Val tells her story in the narrative tradition of staying true to the events as she experienced them. She traces a journey that begins with identity disintegration, drug withdrawal, pain, and physical and cognitive therapy.

Val speaks of her experiences as a client in…

• the development of an Individual Written Rehabilitation Plan (IWRP)
• having three neuropsychological assessments
• being a client in a Head Injury Program
• trying to follow a Gradual Return to Work (GRTW) plan
• learning about neuroplasticity
• coming to terms with permanent impairments in the workplace

This talk is based on the continuing research Val is conducting with her advisor at the University of Calgary. As with Part One, relevant theory is integrated into her story, in order to provide participants with a variety of perspectives into the meaning of her experiences.

Results

Participants will gain insights into the experience of returning to work after injury, particularly after a brain injury, as they consider:

• Why do some people return to work and others don’t?
• What can clients do to help themselves recover and return to a life that includes work?
• What can practitioners do to facilitate recovery and a return to work?

Conclusions

Participants will be provided with a variety of different perspectives concerning the experience of returning to work, and the impact of their involvement – as a client or as a practitioner -- in such a process.

ABSTRACT #3 TRAUMA, REHABILITATION AND RECOVERY

Be Brief (Half-Hour Talk)

Objective

Val chronicles the first month of her recovery in order to provide participants with an “insider’s” view of the experience of trauma, rehabilitation, and recovery.

Methods

Val tells her story in the narrative tradition of staying true to the events as she experienced them. She includes some of the life lessons she has learned along the way concerning:

• Resilience
• Rehabilitation
• Recovery

Results

Participants will be encouraged to think about the profound impact they can have on the process of recovery – whether it be their client’s, their colleague’s, their family member’s or friend’s, or their own.

Conclusions

Participants will be motivated to consider how the experience of recovery provides new meaning to the development of supports and services designed to help people recuperate and return to work.