A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
A [TOP]
Ability: In terms of a work environment, "ability" means being able to perform the essential functions of a job. See the term "Disability"
ADA: Acronym for the Americans with Disabilities Act
Ageism: Ageism commonly refers to negative discriminatory practices, regardless of the age towards which it is applied.
Adultism – A predisposition towards adults, which is seen as biased against children, youth, and young people.
Jeunism – A predisposition towards young people.
Americans with Disabilities Act: A federal program enacted in 1990 intended to make American society more accessible to people with disabilities.
The Act is divided into five Titles:
Title I: Employment
Title II: Public Services
Title III: Public Accommodation
Title IV: Telecommunications
Title V: Miscellaneous
Title I may be summarized by saying businesses must provide reasonable accommodations to protect the rights of individuals with disabilities in all aspects of employment. Changes employers may be required to make include restructuring jobs, altering/modifying workstations, or modifying equipment. Also addressed specifically are the application process, the hiring process, wages, benefits, and all other aspects of employment. Medical examinations of employees are regulated.
An individual is deemed to be "disabled" if he or she meets at least one of the following tests:
· He or she has a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more of his/her major life activities
· He or she has a record of such an impairment
· He or she is regarded as having such an impairment
Key provisions of the ADA are that an employee can, with or without accommodation, perform the essential functions of a job as determined by a job analysis.
Title I applies to employers of fifteen employees or more. All other provisions apply to all sizes of business regardless of the number of employees. State and local governments are covered regardless of size.
Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery: A multiple-choice test administered by the United States Military Entrance Processing Command used to determine qualification for enlistment in the United States armed forces. It consists of nine sections:
- General Science
- Arithmetic Reasoning
- Word Knowledge
- Paragraph Comprehension
- Mathematics Knowledge
- Electronics Information
- Auto & Shop
- Mechanical Comprehension
- Assembling Objects
Assessment: Assessment is the process of documenting (in measurable terms) knowledge, skills, attitudes, and beliefs. Validity and reliability are essential elements for determining the quality of any assessment. Assessment can be formal (by way of a written document, such as a test) or informal (by way of observation, peer and self evaluation, or discussion).
Attribution Theory: (sometimes called "causal attributions of occupational disability"): Attribution theory is the cause-and-effect analysis of personal behavior made by ordinary individuals. The attribution is a mechanism by which people construe the causes of and arrival at their beliefs about success and failure. Attribution theory helps explain not only how individuals perceive their own successes and failures, but how they causally ascribe the achievement and failure of themselves and others.
Avocation: An activity carried out in addition to a primary occupation or profession, such as a hobby.
B [TOP]
Behavior Management All of the actions and conscious inactions enhancing the probability that people, both individually and collectively, choose behaviors that are personally fulfilling, productive, and socially acceptable.
Belief-Bias Effect A situation that occurs when a person’s prior knowledge, attitudes, or values distort the reasoning process by influencing the person to accept invalid arguments (i.e., “I’m disabled because the Social Security Administration says I am.”).
Botoxin A neurotoxin made by the Clostridium botulinum bacteria. It can cause food poisoning. Although many types of Botulinium toxin exist, only types A (Botox Cosmetic) and B (Myobloc) are used as medical treatments. Botoxin has been effective in the treatment of many illnesses, including urinary bladder retention, dysphonia, and voice tremors.
Brachial Plexopathy Decreased movement or sensation in the arm and shoulder caused by impaired function of the brachial plexus (a bundle of nerves that controls sensation and movement of the arm). Brachial plexus dysfunction is a form of peripheral neuropathy. Damage of the brachial plexus is usually related to direct trauma to the nerve, stretch injury, pressure from tumors, or damage that results from radiation therapy.
Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS): The BLS is an independent national statistical agency that collects, processes, analyzes, and disseminates essential statistical data to the American public. The BLS is a unit of the United States Department of Labor and is the principal fact-finding agency for the U.S. government in the field of labor economics and statistics. BLS website: http://www.bls.gov/ C [TOP] Career Assessment: The outcome of a process specifically designed to help individuals identify appropriate career options. Evaluation methods include interviewing and vocational testing for the purpose of developing an individual’s personality, interests, values, temperament, aptitudes and skills profile. Career assessments can be offered during the high school years as a guide to post-secondary choices and/or during a college or trade school experience as a guide to future employment. They can also be valuable when considering a career change. Educational institutions and employers use career assessment outcomes for selecting individuals to hire.
Career Counseling: The basic tools of career counseling are career assessments. Labor market trends and wage information are also provided to help individuals make appropriate choices. Career counselors work with individuals who are seeking to explore their career choices when initially engaging in the world of work or when a career change is being considered. Career counselors should have training and experience in basic psychology, organizational psychology, occupational and vocational psychology, and counseling.
Career Development: Dr.
Richard Lapan of the University of Missouri developed and tested the theory
that young people who are exposed to career development principles at a young
age and are continued to be exposed to these realities though the school years
will do better in their adult work lives than those who do not have such exposures. Donald E. Super has defined five
stages of career development: -
The Growth stage (ages 0-14) is when an individual begins to develop
their self-concept, interests, needs, and general knowledge about the world of
work. -
The Exploration stage (ages 15-24) encourages students to broaden their
horizons and examine many possible career paths and occupations that will be
open to them in the future. They can do this via education, temporary
jobs, internships, and hobbies. -
The Establishment stage (ages 25-44) focuses on entry-level
skill-building and formalizing one's place in the world of work with experience
in the workplace. -
The Maintenance stage (ages 45-64) is defined as the period in which an
individual revises his or her strategies in the workplace to climb the
corporate ladder, so to say. -
The Decline stage (ages 65+) is a gradual "unwinding" and preparation
for retirement. Causality: The relationship between one event (the cause) and another event (the effect), which is the consequence of the first.
Chronic Pain/Chronic Pain Syndrome (CPS): Pain is defined by the International Association for the Study of Pain as “an unpleasant sensory and emotional experience associated with actual or potential tissue damage or described in terms of such damage. According to the American Medical Association, pain is a plural concept with biological, psychological, and social components. Pain is subjective.”
Co-Malingering: The
American Psychiatric Association, in its Diagnostic and Statistical Manual
of Mental Disorders defines malingering as "the intentional
production of false or grossly exaggerated physical or psychological symptoms,
motivated by external incentives such as avoiding military duty, avoiding work,
obtaining financial compensation, evading criminal prosecution, or obtaining
drugs. Under some circumstances, malingering may represent adaptive
behavior, for example, feigning illness while a captive of the enemy during
wartime. In the workplace, avoiding job responsibilities or losing time
from work is too often a 'cooperative process' in which two or more parties are
involved. In that case, the appropriate descriptive term should be "co-malingering."
[The concept of "co-malingering" was created by Dr. Ken Mitchell, a nationally
recognized authority on disability management programming. Since learning
of Dr. Mitchell's conceptualization of what frequently happens in workplace
disability, CEC Associates, Inc., has incorporated the concept into the
practice of disability management and expert testimony.] Correlation: The degree to which one phenomenon or random variable is associated with or can be predicted from another. In statistics, correlation usually refers to the degree to which a linear predictive relationship exists between random variables. Correlation may be positive, i.e., both variables increase or decrease together; negative or inverse, i.e., one variable increases when the other decreases; or zero, i.e., a change in one variable does not affect the other.
Correlation Coefficient: This is a measure of the direction (positive or negative) and extent (range of a correlation coefficient is from -1 to +1) of the relationship between two sets of scores. Scores with a positive correlation coefficient go up and down together (as with smoking and cancer). A negative correlation coefficient indicates that as one score increases, the other score decreases (as in the relationship between self-esteem and depression; as self-esteem increases, the rate of depression decreases).
Crystal Intelligence: The knowledge and abilities that are obtained through experience.
