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article: Client Oriented Role Evaluation

Darene Toal-Sullivan & Peter R. Henderson. (March/April 2004). “Client-Oriented Role Evaluation (CORE): The Development of a Clinical Rehabilitation Instrument to Assess Role Change Associated With Disability.” The American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 58(2), 211-220.

This article describes an assessment tool (CORE) which the authors recommend be used in rehabilitation and occupational therapy services. The article and the assessment tool explicitly incorporate elements of role theory. For example, the authors describe the reality of role loss upon someone becoming physically and/or intellectually impaired. They also propose setting particular role goals (e.g., to regain the role of worker, mother, PTA chair, etc.) to help guide and motivate the rehabilitation process.

The article briefly lays out some of the elements of role theory and then applies these to rehabilitation. Many of these concepts clearly resonate with SRV theory and application (e.g., role performance, role activities, link between roles and identity, expectations, status, role domains, skill acquisition, the role communicator of physical setting, etc.).

Though focused on rehabilitation and occupational therapy upon someone becoming impaired, the authors briefly mention the possible relevance of the CORE tool to aging and disability services more broadly.

In light of SRV, the article does not mention anything related to imagery or image enhancement. Wolfensberger’s formulation of SRV proposes both image enhancement and competency enhancement as the key strategies to help a devalued person or group to gain or hold onto valued social roles. Nor does the article discuss the reality of societally devalued roles; again, a key component of SRV and PASSING training.

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