Objective: The study aims to explore factors of workplace injury and chronic illnesses patients in a return to work program which are associated with return to work outcomes. Design: A retrospective cohort study. Setting: Return to Work Department, Social Security Organisation, Malaysia. Method: All participants of the Return to Work Rehabilitation Program who were absent from work due to workplace injury and chronic illnesses between January 2008 and December 2013 with no other history of injury were included. The main outcome of the study was the number in days from day one of injury prior to return of gainful employment. Hierarchical multiple regression methods were used to determine the identified factors that influence the return to work outcome. Results: An initial study with data from January 2008 and December 2011 of cases with occupational injury showed 66% (n = 1,552) of the participants had returned to work. The average number of days to return to work was 201 days. Hierarchical multiple regression analysis identified duration of referral to the Return to Work rehabilitation program, monthly salary, Whole Person Impairment ratings, DASS 21 anxiety and DASS 21 stress scale as factors that influenced return to work, explaining 32% of the variance. However an analysis of the remaining cases such as cases with chronic illnesses will be included in the final results of this study. Conclusion: Currently, a total of 66% participants had returned to employment after occupational injury. It is essential to understand the complex pathway from the point of injury and illnesses until returning to work in order to develop more effective return to work practices.
{"title":"Exploring the factors of workplace injury and chronic illness in return-to-work outcomes","authors":"Hafez Hussain","doi":"10.1017/IDM.2014.70","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1017/IDM.2014.70","url":null,"abstract":"Objective: The study aims to explore factors of workplace injury and chronic illnesses patients in a return to work program which are associated with return to work outcomes. Design: A retrospective cohort study. Setting: Return to Work Department, Social Security Organisation, Malaysia. Method: All participants of the Return to Work Rehabilitation Program who were absent from work due to workplace injury and chronic illnesses between January 2008 and December 2013 with no other history of injury were included. The main outcome of the study was the number in days from day one of injury prior to return of gainful employment. Hierarchical multiple regression methods were used to determine the identified factors that influence the return to work outcome. Results: An initial study with data from January 2008 and December 2011 of cases with occupational injury showed 66% (n = 1,552) of the participants had returned to work. The average number of days to return to work was 201 days. Hierarchical multiple regression analysis identified duration of referral to the Return to Work rehabilitation program, monthly salary, Whole Person Impairment ratings, DASS 21 anxiety and DASS 21 stress scale as factors that influenced return to work, explaining 32% of the variance. However an analysis of the remaining cases such as cases with chronic illnesses will be included in the final results of this study. Conclusion: Currently, a total of 66% participants had returned to employment after occupational injury. It is essential to understand the complex pathway from the point of injury and illnesses until returning to work in order to develop more effective return to work practices.","PeriodicalId":53532,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Disability Management","volume":"5 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2014-11-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"80718261","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Nigeria is made up of not less than 250 divergent ethnic nationalities and since independence in 1960 has had no success in reducing social inequality, social injustice and achieving even development, especially as it affects the disabled in our society. Furthermore, the neglect of the disabled is deliberately nurtured and sustained by the activities of the government, the ruling class and certain dominant social groups. This presentation will contend that if the existing widening gap between the rich and poor remains unchecked, the long term implication will be widespread instability that will lead to further disadvantage of the less privileged (including the disabled) in Nigeria. Although the future does not look bright, there are certain measures that can be put in place that can form the bedrock for instituting a society where every individual is recognised, nurtured, their full potential is developed and are given equal opportunity.