D [TOP] Dictionary of Occupational Titles: Last published by
the U.S. Department of Labor in 1991, the Dictionary of Occupational Titles
has been to some extent replaced by the O*NET. (See O*NET) Disability: The
definition of disability proposed by the World Health Organization is "any
restriction or lack (resulting from an impairment) of ability to perform an
activity in the manner or within the range considered normal for a human being,
particularly in social or occupational settings." Disability in general
may be thought of as the gap between what a person can do and what the person
needs or wants to do. Occupational disability is the difference between
what a person can do as a result of having a medical impairment and what a
particular job demands. Disability Management:
Disability management is a term used exclusively in a workplace context.
That is, it does not concern itself with managing a disability in the world
outside of a work context. Parents and others who have a responsibility
to assist an individual with a disability might be said to manage that
disability. A disability management program is one that is designed and
implemented exclusively for a work context. Disability Management
Program: A disability management program is a system of strategies
implemented by an employer to prevent workplace injuries/illnesses and/or to
manage the injury/illness proactively if it should occur. Disability
management programs are patterned on exemplary human capital strategies that
have been fashioned and implemented by well-managed companies that recognize
the value of these programs. Dr. Jasen Walker constructed the concept of disability proneness and
introduced it to the disability management literature by borrowing from the
pioneering work of R.C. Behan and A.H. Hirschfeld. Nearly 40 years ago they
created the term the "accident process." Behan and Hirschfeld,
occupational medicine physicians treating injured workers from Detroit's automotive factories, concluded that certain worker personality
difficulties, coupled with troubled life situations, equated to "unacceptable
disability." Unacceptable disability was associated with poor self-esteem
and poor work performance, and once an accident or explanatory event took
place, unacceptable disability could be converted into acceptable
disability. Behan and Hirschfeld offered the following model to illustrate
their observations:
Personality
+ Troubled
life
= Unacceptable
difficulties
situation
disability
disability
illnesses,
disability
alcoholism, etc. Behan and Hirschfeld found that the successful treatment of physical
diseases did not necessarily resolve disability. They concluded
that particular employees, under certain conditions, could manifest
disability without disease. Disability Resistant: A term conceived by Stacey Petersen, a CEC staff member. According to Ms. Petersen, disability resistant employees have a predisposition to strive to adapt to and recover from injuries or major illnesses when others will not. Disability resistant people actively seek to return to full participation in their work and personal lives despite their acquired impairments and limitations. In a 2004 article titled “Psychological Factors after Traumatic Amputation and Landmine Survivors: The Bridge between Physical Healing and Full Recovery,” Ferguson, Richie, and Gomez note that characteristics of those who fully recover include traits of resilience and the benefit of strong social support.
Discrimination Unfair treatment of a person or group, usually based on prejudice regarding race, ethnicity, age, religion, gender, sexuality, or disability.
E [TOP] Ecological Validity: In
research, validity and reliability are essential aspects of the experiment that
has merit. Validity is the ability of the test or experiment to measure
accurately what it purports to measure. Ecological validity is a subset
of validity. To possess "ecological validity," the methods, materials,
and settings of an experiment must approximate the real-life situation under
study Emotional Intelligence: There are several competing terms (and definitions) for this concept. E.I. Thorndike used the term "social intelligence." Wayne Payne and Daniel Goleman use the term "emotional intelligence." Peter Salovey and John Mayer use the term "emotional knowledge." While the terms continue to evolve, the core of the concept is that some individuals have the ability/capacity to "perceive, access, and manage" one's own emotions as well as the emotions of others. Employee Assistance
Program: An employee assistance program (EAP) is a human resource
program established to assist employees by providing the specific intervention
needed to resolve a social or psychological problem that is interfering with
workplace performance. In some large companies, the specialized assistance
is provided by on-staff members. In other organizations, resources are
contracted from external sources. Ergonomics: The
International Ergonomics Association defines ergonomics as the application of
scientific information to how objects, systems, and environments are designed
to accommodate their safe use. In the workplace, this means designing
machines, tools, other physical objects, and tasks so as to maximize
productivity while minimizing fatigue, discomfort, and even the possibility of
injury. Equipment and tools that meets ergonomic standards are identified
