Domain Areas Identified
The Occupational Standards identified nine domain areas as core skills and
competencies for effective Disability Management practice with sub-domains
as listed below:
- Demonstrate Knowledge of Disability Management Theory and Practice
- Identify and define key components of effective disability management.
- State the rationale and objectives for disability management
practice.
- Identify the economic and social benefits of disability management
in the workplace.
- Describe the principles of effective disability management programs.
- Describe the disability management service delivery process (model
programs) for large and small work sites.
- Describe the roles and functions of professionals involved in
disability management.
- Describe the scope of a disability manager's caseload.
- Develop strategic planning approaches to disability management.
- Develop and utilize an informational network with other disability
management professionals through professional associations and attendance
at educational conferences and seminars.
- Apply Legislation and Benefit Programs
- Utilize employment and disability legislation and regulations,
including Duty to Accommodate, Employment Equity Act, Workers' Compensation
Act, and Human Rights Legislation in disability management planning.
- Explain eligibility and entitlement of benefit and compensation
systems to workers and their families or refer individual to appropriate
resource persons for benefit information.
- Demonstrate knowledge of public and private disability benefit
schemes related to return-to-work.
- Interpret health and safety regulations.
- Communicate implication of medical review/plateau decisions.
- Apply policy and legislation in arriving at decisions.
- Labour/Management Relations
- Analyze workplace disability experience.
- Understand differences and similarities between union and non-union
work sites with respect to disability management program implementation.
- Demonstrate knowledge of inter-related workplace systems, i.e.
union, employer, human resources, benefit carrier, health care systems,
etc.
- Collaborate in the development of a joint labour/management disability
management committee.
- Establish workplace-oriented disability management mission and
goal statements.
- Collaborate with labour and management programs in non-union
workplaces.
- Demonstrate knowledge of employment standards legislation entitlements
for non-union workers/managers.
- Describe impact of collective agreements or terms and conditions
of employment.
- Apply knowledge of arbitration and grievance procedures.
- Negotiate with labour and management to develop policy, structure,
and strategies to resolve conflicts and disputes related to disability
management.
- Utilize Communication and Problem-Solving Skills
- Apply conflict resolution skills in interactions with various
stakeholders.
- Negotiate/facilitate return-to-work agreements.
- Demonstrate logical thinking and problem-solving skills.
- Utilize leadership strategies to influence organizational change
including workplace communication, team building, and conflict or dispute
resolution.
- Communicate understanding of disability management interventions
(e.g. job accommodation, ergonomics, early intervention) to labour/management
committee.
- Intervene effectively in crises.
- Provide leadership to return-to-work team at the workplace.
- Demonstrate effective team meeting leadership skills.
- Promote active participation in the disability management program.
- Establish rapport with workers and families.
- Communicate and relate to persons from different ethnic and cultural
backgrounds.
- Demonstrate tact and empathy with others.
- Demonstrate sensitivity to family coping strategies.
- Assist worker in adjusting to the impact of injury or disability.
- Demonstrate ability to lead groups, to understand group dynamics.
- Prepare written reports.
- Make oral presentations.
- Educate stakeholders on importance of disability management principles.
- Present disability management process and accomplishments to
the broader community.
- Promote the disability management program utilizing varied presentation
formats.
- Promote disability management programs and best practices to
worker and employer representatives as well as to external providers.
- Utilize adult learning strategies in developing an oral presentation.
- Disability Case Management
- Understand the roles and functions of multidisciplinary health
care providers in diagnosing and treating injury or impairment.
- Utilize early timed intervention for return to work.
- Apply physical and functional (work) capacity evaluations.
- Evaluate worker adjustment to disability.
- Assess return-to-work needs of the worker.
- Assess workplace factors that impact disability management outcomes.
- Assess factors that contribute to motivation and readiness to
participate in disability management program.
- Identify incentives and disincentives to involvement in disability
management planning.
- Develop goals and plans with the worker.
- Coordinate internal and external resources to implement disability
management plans.
- Consider positive and negative characteristics of "outsourcing"
case management services when developing disability management programs.
- Establish collaborative relationships with multidisciplinary
health care providers.
- Develop criteria to assess effectiveness and quality of provider
services.
- Describe assistive technology options and typical costs.
- Identify and access funding programs.
- Build and maintain local community resource network.
- Establish relationships with advocacy organizations.
- Utilize cost containment strategies.
- Manage time effectively.
- Plan and organize a schedule.
- Establish priorities within caseload.
- Return-to-Work Coordination
- Assess personal and work adjustment needs.
- Coordinate assessment of functional capacity of worker.
- Analyze job duties and requirements.
- Conduct detailed functional job analyses.
- Demonstrate working knowledge of functional ergonomics.
- Develop capacity within the workplace to provide early intervention
with the worker with a disability, the worker representative, the supervisor,
and health care providers.
- Facilitate rehabilitation interventions and return-to-work coordination
with short-term and long-term disability insurance representatives.
- Develop methods to ensure accountability among supervisors and
managers with respect to return-to-work practices.
- Identify systemic barriers to return to work or employment.
- Develop guidelines and procedures for transitional work program.
- Facilitate job modification, accommodation, workplace redesign
and assistive technology.
- Provide information to health care providers on transitional
work or modified work opportunities to gain their "buy-in" to
the process.
- Facilitate ongoing contact between the employee and other support
systems.
- Develop return-to-work plan with the worker, worker representative,
manager, and health care providers.
- Implement return-to-work plan.
- Monitor and adjust individual return-to-work plan.
- Understand alternative dispute resolution (ADR) principles and
how to utilize resources to resolve return-to-work issues.
- Maintain case management records.
- Assess service providers, e.g. rehabilitation facilities, physiotherapy
services, and EFAP.
- Develop disability management consultation skills.
- Health, Psycho-social, Prevention, and Functional Aspects of Disability
- Utilize medical, physical, and functional capacity evaluations
in disability management planning.
- Demonstrate understanding of cultural issues to injury, disability,
and work.
- Demonstrate understanding of prominent causes of disability including
repetitive strain injuries and workplace stress.
- Relate medical and physical information or acute and chronic
illness and disability to functional demands of job.
- Utilize information from medical examinations to coordinate treatment
plan.
- Evaluate worker's adjustment to disability.
- Assess personal and work adjustment needs.
- Promote worker health and wellness.
- Analyze home and work environments.
- Demonstrate a sound understanding of accident prevention processes
and practices.
- Development of Program Management and Evaluation Activities
- Perform evaluations to measure disability management program
outcomes.
- Track costs of disability management programs.
- Identify and implement realistic cost containment strategies.
- Conduct qualitative evaluations.
- Conduct quantitative evaluations.
- Evaluate worker/supervisor satisfaction with program.
- Assess effectiveness of health care provider services and resources.
- Identify key elements of an effective data management/program
management system.
- Demonstrate basic computer literacy.
- Implement confidentiality safeguards around disability management
data storage.
- Incorporate accident and illness reporting system into disability
management information system.
- Demonstrate Ethical and Professional Conduct
- Develop and implement a plan to maintain own wellness.
- Participate in ongoing professional development activities to
upgrade competencies.
- Demonstrate ethical and professional conduct to workers, employers,
health care providers and other stakeholders.
- Contribute to the development and ongoing quality improvement
of the disability management process.
- Promote equitable access to services.
- Respect confidentiality of information under the guidelines of
ethical code, laws, and regulations.
- Understand reasonable course of action when confronted with ethical
dilemmas.
