San Diego Business - San Diego Nonprofit Manages Workplace Disability

DMEC helps companies get people back to work
By Eilene Zimmerman
Posted on Thu, Jul 22nd, 2010
Last updated Tue, Jul 20th, 2010

PHOTO CAPTION: Marcia Curruthers, CEO of the Disability Management Employer Coalition

New research from the San Diego-based Disability Management Employer Coalition shows that more and more companies are taking an interest in something known as “behavioral risk management.”

Marcia Carruthers.

^{Courtesy photo}

It’s a term coined by DMEC’s president Marcia Carruthers and it is, basically, the things companies can do to lower the number of people who take time off because of disability (from injuries both at work and outside of work) and, for those that do take leave, getting those employees back to work sooner. It’s also a way to manage risk—the risk that certain employees are likely to miss more days on the job than others and stay out longer, because their disability problems aren’t resolved as quickly as they could be. That's because many times what appears to be a physical problem is, at least partly, psychological.

Carruthers says research shows that upwards of 60-70 percent of back claims, for example, a common injury that often results in an extended absence from work, have an underlying psychological component.

“Claims that come in as back problems or a cardiac problem, often it helps to look and see if there’s something else going on with the employee,” she says. “Depression, for example.”

As a nonprofit, the DMEC provides strategies and resources to help companies improve the productivity of their workers. Its recent survey looked at best practices of 114 employers nationwide, with regard to their behavioral risk management. Carruthers says her organization learned that almost all companies believe they need to put into place strategies, programs or practices to help with disability claims. But they also found that there are many barriers to getting employees to look at what might be behind their extended claim of disability. Are they really taking a long time to heal from a workplace injury, or is it that they are stressed and anxious because of a troubled teen at home, the care of an aging parent or marital problems—all of which can make it hard to face work again.

One strategy companies can put in place is to have everyone out on disability see a mental health counselor—just to make sure there isn’t an underlying mental health component to their physical problems.

“The awareness of this is growing,” says Carruthers. “Three-quarters of upper management we surveyed were aware they need to pay attention to this. Although right now it’s hard to implement new practice that will cost money, because of the recession. And the irony in that is that people are more stressed than ever now, so there is more need for this than ever before.”

Having workers out of the office on disability leave—whether it’s related to a workplace injury or otherwise—can really affect a company’s bottom line. Workers out frequently have higher medical costs and use more medical care than other workers. In addition to the productivity loss that comes from their absence, there’s also the problem of workers who are at work, but can’t function well and aren’t as productive as they could be.

“These are poor performers, and they are often difficult to deal with,” says Carruthers. “Several medical associations have come out and said work is curative, so it’s actually important for people’s well-being to get back to work.”

DMEC’s annual international conference will be held here from August 1-4.

Business Sector	Employment
Keywords	San Diego Business Disability Management DMEC

Eilene Zimmerman

About the author: Eilene Zimmerman is a journalist based in San Diego who writes about a variety of topics, including business, social and political issues and family life. Her work has been published in national magazines and newspapers including The New York Times, The San Francisco Chronicle, The Christian Science Monitor, FORTUNE Small Business, CNNMoney.com, CBS MoneyWatch.com, Wired, Harper’s, Salon.com, Slate.com, Psychology Today and others. She blogs at www.trueslant.com. More by this author

Voice of Heart - Importance of Personal Attendent

Letter to my dear friend:

Thank you from the depths of my heart for the help you have given me. During one of my darkest moments, you were there reassuring me. When I was most frightened, you figured out what needed to be done and did it. When I just couldn't manage, you found a solution.

You offered your time, love, energy and even your money to help me with my transition learning to be a person with a disability. I will always love you for all of your help.

Now I have a favor to ask. You've taken it a little too far. I need you to stop, breathe and realize that I will be okay.

I know you are worried about me. You've watched my physical condition deteriorate. You worry about whether I will be okay, about how I feel, and about what will happen to me. I've reached a point with my MS that I'm pretty sure I'll be okay. I need you to reach the point that you realize I will be okay. Even if I never walk again, I will be okay. Even if I keep spasming, I will be okay. Even if I frequently experience pain, I will be okay. I will be okay because I still have a life to live. I fully intend to live it.

This is what I need from you. When I tell you I've started an exciting new project, something that speaks to my heart but also will take some time and energy, please don't respond to me with worry. When I say, “I'm so excited I've started this project!” I want you to say, “I am so excited for you!” I don't want you to say “Are you sure you should be doing this? Are you sure you are going to be okay?”

Even if you don't actually say these words, but I can see your concern and worry in your eyes and hear it in your voice, you are telling me to stop living my life. You are telling me to quit living and sit out. I need your encouragement to live my life.

