Research Interests:
Research Interests:
This paper discusses some of the practical considerations from the injured workers' point of view that need to be taken into account when they are registered as claimants for Workers' Compensation. Workers... more
This paper discusses some of the practical considerations from the injured workers' point of view that need to be taken into account when they are registered as claimants for Workers' Compensation. Workers reported a range of impediments experienced in the return to work process that created considerable stress and concern. These included the erratic payment of economic benefits, indifferent case managers, the management of the stigma associated with a registered WorkCover claim, a general lack of information, disrespectful communication from service providers, and a suspicious response to their injury by the employer, co-workers and some professional service providers. On this basis some suggestions can be made for improvements to practice.
Research Interests:
Acritical life event such as a significant work injury imposes on the individual a heavy burden in terms of suffering, social exclusion, stigmatisation, negative role transition, and emotional, and financial costs. Such events, therefore,... more
Acritical life event such as a significant work injury imposes on the individual a heavy burden in terms of suffering, social exclusion, stigmatisation, negative role transition, and emotional, and financial costs. Such events, therefore, have multi-level implications relating to the functional restoration of workers, the professional efficacy of their service providers, industry productivity and economic viability at individual, organisational, community and state levels. In accord with this viewpoint, discussions have been held with a range of the key stakeholders, including employers, workers, case managers, WorkCover personnel and vocational and medical providers from which a larger research study has been designed. This paper sets the scene for an investigation into a learning partnership approach to claims / injury management and rehabilitation that is pragmatic, timely and consistent in fundamental principles, and which links well with the treating medical experts, employers, insuring agents, workers and close family members involved.
Research Interests:
This article is a reflective narrative about the death of a parent told from the perspective of her daughter. It is an experience-based account. This shared journey of mother and child links the familiar realm of the conscious and known... more
This article is a reflective narrative about the death of a parent told from the perspective of her daughter. It is an experience-based account. This shared journey of mother and child links the familiar realm of the conscious and known self to a realm that is not known in the same way and is not merely the self. It is as if one end is in the midst of life's struggles and crises and the other in another realm; yet the whole works together as a single force. In this way the idea is introduced that the very challenges and trauma of life can be a wound that is a healing of wounds, in so far as it prompts recognition of the realm that is out of sight, though the wound certainly is real enough.
Research Interests:
Note: This article provides the theoretical background for the Social Skills and Employability Project in South Australia. The Project was established in 1989 by the S.A. Education Department (Northern Area) and the Institute for the... more
Note: This article provides the theoretical background for the Social Skills and Employability Project in South Australia. The Project was established in 1989 by the S.A. Education Department (Northern Area) and the Institute for the Study of Learning Difficulties. It is a school and industry based project designed to develop personal, social, and vocational skills for young people with special educational needs. The author has agreed to write a further article describing the program in action. This will appear in a future issue of the journal.
Research Interests:
This article is a reflective narrative about the death of a parent told from the perspective of her daughter. It is an experience-based account. This shared journey of mother and child links the familiar realm of the conscious and known... more
This article is a reflective narrative about the death of a parent told from the perspective of her daughter. It is an experience-based account. This shared journey of mother and child links the familiar realm of the conscious and known self to a realm that is not known in the same way and is not merely the self. It is as if one end is in the midst of life's struggles and crises and the other in another realm; yet the whole works together as a single force. In this way the idea is introduced that the very challenges and trauma of life can be a wound that is a healing of wounds, in so far as it prompts recognition of the realm that is out of sight, though the wound certainly is real enough.
Research Interests:
Acritical life event such as a significant work injury imposes on the individual a heavy burden in terms of suffering, social exclusion, stigmatisation, negative role transition, and emotional, and financial costs. Such events, therefore,... more
Acritical life event such as a significant work injury imposes on the individual a heavy burden in terms of suffering, social exclusion, stigmatisation, negative role transition, and emotional, and financial costs. Such events, therefore, have multi-level implications relating to the functional restoration of workers, the professional efficacy of their service providers, industry productivity and economic viability at individual, organisational, community and state levels. In accord with this viewpoint, discussions have been held with a range of the key stakeholders, including employers, workers, case managers, WorkCover personnel and vocational and medical providers from which a larger research study has been designed. This paper sets the scene for an investigation into a learning partnership approach to claims / injury management and rehabilitation that is pragmatic, timely and consistent in fundamental principles, and which links well with the treating medical experts, employers,...