{"title":"Nigeria is a highly multicultural and multilingual society and is divided along class lines and in between these lines are less privileged disabled people who often suffer the most","authors":"Uzoma Edwards, Osita Ike, Mark Hobere Aiminhiefe","doi":"10.1017/idm.2014.24","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1017/idm.2014.24","url":null,"abstract":"Nigeria is made up of not less than 250 divergent ethnic nationalities and since independence in 1960 has had no success in reducing social inequality, social injustice and achieving even development, especially as it affects the disabled in our society. Furthermore, the neglect of the disabled is deliberately nurtured and sustained by the activities of the government, the ruling class and certain dominant social groups. This presentation will contend that if the existing widening gap between the rich and poor remains unchecked, the long term implication will be widespread instability that will lead to further disadvantage of the less privileged (including the disabled) in Nigeria. Although the future does not look bright, there are certain measures that can be put in place that can form the bedrock for instituting a society where every individual is recognised, nurtured, their full potential is developed and are given equal opportunity.","PeriodicalId":53532,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Disability Management","volume":"13 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2014-11-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"78931131","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Background: This presentation focuses on results from studies concerning workplace health and rehabilitation interventions in one Swedish rural municipality including 19 workplaces with a population of 311 individuals. The municipality has implemented a model for human resource accounting, an extensive leader and co-worker development program and specific workplace based health and rehabilitation measures. Methods: The studies compare co-workers and leaders self-ratings of health and psychosocial working conditions, and investigate how workplace health and rehabilitation programs affect these ratings by analysing quantitative results before, during and after carried out interventions. Qualitative data collection consisted of semi-structured interviews with middle managers and an examination of documents reviewing content of the interventions that had been carried out. Findings: Results indicate differences concerning how the leaders and the co-workers judge their health and psychosocial working conditions. When comparing mean changes in scores on indexes by individuals grouped in the high quality workplace-based program group with individuals grouped in the low quality workplace-based program group, there were more positive mean changes for the former group. Discussion: The findings of differences concerning how public sector leaders and co-workers judge their health and psychosocial working conditions give support for different job characteristics for these two categories of employees. The rather strong relationships in the assumed direction between employees’ assessment of changes in health, and changes concerning stress and psychosocial working conditions that resulted are in line with other research studies. Comparing workplaces grouped as having high quality workplace-based programs with workplaces with low quality workplace-based programs indicates that workplace-based prevention and rehabilitation programs in public human service organizations using a broad change strategy with high levels of participation from both managers and co-workers, and developed leadership behaviour are more effective in improving employee health and psychosocial working conditions.
{"title":"Workplace-based prevention and rehabilitation programs in Swedish public human service organisations","authors":"S. Vinberg","doi":"10.1017/idm.2014.16","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1017/idm.2014.16","url":null,"abstract":"Background: This presentation focuses on results from studies concerning workplace health and rehabilitation interventions in one Swedish rural municipality including 19 workplaces with a population of 311 individuals. The municipality has implemented a model for human resource accounting, an extensive leader and co-worker development program and specific workplace based health and rehabilitation measures. Methods: The studies compare co-workers and leaders self-ratings of health and psychosocial working conditions, and investigate how workplace health and rehabilitation programs affect these ratings by analysing quantitative results before, during and after carried out interventions. Qualitative data collection consisted of semi-structured interviews with middle managers and an examination of documents reviewing content of the interventions that had been carried out. Findings: Results indicate differences concerning how the leaders and the co-workers judge their health and psychosocial working conditions. When comparing mean changes in scores on indexes by individuals grouped in the high quality workplace-based program group with individuals grouped in the low quality workplace-based program group, there were more positive mean changes for the former group. Discussion: The findings of differences concerning how public sector leaders and co-workers judge their health and psychosocial working conditions give support for different job characteristics for these two categories of employees. The rather strong relationships in the assumed direction between employees’ assessment of changes in health, and changes concerning stress and psychosocial working conditions that resulted are in line with other research studies. Comparing workplaces grouped as having high quality workplace-based programs with workplaces with low quality workplace-based programs indicates that workplace-based prevention and rehabilitation programs in public human service organizations using a broad change strategy with high levels of participation from both managers and co-workers, and developed leadership behaviour are more effective in improving employee health and psychosocial working conditions.","PeriodicalId":53532,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Disability Management","volume":"272 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2014-11-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"77875989","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Objective: We investigate labour-market earnings of workers’ compensation claimants from three distinctly different workers’ compensation insurance support programs for claimants with permanent impairments. These three programs, which existed in Ontario, Canada in different periods over the last 25 years, are the Permanent Disability (PD) program, the Future Economic Loss (FEL) program, and the Loss of Earnings (LOE) program. The nature of benefit determination and the return to work supports provided by three programs are very different. The focus of the study is on evidence of programmatic impact on labour-market earnings recovery trajectories over nine years post injury. Methods: The study included claimants sampled from each of the three programs who sustained a permanent impairment from a work injury. Claimants were identified in a Revenue Canada tax file database known as the Longitudinal Administrative Databank (LAD), which is a longitudinal 20% simple random sample of all Canadian tax filers. Each claimant was matched with similar uninjured controls that were also in the LAD, based on sex, age, labour-market earnings amounts and trajectories in the four years prior to injury, and a propensity score. Statistical modeling analysis was undertaken to compare the labour-market earnings trajectories of claimants relative to their matched controls using data on earnings over the nine years post injury. Analyses focused on sub-strata defined by program, sex, age, permanent impairment level, and pre-injury earnings. A key issue of interest was to determine which program of supports resulted in the best labour-market earnings recovery. Results: Five distinct earnings recovery trajectories were identified. Claimants in various demographic and pre-injury earnings sub-strata from the LOE program cohort had a statistically significant lower probability of the lowest earnings recovery trajectory, and higher probability of the second highest trajectory compared to the PD cohort. Results for the LOE program were similar to the FEL program. Conclusions: Injured workers from the LOE program appear to fare better than claimants from the PD program and similarly to those from the FEL program in terms of labour-market earnings recovery over the nine years post injury. Across all programs, older claimants fare more poorly, and women fare worse than men in terms of labour-market earnings recovery.
