Date and Time: March 11, 2026 | 12:00 pm - 1:00 pm Eastern Time

Webinar Description:
Return to work (RTW) is a long-standing area of occupational therapy practice, involving assessment, treatment, planning and care navigation. But both the nature of work and systems surrounding disability management are rapidly evolving. Occupational therapists are increasingly supporting clients with invisible and episodic conditions such as concussion, long COVID, lupus and mental health challenges, in which complex and non-linear RTW pathways can exist. At the same time growing recognition of equity, diversity and inclusion factors are reshaping how clients access support, disclose disability and their overall RTW experiences. The webinar will share findings from an OSOT funded research project exploring RTW following concussion, using this study as an example to highlight emerging factors that affect RTW as identified in literature and occupational therapy practice.

By the end of this webinar you will:

• Recognize the complexities of invisible and episodic conditions. 
• Evaluate the role of occupational therapists in addressing barriers and facilitators to return to work across diverse contexts. 
• Apply equity informed and client-centered strategies to support individuals navigating complex RTW journeys in your own practice settings.

Presenters:
Behdin Nowrouzi-Kia, OT Reg. (Ont.), PhD, is an occupational therapist and assistant professor at the Department of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy. He holds the Inaugural Emily Geldsaler Grant Early Career Professorship in the Workplace Mental Health Program. Dr. Nowrouzi-Kia uses an occupational lens to systematically study occupations related to workability, work disability prevention, and return to work. This approach is designed to produce results that are directly applicable to identifying, assessing risks and developing interventions for preventing/improving and optimizing functioning in the workplace. Dr. Nowrouzi-Kia’s work is motivated by efforts in the field of work disability prevention that extend beyond efforts to prevent or cure diseases from a purely physical perspective toward holistic approaches. The major tenets of his work use a biopsychosocial perspective to understand work disability and extend towards incorporating personal, occupational, and environmental considerations. Dr. Nowrouzi-Kia is also an affiliate scientist at the Krembil Research Institute, Toronto Western Hospital, University Health Network and a Collaborating Scientist at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health. 

Maryam Shahzad, OT Reg. (Ont.), PhD student, is an occupational therapist with extensive experience in neurorehabilitation and RTW practice. She is also currently a third-year PhD student at the Rehabilitation Sciences Institute, University of Toronto, where she researches work reintegration following head injury. Throughout her career, Maryam has learned that successful RTW requires more than clinical skills -it demands a nuanced understanding of the unique, often invisible challenges clients face and the systemic barriers within workplaces and disability systems. This insight has shaped her commitment to equity-informed practice and client-centered care.

Fees: (All fees are plus HST)

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The presentation will be recorded and will be available to watch on OSOT's Archived Webinars page shortly after the event.