Research Interests:
This paper will analyse the provision of rehabilitation to injured workers with a registered WorkCover claim in South Australia. It presents the comments of key parties on the practice of rehabilitation, approaches to service delivery,... more
This paper will analyse the provision of rehabilitation to injured workers with a registered WorkCover claim in South Australia. It presents the comments of key parties on the practice of rehabilitation, approaches to service delivery, and contradictions and paradoxes of the reality of the practice. The comments of workers, employers, case managers, medical practitioners, and of the rehabilitation providers themselves give ample evidence of the complexity of the demands placed upon providers in this system. Emphasis is placed upon their role in presenting the realities of the situation honestly to the worker and in effectively communicating to other stakeholders the particular strategies needed to overcome barriers to successful return-to-work outcomes.
Research Interests:
This paper reports conversational interviews with key stakeholders in order to analyse the critical role of the treating medical practitioner in the management of injured workers with a registered WorkCover claim in South Australia. The... more
This paper reports conversational interviews with key stakeholders in order to analyse the critical role of the treating medical practitioner in the management of injured workers with a registered WorkCover claim in South Australia. The comments expose the dilemma of treating general practitioners in their dual roles of “gatekeeper” and service provider against a backdrop of the ongoing demands and pressures from claims agents, vested interest groups, litigation, pervading antagonistic process relationships, inflexible work settings and the preoccupation with containing costs. The study highlights the need for treating medical practitioners to understand the WorkCover system and legislation. It is suggested further that their practice would benefit from holistic management, supportive care, clear language, respectful communication, timely medical updates and helpful professional attitudes. It was noted that many medical practitioners favour some redesign of medical management practi...
Research Interests:
This paper explores the complexities of the role of the workers' compensation case manager working for claims agents in South Australia. It provides a brief outline of the many skills required by case managers as they deal with the... more
This paper explores the complexities of the role of the workers' compensation case manager working for claims agents in South Australia. It provides a brief outline of the many skills required by case managers as they deal with the worker's injury, issues of compliance, the legislation, the social and psychological aspects of the worker's claim and the treatment and management of the worker's welfare. It describes the tensions brought about by the dual nature of the case manager's role that encompasses claims processing and injury management, and the conflicts between human and organisational motivations. These findings, although imprecise, demonstrate that in order to achieve sustainable return to work outcomes, case managers need to be competent, well-trained and team players capable of acting as mediators or brokers across the stakeholders. The aim of this paper is to explore the different views of the problems and possibilities of the role of the claims/injur...
Research Interests:
The provision of new opportunities to maximize learning is a fundamental right for all students. This paper explores the role of digital technology in the provision of educational opportunities for secondary age students who have been... more
The provision of new opportunities to maximize learning is a fundamental right for all students. This paper explores the role of digital technology in the provision of educational opportunities for secondary age students who have been diagnosed with an intellectual disability and/or autism spectrum disorder. We describe a learning environment in which a range of technologies have been introduced to enable students’ access to the national curriculum, and acquire skills that improve their ability to navigate the world outside the classroom. Through a qualitative study, we describe promising experiences of emerging technologies used to assist learning at the Inclusive Education Centre of a public secondary school located in regional South Australia. Our results suggest that emerging technologies can provide guidance to groups of students, encourage them to express their ideas, motivate physical activity, and improve general social interaction skills. In particular, we explore the impac...
Research Interests:
This paper discusses some of the practical considerations from the injured workers' point of view that need to be taken into account when they are registered as claimants for Workers' Compensation. Workers... more
This paper discusses some of the practical considerations from the injured workers' point of view that need to be taken into account when they are registered as claimants for Workers' Compensation. Workers reported a range of impediments experienced in the return to work process that created considerable stress and concern. These included the erratic payment of economic benefits, indifferent case managers, the management of the stigma associated with a registered WorkCover claim, a general lack of information, disrespectful communication from service providers, and a suspicious response to their injury by the employer, co-workers and some professional service providers. On this basis some suggestions can be made for improvements to practice.