{"title":"Work disability trajectories under three workers’ compensation programs","authors":"E. Tompa","doi":"10.1017/idm.2014.61","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1017/idm.2014.61","url":null,"abstract":"Objective: We investigate labour-market earnings of workers’ compensation claimants from three distinctly different workers’ compensation insurance support programs for claimants with permanent impairments. These three programs, which existed in Ontario, Canada in different periods over the last 25 years, are the Permanent Disability (PD) program, the Future Economic Loss (FEL) program, and the Loss of Earnings (LOE) program. The nature of benefit determination and the return to work supports provided by three programs are very different. The focus of the study is on evidence of programmatic impact on labour-market earnings recovery trajectories over nine years post injury. Methods: The study included claimants sampled from each of the three programs who sustained a permanent impairment from a work injury. Claimants were identified in a Revenue Canada tax file database known as the Longitudinal Administrative Databank (LAD), which is a longitudinal 20% simple random sample of all Canadian tax filers. Each claimant was matched with similar uninjured controls that were also in the LAD, based on sex, age, labour-market earnings amounts and trajectories in the four years prior to injury, and a propensity score. Statistical modeling analysis was undertaken to compare the labour-market earnings trajectories of claimants relative to their matched controls using data on earnings over the nine years post injury. Analyses focused on sub-strata defined by program, sex, age, permanent impairment level, and pre-injury earnings. A key issue of interest was to determine which program of supports resulted in the best labour-market earnings recovery. Results: Five distinct earnings recovery trajectories were identified. Claimants in various demographic and pre-injury earnings sub-strata from the LOE program cohort had a statistically significant lower probability of the lowest earnings recovery trajectory, and higher probability of the second highest trajectory compared to the PD cohort. Results for the LOE program were similar to the FEL program. Conclusions: Injured workers from the LOE program appear to fare better than claimants from the PD program and similarly to those from the FEL program in terms of labour-market earnings recovery over the nine years post injury. Across all programs, older claimants fare more poorly, and women fare worse than men in terms of labour-market earnings recovery.","PeriodicalId":53532,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Disability Management","volume":"12 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2014-11-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://sci-hub-pdf.com/10.1017/idm.2014.61","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"72530938","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
We seek to - Found an organisation which represents the interests of the disability manager and disability management (VDIMA e. V.).- Advertise campaigns to inform about the general objectives of professional disability management.- Build relationships to all the stakeholders especially to decision-makers in politics.- Offer further vocational training to the disability manager.
我们寻求-建立一个代表残疾经理和残疾管理利益的组织(VDIMA e. V.)。-宣传宣传残疾专业管理的一般目标。-与所有利益相关者,特别是政治决策者建立关系。-为残疾管理人员提供进一步的职业培训。
{"title":"Establishing the DM profession in Germany","authors":"G. Pruss","doi":"10.1017/idm.2014.54","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1017/idm.2014.54","url":null,"abstract":"We seek to - Found an organisation which represents the interests of the disability manager and disability management (VDIMA e. V.).- Advertise campaigns to inform about the general objectives of professional disability management.- Build relationships to all the stakeholders especially to decision-makers in politics.- Offer further vocational training to the disability manager.","PeriodicalId":53532,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Disability Management","volume":"25 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2014-11-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"82092130","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Research suggests that psychosocial factors predict recovery better than biomedical factors alone in the normal population. However, no studies have been carried out in the disability income insurance setting, where the availability of financial cover is usually perceived as the main detractor of recovery and return to work. Swiss Re's clinical claims team in collaboration with the Research & Development team, conducted a 3 year prospective study to evaluate the role of psychosocial factors in recovery within a group income protection sample. Predictors of return to work were: beliefs about recovery and work, work ethic, coping, and self-efficacy. Interestingly, medical diagnosis alone and treatment did not predict recovery and return to work in this sample. Our objective was to conduct research to gain an understanding of psychosocial predictors in the insurance setting, and additionally to develop specific claims management strategies for our claims assessors to manage their claims more effectively through exploring the psychosocial barriers influencing on a claimant's absence, and providing adequate support at the right time, in a cost-effective manner.
