Workers appropriate for referral are those who have been injured on the job and whose current level of functioning interferes with their ability to carry out essential job functions in the workplace. They must be medically and psychologically stable and have received maximum benefit from acute care rehabilitation prior to entry into this program. Participants must have a job to which they may return or a goal of returning to gainful employment.
	Individuals referred to Work Hardening are given an FCE to identify as accurately as possible current functional limitations and abilities, and to identify their potential for return to work. Individuals referred to Work Hardening are typically scheduled for an FCE within four days of referral/approval with Work Hardening, typically starting Work Hardening the day after testing.
	It is a daily treatment program. The worker is scheduled for four hours per day during the first week, and six hours per day during the second week, seven hours per day the third week, and eight hours per day during the fourth and, typically, final week.
	Work Hardening is supervised by a physical or occupational therapist at all times. The licensed professional counselor meets with Work Hardening patients weekly. Individuals in the Work Hardening program meet with their treatment team weekly to assess progress and plan the upcoming week of treatment. Case Managers are welcome to attend the weekly progress meetings or at other times by appointment.
	Work Hardening provides a transition between management of the initial injury and return to work, while addressing the issues of productivity, safety, physical tolerances, and work behaviors. Work Hardening programs are real or simulated work activities in a relevant work environment in conjunction with physical conditioning tasks. These activities are used to progressively improve the biomechanical, neuromuscular, cardiovascular/metabolic, behavioral, attitudinal, and vocational functioning of the persons served.
	It is an aggressive results-oriented treatment program with the primary goal of returning people to work. Individuals are discharged as soon as they demonstrate the skills to return to work, when they do not progress, or when they do not comply with program attendance guidelines, which is signed when they enter the program.
	A modified FCE is performed at the conclusion of the Work Hardening Program.