A NEW program, The Vocational Intervention Program (VIP), was launched on Tuesday, July 14 at Dubbo Quality Inn, which aims to assist an individual's return to the workforce after a brain injury.
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Dubbo, along with Bathurst, was chosen as a location for the pilot program in Western NSW.
The statewide program has also been launched in the North Coast and Sydney regions.
Funded by Lifetime Care and Support Authority, WorkCover NSW and the Motor Accidents Authority, the end result of the program should see a closer collaboration between the person with a brain injury, employers, vocational service providers and health clinicians.
Vocational Programs Lifetime Care and Support Authority senior project officer Garry Kent said there was a need to improve the unemployment rate of people with brain injuries.
"We not only want to improve the unemployment rate, but also boost the sustainability of the individuals staying at their jobs," Mr Kent said.
In order to do that, Mr Kent said the individuals would partake in either the Fast Track modules, which would assist people following a brain injury to return to their employer, or the New Track modules, helping a person discover what future work they can do by undertaking a 12 week placement.
Mr Kent said he was pleased with the response the program had received from employers in Dubbo offering to take part in the VIP program.
"Without the support of employers, none of this would be possible," he said.
Managing director of BreakThru Solutions Ross Lewis also commended the local employers for taking part.
"Employing a person with disability is not an act of charity, it's the chance to employ a good worker," Mr Lewis said.
The launch then took a turn as Tom Newlands shared his experiences with returning to the workforce after a hit-and-run incident in 2014 left him fighting for his life and with a permanent brain injury.
He spoke of his recovery at Westmead Hospital in Sydney followed by his rehabilitation at Lourdes Hospital.
Mr Newlands said he was employed at Narromine Shire Council before the incident and had recently returned for part-time work.
"It's been different coming back, but I'm slowly building up to where I was before the accident," he said.
Mr Newlands said he had a long way to go with his rehabilitation, but returning to the normality of the workplace had given him a boost.
"I guess it's just important for people to remember there's a light at the end of the tunnel," he said.