Community Therapist Consultations
Referral:
- Community therapist obtains consent from the client to contact the Seating Program Therapists to discuss their seating issues.
- Community therapist contacts the Seating Program to discuss the client's case with a Seating Program therapist and mutually decide the best approach to pursue. This will be based on the community therapist's comfort level with the client's w/c and seating needs, and whether the community therapist feels they require only one to three consultation appointments from a seating program therapist to be able to complete the client's seating assessment process.
a) If a consult is determined to be the best approach the community therapist discusses the roles/responsibilities and the scope of seating program intervention with the client. The community therapist then completes a Community Consultation Pre-Assessment Form and forwards it to the Seating Program either by mail or by fax. The community therapist also makes arrangements for the doctor's referral to be faxed to the seating program.
b) If certain a consult is not appropriate and wish seating clinic to complete the full assessment complete the Pre-Assessment Form for a full referral and forward it to the Seating Program secretary. Once the referral form and the doctor's referral are received, the referring therapist will be contacted and a consultation appointment will be scheduled at that time.
Assessment Consultation:
- The first consultation appointment will be an assessment by the seating program therapist and the community therapist at Parkwood Institute in the Seating Program clinical area. This allows the seating program therapist to get to know the client and the issues around their wheelchair and seating needs. It may or may not include an assessment on the mat.
- Following the assessment, analysis and recommendations, the need for further involvement from the Seating Program therapist must be determined.
a) It may be determined that the client would be more appropriate for a Full Referral to the seating program rather than continue as a consultation.
b) If no further consultation is required from the seating program therapist, the client will be discharged from the seating program therapist's caseload.
c) If further consultation is indicated, then timelines must be indicated as part of the plan.
- The Seating Program Consultation Assessment Report Form will be completed at the first consultation appointment and a copy will be provided to the referring community therapist.
Post Assessment Consultation
- Subsequent appointments must be made at the time of the assessment consultation, or by calling the program therapist to schedule the time. All appointments will be at Parkwood Institute.
- Consultation reports will be written at each consultation appointment, and a copy provided to the referring community therapist.
Discharge
Discharge of seating program consultation can occur in the following situations:
a. It has been mutually decided between the Seating Program therapist, the referring community therapist and the client that the seating program therapist's involvement is no longer needed. This may occur at any stage of the seating process, as the seating program therapist is not acting as the case manager. This will be documented as part of the plan on the Seating Program Consultation Report.
b. The referring community therapist is discharged from the case prior to the completion of the seating process. The seating program therapist's role is to provide consultation for the referring therapist. This occurrence will be documented in the seating program's progress notes of the client's file.
i) The client may be referred to the seating program but is required to fill out the Full Referral and will be placed on the waiting list.
ii) A replacement community therapist will also be required to make a new referral for Community Consultation if the replacement community therapist indicates further involvement is needed from the seating program therapist.
c. After a four-month period of no contact by the referring therapist the client will automatically be discharged from the seating program therapist's caseload. This will be documented in the progress notes of the seating program client file.