National Centre for Occupational Rehabilitation

The Occupational Rehabilitation Centre in Rauland is a National Centre in the field of Occupational Rehabilitation.

The National centre has its focus on inpatient rehabilitation where the objective is to help the client gain a better function in order to regain or maintain their ability to work.

The main tasks of the National Centre for Occupational Rehabilitation are research, documentation, imparting knowledge, and network-building. The National Centre is built on a network of institutions specialising in inpatient occupational rehabilitation, all being part of the specialised health service having an agreement with the Regional Health Authority. For the year 2011 a total of 25 institutions, including The Occupational Rehabilitation Centre in Rauland, are members of the network.

National Centre for Occupational Rehabilitation is placed under Southern and Eastern Norway Regional Health Authority on the command of the Ministry of Health and Care Services.

On our website you will find information about the activities at the National Centre, our research projects, published articles and other relevant information. 

About The Occupational Rehabilitation Centre in Rauland 

The Occupational Rehabilitation Centre in Rauland has worked with occupational rehabilitation since the centre was opened in 1986. More than 12000 clients have completed our 4-week program. The Occupational Rehabilitation Centre serves primary physicians, public health insurance, labour/work agencies and secondary health services (hospitals).

The persons served by our programme have a history of long periods of sick leave, many also have a complex background of problems. Thus they need a more integrated and complex rehabiltation programme than can be offered by the local community.

Since the start our aim has been to help people back to work. Our clients have on the average a sick leave history of about 12 months on admission. Our statistics show a 70 – 80 % success in helping people back to work.

The reasons for long periods of sick leave are complex. Sick leave especially for long periods creates a problem for the employed, the employer and society as a whole. The longer a person is absent from work due to ill health the higher is the risk of becoming unemployed and at worst unemployable.

Our aim regarding rehabilitation is to help our clients improve their function in such a way that they can regain or maintain their work capacity.

The average age on admission is about 43 years. In 2004, 50 % of the clients were admitted on L-diagnosis (International code of primary care – ICPC); in this group we find clients with problems connected to the muscelo- skeletal system. 34 % of the clients were admitted with a P-diagnosis. Anxiety, depression and “burn out” are the most common symptoms in the group of mental disorders.

The philosophy at  The Occupational Rehabilitation Centre in Rauland is that every person has the responsibility for his/her own life and the directions he/she chooses. The philosophy has its main idea in that we believe in a holistic attitude. In a holistic perspective all aspects are important: physical, mental, social and existential. The philosophy is that man is multidimensional. Human life is complex but integrated in a dynamic and process oriented way. The focus at The Occupational Rehabilitation Centre in Rauland is that the client shall sit in the “driver’s seat” in his /her own rehabilitation process. The idea that the person is free to take actions for his own interests and preferences is essential. This is in contrast to being a person that has no influence on the processes he / she is exposed to. Through an experience of coping with physical and social activities during the stay at The Occupational Rehabilitation Centre in Rauland, by a kind of “learning by doing” we work to supply a lasting learning effect.

If you have questions, please contact us at:

National Centre for Occupational Rehabilitation
Rehabiliteringssenteret AiR
N-3864 Rauland
Norway
www.air.no
post [alfakrøll] air [dot] no