by the federally-sponsored Job Accommodation Network (JAN) and similar
sources. The term "ergonomics" translates to English as "human
engineering." Essential Functions The minimum and fundamental required duties and abilities necessary to perform the tasks of a job. Essential functions of a job can often be determined by writing accurate job descriptions to determine which tasks are a major part of the job and which are not. Factors to consider include the percentage of time spent performing those duties, the qualifications required to do them, and whether the job exists in order to have those duties performed. Exertional Level(s): The U.S. Department of Labor in its Dictionary of Occupational Titles classifies all jobs within one of five physical demand levels (strength ratings). The Physical Demands Strength Rating reflects the estimated overall strength requirement of the job. The five levels of strength are very heavy, heavy, medium, light, and sedentary (these exertional levels are further defined within the Workipedia). Parenthetically, it is important to note that "light work" and "light duty" are not synonymous terms. F [TOP] Family Medical Leave Act
(FMLA): The Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA) is a federal law enacted
in 1993. It is monitored by the U.S. Department of Labor. Employers
with 50 or more employees must grant employees up to a total of 12 workweeks of
unpaid leave during any 12-month period. The following reasons for the
leave include: ·
the birth and care of the newborn child of an employee ·
placement with the employee of a son or daughter for adoption or foster
care; ·
caring for an immediate family member (spouse, child, or parent) with a
serious health condition ·
taking a medical leave when the employee is unable to work because of a
serious health condition Flow: A mental state
in which an individual becomes fully immersed in what he or she is doing.
The concept was introduced by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, an active participant
with Martin Seligman in the development and espousal of positive psychology. The condition is characterized by
an increase in energy for the project, total immersion in it, and a drive to
settle for nothing short of success. Some factors include setting clear
goals, concentrating/focusing on the goal, achieving a sense of control over
the activity, and finding reward in the process. Fluid Intelligence: Consists of skills that are biologically determined and independent of experience. Functional Capacity Assessment: A functional capacity assessment (FCA) is a report created by a
functional capacity evaluator. The FCA is the documented outcome of the
functional capacity evaluation. The FCA is a detailed listing an explanation
that specifically addresses what the patient can and cannot do in terms of his
or her physical and/or mental capacities at the time of the assessment.
The FCA is created to guide employers in the return of an injured employee to
productivity. The FCA is the documented outcome of a functional capacity
evaluation. Functional Capacity Evaluation: A systematic method of measuring and individual's ability to perform
meaningful physical tasks on a safe and dependable basis through self-report
instruments, range of motion, cardio-fitness tests, isometric/static strength
tests, dynamic lifting and carrying tests, time-motion test, work simulation,
and other work-related activities and performance measures generally
administered by a physical or occupational therapist. Functional capacity
evaluations are generally conducted over a four hour period, more or less. FCEs
are generally carried out to determine the individual's abilities to return to
physical levels of work or to carry out a specific job's exertional demands. G [TOP] General Educational Development (GED): Embraces those aspects of education (formal and informal) which are required of the worker for satisfactory job performance. This is education of a general nature which does not have a recognized, fairly specific occupational objective. Ordinarily, such education is obtained in elementary school, high school, or college. However, it may be obtained from experience and self-study. GED is composed of three (3) divisions, Reasoning Development, Mathematical Development, and Language Development. (From the Dictionary of Occupational Titles). Glasgow Coma Scale: A scale for measuring a patient's level of consciousness, particularly after a head injury. The scoring is determined by three individually scored factors: amount of eye opening, verbal responsiveness, and motor responsiveness. The highest score on the scale is 15 (fully awake), and the lowest is 3 (deep coma or death). The three tests are described in more detail below at the following link: http://www.trauma.org/archive/scores/gcs.html Global Assessment of Functioning (GAF): This numeric scale (0-100) is used by physicians and mental health clinicians to rate the occupational and psychological functioning of adults. A more in-depth definition is available from the Kentucky Department of Public Advocacy: http://dpa.state.ky.us/library/manuals/mental/Ch22.html H [TOP] Head Injury: A head injury is any trauma that leads to injury of the scalp, skull, or brain. The injuries can range from a minor bump on the skull to serious brain injury. Head injury can be classified as either open or closed.
