Disability Management & Return-to-Work

Our consulting services recognize that the relationship between employers and employees plays a significant role in an employee’s recovery process. DMI supports pro-active multidisciplinary collaborative efforts in injury and illness management, case management and return to work based on integrity and interdependence supported by early return to work that results in continued productivity and improved corporate competitiveness.

We work with employers to help reduce costs associated with disability and unplanned absences while enhancing services and support for injured and ill workers and promoting earlier return to work for all employees.

Based on industry trends and our successful client work, we have identified best practices in the areas of employee health in healthcare, return-to-work programming, occupational health and safety, wellness, ergonomics, workers’ compensation, and carve out programs for bargained groups, as well as other areas related to disability management disciplines.

Our experience has proven that disability management consulting requires a unique blend of risk and disability management and clinical consulting expertise.

“Disability management is operationally defined as ‘an active process of minimizing the impact of an impairment (resulting from injury, illness, or disease) on the individual’s capacity to participate competitively in the work environment.’”

“The basic principles of disability management are as follows:

• It is a proactive (not passive or reactive) process.
• It is a process that enables labor and management to assume joint responsibility as proactive decision-makers, planners, and coordinators of workplace-based interventions and services.
• It promotes disability prevention strategies, rehabilitation treatment concepts, and safe work-return programs designed to control the personal and economic costs of workplace injury and disability.”
  - Operational Definition of disability management according to Shrey/Lacerte, Principles and Practices of Disability Management in Industry (GR Press 1995)