When we go out into the world together, I don't want you to go as my helper. I want you to go as my friend. I want you to laugh with me, smell the flowers with me, and be silly with me. Please don't come with me as my helper, always looking to help me with whatever I might need, always worrying about something going wrong and ready to save the day. If you do that, I know you don't see me as a friend anymore. You just see me as my disability, an obligation, a bother, a responsibility.

I might need help every now and then. If I do, I'll let you know. I just ask you help me quickly, and then let's set that aside. Please just be my friend again and laugh, dance and be silly with me. I need you to pretend I don't have a disability. Sometimes we have to acknowledge my disability, deal with it and work around it. Please, please don't get stuck in that.

Sometimes we can ignore my disability. I can just be me, you can just be you and we can be friends again. Inside of this body that doesn't work so well, I'm still me. Look in my eyes and you will find me inside of here. That's who I want you to talk to and play with.

I'm still me.


Note to reader: substitute “family member” for “friend” as appropriate.
 
Writer of this article is Ms. Sandy Lahmann, published at Summit Daily News

Bangladesh: 50 Percent Children with Disabilities sexually abused - Recent Study

Nearly 50 percent of country's disabled children reportedly fall victims of sexual abuse with 91.1 percent of them by their family members or close relatives, according to a recent study.

The study also confirmed that some 38.38 percent of the disabled children were sexually abused in absence of knowledge about body language. 

Bangladesh Protibondhi Foundation (BPF) and Save the Children Sweden-Denmark jointly conducted the study that showed the barbaric scenario about the condition of disabled children in Bangladesh.

During the six-month long study from October 2009 to March 2010, the parents of 216 disabled children (aged 7-18) were interviewed in six divisional headquarters - Dhaka, Chittagong, Rajshahi, Barisal, Khulna and Sylhet - categorizing the disabled children as intellectually impaired, visually impaired, hearing impaired and physically impaired. 

The researchers also collected data from some 535 adult disabled people, their family members, teachers and NGO workers. 

The study reveals that most of the sexual offenders were male. Even teachers and therapists were found to be guilty in many cases. Of the victims of sexual abuse, 52 percent were girls and 48 percent boys - aged between 7 and 18 years.

According to the study, the rate of sexual abuse is even worse in case of mentally disabled children (intellectually impaired) due to their inability to express themselves or understanding the intention of the offender.

The study recommends increasing self-protection ability of the children with disability as well as making the concept of sexual abuse clear through specially designed counseling.

It also recommended counseling for the family members on how to better handle the issue and 

undertaking capacity building programmes for the NGO workers to address the problem.

Senior Researcher Dr Selim Chowdhury told UNB that parents of the victims are not willing to go for legal action as the disabled children cannot express them properly.

He stressed the need for involving physicians and psychologists to help realize the disable children's body language in getting justice.

Dr Chowdhury, a psychologist, said: "We seem to have no concern about the sexuality of a disabled child. When a disabled child becomes adolescent, he or she has some biological needs. So, they should be trained in this regard." 

He said the abuse happens due to the fact that the understanding of personal body parts, personal security and sexual abuse is unclear to the physically and mentally impaired children and to their family members.

"There is no adequate support, tools and structure in both public and private sectors to address the problems of disabled children in the country."

Dr Chowdhury suggested the authorities concerned to reserve ten percent seats in shelter homes for the victimized disabled children.

Referring to the sufferings of the disabled children living in rural areas, he feared that the scenario of sexual abuse of disabled children will be much worse in rural areas than in urban areas, as there is none to specifically look after the disabled children outside Dhaka.

Selina Ahmed, director of child protection, Save the Children Sweden-Denmark, said that the disabled children are exposed to a higher risk of sexual harassment because they cannot protect themselves. 

She said intellectually impaired children are more harassed than other disabled children because they do not understand the difference between good touch and bad touch.

"As the disabled children could not identify the relationship status properly, the offenders take advantage of this." 

Selina Ahmed noted that there is no specialized organization in both public and private sectors in Bangladesh to provide legal support to the sexually abused children.

She stressed creating awareness among the people to address the longstanding problem. 

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), persons with disability constitute about 10 percent of the country's total population.

There were nearly 12 million disabled people in the country, according to the 2001 census.

She said intellectually impaired children are more harassed than other disabled children because they do not understand the difference between good touch and bad touch.

"As the disabled children could not identify the relationship status properly, the offenders take advantage of this." 

Selina Ahmed noted that there is no specialized organization in both public and private sectors in Bangladesh to provide legal support to the sexually abused children.

She stressed creating awareness among the people to address the longstanding problem. 

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), persons with disability constitute about 10 percent of the country's total population.

There were nearly 12 million disabled people in the country, according to the 2001 census.