RTW Matters spoke with ASORC President Michael Iacovino to find out why the title, and to talk about the state of rehabilitation in Australia. 

We caught up with ASORC President Michael Iacovino to get his ideas on how rehabilitation and any changes he's like to see occur.

One of the first things Mr Iacovino mentions “ and it's an idea being thrown around at the moment “ is rehabilitation providers existing under one umbrella, to be approved and regulated by one body “ whether that's us or another organisation working in partnership with us “ so that everybody across Australia would be similarly qualified. There'd be a homogenised practice.

It is an issue, he said, that all the WorkCover models differ from state to state. If we could fix that it would be great; to have consistency nationally so that if a counselor moved interstate they wouldn't need to be re-trained or get re-qualified. It would also address the gaps in the system that allow people in another state to legally call themselves rehabilitation counselors, even though here [in Victoria] they might not meet our standards. One regulatory body would fix that, he said.

From an administration point of view it would make life easier for a counselor. From a professional point of view there would be fewer people to report to and less bureaucracy to deal with. A single system would be more manageable.

Another fundamental issue with rehabilitation in Australia is that the insurance process for injured workers becomes very litigious. There is the having to prove negligence, there's a lot of money involve, a vested interest, people trying to get dollars out of court. These can be barriers to good rehabilitation, said Mr Iacovino.

An injured worker can hardly devote all their energy to rehabilitation when they are having  to fight for compensation to continue to feed themselves and their family.

Insurers could take a more tolerant, supportive and holistic approach to better understand the view of rehabilitation counselors, instead of focusing on timelines and rushing towards an outcome, said Mr Iacovino. There needs to be a change of attitude. Often insurers don't have a rehabilitation background so they don't necessarily see the client as we do. If we could improve the communication lines with insurers and government bodies then people would better understand the rehabilitation process and the people.

How do we go about achieving improvement?

I don't think there's a list that needs to be ticked off to make a good rehabilitation provider. What they do best is see each client as an individual, not just as a number or a type. And they see that each injury will need a different approach and have a different outcome, he said.

There's a lot to be learned from the requirements of good rehabilitation. Apply the rules to a return to work scenario and injured workers can feel empowered and gain control over their own progress “ essential ingredients for being able to get back to work, and for wanting to.

If we can tailor our service to individuals within the system we operate in, well, that's the juggling act, said Mr Iacovino.We need to continue to work with people and treat them as individuals, working with their strengths and involving them in their rehabilitation process, not just imposing something upon them.

He believes some compensation authorities are making inroads into bringing together employer needs and those of injured workers. And that the next step is through the clear benefits that can be achieved through improved communication in all areas. The Conference aims to facilitate such improvement “ RTW Matters will keep you updated about what emerges.

ASORC - http://www.asorc.org.au/