{"title":"The impact of psychosocial factors on claims outcomes in the group income protection market: findings from a prospective pilot study","authors":"Carly Van Den Akker","doi":"10.1017/idm.2014.20","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1017/idm.2014.20","url":null,"abstract":"Research suggests that psychosocial factors predict recovery better than biomedical factors alone in the normal population. However, no studies have been carried out in the disability income insurance setting, where the availability of financial cover is usually perceived as the main detractor of recovery and return to work. Swiss Re's clinical claims team in collaboration with the Research & Development team, conducted a 3 year prospective study to evaluate the role of psychosocial factors in recovery within a group income protection sample. Predictors of return to work were: beliefs about recovery and work, work ethic, coping, and self-efficacy. Interestingly, medical diagnosis alone and treatment did not predict recovery and return to work in this sample. Our objective was to conduct research to gain an understanding of psychosocial predictors in the insurance setting, and additionally to develop specific claims management strategies for our claims assessors to manage their claims more effectively through exploring the psychosocial barriers influencing on a claimant's absence, and providing adequate support at the right time, in a cost-effective manner.","PeriodicalId":53532,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Disability Management","volume":"86 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2014-11-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"79132265","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
The socio-professional reintegration of spinal cord injured (SCI) patients, remains challenging due to aggravating circumstances. In spite of conventional treatment the patients’ limitations regarding mobility, chronic pain syndrome, incontinence and prolonged inability to work due to decubitus ulcer and contractures often add up to an insurmountable disadvantage in the occupational rehabilitation. An international cooperation between Cyberdyne Inc. (Japan) and the professional association of raw materials and chemical industry (Germany), focusing on a new therapeutic approach reveals promising outcomes to improve the situation of these spinal cord injured patients. During the treatment the patients perform a locomotion training using the hybrid assistive limb (HAL®) exoskeleton which offers the unique possibility to record and amplify minimal bioelectrical signals by emg-electrodes on the skin of the lower extremities resulting in machine supported gait pattern synchronously to the patient´s voluntary drive. After 12 weeks of training significant improvements, regarding functional mobility has been achieved leading overall to a more autonomous and motivated patient. The presentation of the results and potential impact on the occupational rehabilitation will be based on video supported case reports.
{"title":"A new approach to occupational reintegration using the hybrid assistive limb voluntary driven exoskeleton HAL","authors":"Hans-Jörg Piasecki, O. Cruciger","doi":"10.1017/idm.2014.63","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1017/idm.2014.63","url":null,"abstract":"The socio-professional reintegration of spinal cord injured (SCI) patients, remains challenging due to aggravating circumstances. In spite of conventional treatment the patients’ limitations regarding mobility, chronic pain syndrome, incontinence and prolonged inability to work due to decubitus ulcer and contractures often add up to an insurmountable disadvantage in the occupational rehabilitation. An international cooperation between Cyberdyne Inc. (Japan) and the professional association of raw materials and chemical industry (Germany), focusing on a new therapeutic approach reveals promising outcomes to improve the situation of these spinal cord injured patients. During the treatment the patients perform a locomotion training using the hybrid assistive limb (HAL®) exoskeleton which offers the unique possibility to record and amplify minimal bioelectrical signals by emg-electrodes on the skin of the lower extremities resulting in machine supported gait pattern synchronously to the patient´s voluntary drive. After 12 weeks of training significant improvements, regarding functional mobility has been achieved leading overall to a more autonomous and motivated patient. The presentation of the results and potential impact on the occupational rehabilitation will be based on video supported case reports.","PeriodicalId":53532,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Disability Management","volume":"104 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2014-11-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"77001661","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
The International Social Security Association (ISSA) “Guidelines on Return-to-Work and Reintegration” (the Guidelines) chronicles good practice models, policies and procedures which have successfully been implemented by social security institutions in respect of return-to-work and reintegration. Models have specifically been developed by ISSA in order to identify approaches that will enable decision-makers in social security institutions to benefit from global experience in this area. In particular, the Guidelines are designed to: outline strategic options for social security institutions in order to achieve these outcomes; stimulate discussion around good practice return-to-work programmes for social security institutions; identify critical success design elements; and offer practical implementation tools. Return-to-work of occupationally injured and diseased workers, and the management of their disabilities, is an area clearly in need of reform in the developing world. The proposed contribution focuses on the recent experiences of two middle-to-high income developing countries, namely Malaysia and South Africa, who are at different stages of introducing and implementing detailed return-to-work measures. The paper considers salient aspects of the seven “Specific Return-to-work Principles and Guidelines” (the Specific Guidelines, contained in Part B of the Guidelines) and matches these against the approaches