The rehabilitation advisor

The task of rehabilitation advisers or case managers at the statutory accident insurance institutions is to provide victims of accidents and disease with measures to facilitate their occupational and social re-integration whilst they are still undergoing treatment and medical rehabilitation. The rehabilitation advisers and case managers organize vocational adaptation and the associated education / training, housing and vehicle benefits; assist in the search for workplaces suitable for employees with disabilities; and provide advice on social problems.

In the words of Christina Gerlach, Head of Rehabilitation Management at the statutory accident insurance institution responsible for the administrative sector: "Supporting the insured individuals is a process which requires close communication. Our task is to manage the process by which the needs of our customers, the insured persons, are translated into actual provision.

A specific example: for an insured person who had suffered an accident and was now working as a travel journalist, a work assistant was recruited on the basis of the German Social Code IX (governing rehabilitation and participation of disabled people) to accompany and support him on his trips. In addition, the injured person received work aids, from a height-adjustable desk, through a shower-compatible travel wheelchair, to a standing wheelchair. The latter has an important psychological component: "At a party, being able to stand face-to-face with someone else at a high-level table may constitute a major step towards participating in social life."

What is Disability Management?

The concept of "managing disabilities" means that a person who for example suffers from a chronic disease or the consequences of an injury does not accept this as their fate, but instead makes every possible effort to return to good health and to remain capable of work. In particular, their job should not be lost.

In contrast to other terms, such as "case management" or "disease management", disability management involves extensive networking of parties within the social security system. In this way, deficits are compensated for which frequently present insurmountable obstacles not only for disabled people themselves, but also for employers.

Further Information: www.disability-manager.de