Heavy Work: The U.S.
Department of Labor defines heavy work as involving the exertion of 50
to 100 pounds of force occasionally (up to one-third of the time), and/or 25 to
50 pounds of force frequently (from one-third to two-thirds of the time),
and/or 10 to 20 pounds of force constantly (two-thirds or more of the time) to
move objects. Physical demand requirements are in excess of those for
medium work. Herniated Disc: Rupturing of the tissue that separates the vertebral bones of the spinal column. A herniated disc is often referred to as a slipped disc. HIPAA: The Health
Insurance Portability and Accountability Act was enacted in 1996 to amend the
Internal Revenue code to improve the portability and continuity of health
insurance. Hypoxia: A decrease in oxygen supply to the brain that can occur due to choking, strangling, suffocation, head trauma, carbon monoxide poisoning, cardiac arrest, or as a complication of anesthesia. The extent of the damage is directly proportional to the severity of the injury. The neurons can suffer temporary dysfunction or there may be irreversible damage to nerve cells that are sensitive to minute changes in oxygen levels. I [TOP] Impairment: The
American Medical Association's Guide to the Evaluation of Permanent
Impairment defines an impairment as "any loss or abnormality of
psychological, physiological, or anatomical structure or function."
Simply stated, an impairment is an alteration in an individual's health status
(i.e., injury or illness) that is assessed by medical means. An impaired
individual is not necessarily disabled. The difference between impairment
and disability is crucial. Individualized Education Program (IEP): A mandated requirement of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. An IEP is required for any pupil in the United States public school system who is found to meet the federal or state requirements for special education and related services. An IEP typically outlines the following items for each student: Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA): A United States federal law meant to ensure a free appropriate public education for students with disabilities, within their Individualized Education Program (IEP) that distinguishes needs in the least restrictive environment. The Act requires that public schools provide necessary learning aids, testing modifications, and other educational accommodations to children with disabilities. The Act also establishes due process in providing these accommodations. Children whose learning is hampered by disabilities not interfering with their ability to function in a general classroom may qualify for similar accommodations under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 or the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Induced Disability:
Iatrogenic: This term
means a disability that originated with, or was induced by, medical
treatment. Many medical specialists involved in injured worker healthcare
believe that occupational injuries must be treated conservatively; that is,
with time and non-invasive modalities. Iatrogenic disability
occurs more frequently than the casual observer might think. Low back
surgery, for example, is well known to resolve less often in the injured worker
population. Beaurogenic: Work
disability is often caused by the bureaucracy that surrounds occupational injury
and non-occupational disease. Organizational policies and personnel
decisions often ignore the consequences of shortsighted and antiquated
return-to-work practices. From "you cannot return to work until you are
100%" to "light duty for workers' compensation recipients only," return-to-work
programs seldom serve both employee and employer. Although the rising
costs of workplace disability and the Americans with Disabilities Act led to
some re-evaluation of these return-to-work standards in the 1990s, the
beaurogenic induction of disability remains a significant problem for most work
organizations and our country at large. Litogenic: Representing
injured or ill employees (or people pursuing economic damages through personal
injury litigation), legal advocates hope to demonstrate that their clients have
lost potentials to work and earn a living. Such an argument ensures
representation that the plaintiff is disabled. To argue otherwise is a
contradiction. Thus, lawyers, in their advocacy of injured employees,
pursue economic recovery in claims such as personal injury, workers'
compensation, Social Security disability, and long-term disability. These
litigations almost always induce or encourage an argument of disability.