adopted / being adopted by Malaysia and South Africa respectively. This methodology is designed to provide a comparative, context-specific sample of the application of selected issues emerging from the Specific Guidelines in order to provide some pointers for purposes of extrapolating how return-to-work and reintegration might be introduced and implemented in other (middle-to-high income) countries in the developing world. The paper acknowledges the tremendous challenges faced by developing countries in introducing and implementing return-to-work and reintegration arrangements, but focuses instead on the application of Specific Guidelines such as “early intervention” and an “individualized approach” in Malaysia and South Africa. The paper draws on constitutional frameworks, draft and existing legislation, policy statements and judicial precedent in order to demonstrate the extent to which the two countries have already been able to integrate selected best practice principles, which are now contained in the Specific Guidelines, in their respective approaches. The paper accordingly holds the potential to demonstrate that the sentiments contained in the Guidelines are practically implementable and ought, therefore, to be carefully considered and analysed by other countries seeking to introduce similar return-to-work and rehabilitation initiatives.
{"title":"Critical factors in implementing the ISSA Guidelines on return to work and re-integration in developing world contexts","authors":"M. Olivier, A. Govindjee","doi":"10.1017/idm.2014.42","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1017/idm.2014.42","url":null,"abstract":"The International Social Security Association (ISSA) “Guidelines on Return-to-Work and Reintegration” (the Guidelines) chronicles good practice models, policies and procedures which have successfully been implemented by social security institutions in respect of return-to-work and reintegration. Models have specifically been developed by ISSA in order to identify approaches that will enable decision-makers in social security institutions to benefit from global experience in this area. In particular, the Guidelines are designed to: outline strategic options for social security institutions in order to achieve these outcomes; stimulate discussion around good practice return-to-work programmes for social security institutions; identify critical success design elements; and offer practical implementation tools. Return-to-work of occupationally injured and diseased workers, and the management of their disabilities, is an area clearly in need of reform in the developing world. The proposed contribution focuses on the recent experiences of two middle-to-high income developing countries, namely Malaysia and South Africa, who are at different stages of introducing and implementing detailed return-to-work measures. The paper considers salient aspects of the seven “Specific Return-to-work Principles and Guidelines” (the Specific Guidelines, contained in Part B of the Guidelines) and matches these against the approaches adopted / being adopted by Malaysia and South Africa respectively. This methodology is designed to provide a comparative, context-specific sample of the application of selected issues emerging from the Specific Guidelines in order to provide some pointers for purposes of extrapolating how return-to-work and reintegration might be introduced and implemented in other (middle-to-high income) countries in the developing world. The paper acknowledges the tremendous challenges faced by developing countries in introducing and implementing return-to-work and reintegration arrangements, but focuses instead on the application of Specific Guidelines such as “early intervention” and an “individualized approach” in Malaysia and South Africa. The paper draws on constitutional frameworks, draft and existing legislation, policy statements and judicial precedent in order to demonstrate the extent to which the two countries have already been able to integrate selected best practice principles, which are now contained in the Specific Guidelines, in their respective approaches. The paper accordingly holds the potential to demonstrate that the sentiments contained in the Guidelines are practically implementable and ought, therefore, to be carefully considered and analysed by other countries seeking to introduce similar return-to-work and rehabilitation initiatives.","PeriodicalId":53532,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Disability Management","volume":"21 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2014-11-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"77228178","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Each year large numbers of persons sustain serious injury as a consequence of criminal behaviours. All Australian jurisdictions provide systems of compensation to those harmed in this way. In many instances assessors of compensation have to consider not simply the appropriate and fair amount of compensation but how a person will be affected by the payment of compensation. Often those applicants apply through their guardians or a public trustee, although many applicants apply in person. This paper examines the use of legislative provisions, rules regulations and practices in the various Australian jurisdictions in relation to how vulnerable criminal injuries applicants may be protected once an award of compensation is made in their favour. Most jurisdictions provide for a mechanism by which compensation awarded may be held in trust in the event that the compensation assessor considers that the applicant may be unable to manage her or his financial affairs and where it would be in the best interests of the applicant. When considering what is in the best interests of the applicant the assessor will have regard to the manner in which the inability to manage financial matters has arisen either as a consequence of the offence the subject of the application, pre-exiting mental health issues, substance addiction and abuse or vulnerability to exploitation by family members or close associates. This paper explores what factors are taken into account by assessors in the absence of and pursuant to legislative directions. It considers how the approach may vary across jurisdictions and creative approaches to protection vulnerable criminally injured persons.
