The Purpose:

To honor its commitment to wounded, ill, or injured soldiers, the US Army's Warrior Transition Units provide primary care, rehabilitation and case management services for warriors who have suffered injury or illness while on active duty. The mission of these Units is to ensure that each warrior returns to duty or to their community in a timely manner - and always with the utmost respect.

The Class:

The Matheson Functional Capacity Evaluation training will be provided at Fort Hood, Texas from May 11th through the 14th. This training will be open to military as well as civilian allied health professionals.

In May, 2009, Roy Matheson and Associates presented a customized version of the Matheson Functional Capacity Evaluation training and certification program with Army-specific case studies and work conditioning scenarios. The session included 4 days of Matheson Functional Capacity Evaluation and 1 day of Work Conditioning. A great deal of professional ideals were exchanged, with the most interesting and intense discussions centered around how Functional Capacity Evaluation can move people through the transition process. FCE once again proves to be the essential tool that provides hard functional data that is not impairment-based.

The class took place on location in Fort Hood, TX, with Christina Howe, OTR, CWCE and Roy Matheson providing specialized training to WTB staff from Fort Hood and from Fort Benning, Georgia..

Feedback from the class showed how pleased the participants were with RMA's ability to respond to the Army system, which is by nature different than civilian systems. The Matheson staff has begun a project to customize the Matheson FCE software to include portions of the Military Occupational Specialty data base. The MOS is the military equivalent to the civilian Dictionary of Occupational Titles, and with few modifications merges nicely with the software reporting and calculating functions of the Matheson Suite.

The Background:

In September 2008, Roy Matheson was invited to the San Antonio Warriors in Transition Rehabilitation Conference to share his thoughts and experiences in rehabilitation best practices and on functional capacity evaluation standards of care. At this meeting the Officer in Charge of the Fort Hood Warrior Transition Brigade Occupational Therapy Service was impressed by the Matheson System and has invited Roy to present a formal training on Matheson Functional Capacity Evaluation and Work Conditioning system.

The Future:

Call for course content details at 1-800-443-7690, 1-603-358-6525 or view them by visiting www.roymatheson.com.

We admire the US Army's commitment to our warriors, as well as your dedication to the rehabilitation profession, and look forward to talking with you soon.