2017

BC Nurses Union – Pioneers in “Enhanced” Disability Management

Following a Consensus Based Disability Management Audit (CBDMA) conducted in 2009 under a special initiative in the province of BC, a pilot DM program incorporating best practices was implemented at one health authority and a cross section of long-term care facilities. When the pilot showed that the program could make a significant difference both in cost savings and in much improved return to work outcomes for healthcare workers, collective agreements were negotiated including language around the “Enhanced Disability Management Program” (EDMP) with the various healthcare employers covering 150,000 healthcare workers in four bargaining associations in seven regional health authorities and more than 200 long-term care / community care facilities in the province. Please click the link below to review further details on the process undertaken in the development of the EDMP across the healthcare sector in BC. More Information

ISSA Report on The Return on Work Reintegration

The International Social Security Association (ISSA), a United Nations agency based in Geneva, has published a report entitled “The Return on Work Reintegration” that identifies the global return on investments for employers, social security systems, and society, for injured and ill workers with the goal of reintegration in the workplace. A copy of the report can be downloaded from the ISSA website at:

The Return on Work Reintegration

Donal McAnaney, Interim Chief Academic Officer recently released a report on early intervention

Donal McAnaney, PhD, Interim Chief Academic Officer and International Research Advisory Council Chair for PCU-WHS recently released the attached report “International Good Practice in Vocational Rehabilitation”, co-authored with Richard Wynne, PhD, for the Irish National Disability Authority. This report focuses on system approaches to early intervention for employees who are absent from work on health grounds.

Vocational Rehab Report

PCU-WHS Hosts Deputy Minister University Champion

The Pacific Coast University for Workplace Health Sciences recently had the pleasure of hosting all three levels of government around a common theme – more effective return to work efforts – so that individuals who acquire a mental or physical health impairment during their working lives (about 85% of impairments are acquired during that time) do not migrate into a life of poverty and despair. This was brought together by our Deputy Minister University Champion, Jody Thomas, Senior Associate Deputy Minister with the Department of National Defence, and her Chief of Staff spending a half day with us to learn first hand about our programming, learning management system, current educational partnerships, initiatives underway, etc. She was joined for more than half the time by Port Alberni’s Mayor Mike Ruttan, Member of Parliament Gord Johns, and Member of the Legislative Assembly Scott Fraser, who will now also be a member of the incoming BC Government.

Full Story

Celebrating 30 Years of Bringing Attention to the Plight of Injured Workers

It was June 1987 when a group of disabled forest industry workers, led by Wolfgang Zimmermann and supported by key leaders in the forest industry, unions, government and other stakeholders pulled together a production team and the financing to produce a powerful national documentary film entitled Every Twelve Seconds, so named because at the time, a disabling workplace injury occurred every 12 seconds in Canada. More information

Canadian Accessibility Act

The Federal Government released a report setting out a range of priority areas following national consultations – the report identified employment for persons with disabilities is critical and is a number one priority.

June 6 – Last week, the Federal Government released a report entitled “Creating new national accessibility legislation: What we learned from Canadians”, which set out a range of priority areas identified during the national consultations as part of the development of a Canadian Accessibility Act.

The employment for persons with disabilities was ranked as a number one priority. With approximately 1.2 million Canadians with disabilities living below the poverty line in Canada, and the extremely low hiring rate, which has remained unchanged over the last decade, economic participation is critical.

A link to the report is provided below:
Creating new national accessibility legislation: What we learned

La ministre Qualtrough annonce la Semaine nationale de l’accessibilité, afin de promouvoir l’accessibilité partout au Canada//Minister Qualtrough introduces National AccessAbility Week to promote accessibility every day, everywhere in Canada

Continue reading La ministre Qualtrough annonce la Semaine nationale de l’accessibilité, afin de promouvoir l’accessibilité partout au Canada//Minister Qualtrough introduces National AccessAbility Week to promote accessibility every day, everywhere in Canada

Achieving Better Return to Work Outcomes Through Improved Collaboration

The Federal Minister of Sport and Persons with Disabilities, the Hon. Carla Qualtrough, has stressed that a major focus of the new Canadian Accessibility Act will be on increased economic participation, i.e. employment for persons with disabilities. With employment rates for persons with disabilities under 50% and approx. 1.2 million Canadians with disabilities in poverty and supported through Social Assistance, this priority is not difficult to understand.

However, for workplaces to be more open towards hiring persons with disabilities, they must as a critical first step, be willing to accommodate their own workers who acquire a mental health or physical impairment which places them at risk of losing their employment.

Effective, collaborative and workplace-based Return to Work programs, designed to accommodate injured and disabled workers, regardless of causation, will ultimately also support building a “Workplace Culture of Accommodation”, but this cannot happen without the key workplace partners being on the same team.

In order to support advancing this critical element of workplace collaboration, we brought together key leaders from the academic, employer, and union sectors, and designed a workshop which provides key knowledge, tools and practical experience which we hope will ultimately contribute towards reducing the socio-economic impact of disabling impairments on workers, employers and society through significantly improved Return to Work outcomes.

Negotiating Joint RTW DM Agreements Onsite Workshop July 2017

Online registration is available or please contact Student Services at: education@pcu-whs.ca

MAY 31, 2017 – DATE IS SET FOR THE CDMP AND CRTWC CERTIFICATION EXAMINATIONS

May 31 Date for Certification Examinations

The date has been set for the 2017 CDMP and CRTWC professional certification examinations, which will take place in Canada, the UK, and Hong Kong.  For further details, please click on the link below, which will take you to the appropriate page:

CDMP Certification Examination

CRTWC Certification Examination

Or, please contact NIDMAR directly at:

Tel: 778-421-0821, ext. 210
Email: nidmar@nidmar.ca