{"title":"Protecting the vulnerable victim in criminal injuries matters","authors":"R. Guthrie","doi":"10.1017/IDM.2014.11","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1017/IDM.2014.11","url":null,"abstract":"Each year large numbers of persons sustain serious injury as a consequence of criminal behaviours. All Australian jurisdictions provide systems of compensation to those harmed in this way. In many instances assessors of compensation have to consider not simply the appropriate and fair amount of compensation but how a person will be affected by the payment of compensation. Often those applicants apply through their guardians or a public trustee, although many applicants apply in person. This paper examines the use of legislative provisions, rules regulations and practices in the various Australian jurisdictions in relation to how vulnerable criminal injuries applicants may be protected once an award of compensation is made in their favour. Most jurisdictions provide for a mechanism by which compensation awarded may be held in trust in the event that the compensation assessor considers that the applicant may be unable to manage her or his financial affairs and where it would be in the best interests of the applicant. When considering what is in the best interests of the applicant the assessor will have regard to the manner in which the inability to manage financial matters has arisen either as a consequence of the offence the subject of the application, pre-exiting mental health issues, substance addiction and abuse or vulnerability to exploitation by family members or close associates. This paper explores what factors are taken into account by assessors in the absence of and pursuant to legislative directions. It considers how the approach may vary across jurisdictions and creative approaches to protection vulnerable criminally injured persons.","PeriodicalId":53532,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Disability Management","volume":"8 3 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2014-11-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"78471490","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Early intervention of the biopsychosocial model as a framework to achieve sustainable employment outcomes following injury, illness or disease is well documented in the International research. However in some areas of disability management the term early intervention is consistently applied exclusively within the medical model with early access to treatment and diagnostic tools. However in Australia, whilst the knowledge of the Health benefits of work consensus statement is gaining traction, we remain lagging in effective implementation of early intervention models of the biopsychosocial model to return to work and return to life. This paper explores the structural challenges associated with successful implementation of the model and provides International learnings and applications for consideration and adaption to the Australian context. Further this paper will provide learnings from a pilot program being run in NSW that has been successful in the early triage and referral into a structured Return to Work program that is achieving strong results.
{"title":"Structural challenges to implementation of early intervention of the bio-psychosocial model","authors":"Nikki Brouwers","doi":"10.1017/idm.2014.65","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1017/idm.2014.65","url":null,"abstract":"Early intervention of the biopsychosocial model as a framework to achieve sustainable employment outcomes following injury, illness or disease is well documented in the International research. However in some areas of disability management the term early intervention is consistently applied exclusively within the medical model with early access to treatment and diagnostic tools. However in Australia, whilst the knowledge of the Health benefits of work consensus statement is gaining traction, we remain lagging in effective implementation of early intervention models of the biopsychosocial model to return to work and return to life. This paper explores the structural challenges associated with successful implementation of the model and provides International learnings and applications for consideration and adaption to the Australian context. Further this paper will provide learnings from a pilot program being run in NSW that has been successful in the early triage and referral into a structured Return to Work program that is achieving strong results.","PeriodicalId":53532,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Disability Management","volume":"268 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2014-11-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"77707331","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}