Even the most ethical lawyers believe that their clients have more to gain if
they can prove economic damage secondary to vocational disability. Injured Worker
Helplessness: Learned helplessness is a widely recognized condition
of human motivation brought about by perceived uncontrollability. In
terms of injured workers, the helplessness occurs as the worker gets caught up
or trapped in the so-called "injury management," system complete with
uncontrollable circumstances and mechanisms. Identifiable
components of the injury management system include supervisors and other
work-related personnel, the benefits of the worker's compensation programs,
legal representatives, the adjustors and others representing the employer's
insurance carrier, medical providers, and even the injured worker's family
members. Frustrated or confused by all of these disparate forces, the
injured worker too frequently resigns him or herself to inactivity and adopts
"helplessness." Dr. Jasen Walker first recognized
injured worker helplessness in the late 1980s after spending years studying the
research of Dr. Martin E. P. Seligman who experimentally demonstrated learned
helplessness in animals and human subjects. Seligman and his colleagues
reformulated the theory of learned helplessness with recognizing
"attributional style," as a key ingredient in whether or not
individuals learn helplessness. Unfortunately, most injury management
systems also induce amotivational syndromes by offering a noncontingent reward
and thereby presenting individuals with situations in which they can also "learn
laziness." Walker believes that the combination of allowing injured
workers to learn laziness and helplessness is the intrinsic failure of worker's
compensation programs. Integrated Disability
Management: Integrated disability management is programming designed
to bring a company's health benefits and disability management programs to
function as an integrated whole. Decisions concerning the health benefits
program are made to be congruent with the policies and operational procedures
of a company's disability management program and vice versa. J [TOP] Job Accommodation: Job
accommodation is a concept that derives from the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and
the Americans with Disability Act (ADA) of 1990. The ADA requires that employers
accommodate individuals with disabilities if they can do so with job
modifications and at a reasonable cost. Jobs must be defined by the
"essential functions" of the job as determined by a job analysis, and if an
individual can perform the essential duties, with or without accommodation,
the employer is required to hire the individual if otherwise qualified. Job
accommodation can involve a variety of workplace alterations from physical
modifications to changes in scheduling or supervision. There is really no limit
to the types of accommodations that can be realized with an interactive process
between employee and employer. Job Accommodation Network (JAN): The ADA requires employers with 15 or more employees to provide
reasonable accommodations to their employees who need the accommodation to
perform the job. The Job Accommodation Network is a federal resource
based at the University of West
Virginia that provides employers
with workplace strategies and tools that will provide individuals with specific
impairments with accommodation at a reasonable cost. JAN's website: http://www.jan.wvu.edu/. Job Description: Job
descriptions were historically someone's creative and narrative description of
a job. Presently, job descriptions, to hold up in litigations, are
required to: - be consistent with the requirements of the ADA - be based on a job analysis. The ADA
requires that a job description be based on the essential functions of a job
and that reasonable accommodations are provided to those qualified individuals
who need them. K [TOP] Kinesiology: The study of the motion of the body and mechanics of motion with respect to human anatomy.
L [TOP] Life Care Plan: An individualized plan that identifies long-term care needs for a person with a catastrophic injury or disability. The plan may include medical care, diagnostics, hospitalizations, therapy, transportation, home assistance, institutional care, supplies, medication, home modifications, amongst other necessities, depending on the individual and their injury. These plans are developed by rehabilitation specialists who assess the patient’s status and medical history. They are then able to identify services required to treat the existing conditions, prevent further complications, maximize function and potential, and enhance the quality of life. Light Duty: "Light duty" is a term that is no longer valid as a useful aspect of a disability management program. Light duty was used as a euphemism for a make-work approach that was created for workers recuperating from an injury. Generally, it meant that the worker was brought in to sit around doing nothing or, at best, doing inconsequential work while recuperating. The light duty concept of how to re-integrate injured workers was supplemented by a transition-to-work approach. Light Work: The U.S.
Department of Labor defines light work as involving the exertion
of up to 20 pounds of force occasionally (up to one-third of the time), and/or
up to 10 pounds of force frequently (from one-third to two-thirds of the time),
and/or a negligible amount of force constantly (two-thirds or more of the time)
to move objects. Physical demand requirements of light work are in excess
of those for sedentary work. Even though the weight lifted may be only a
negligible amount, a job should be rated light work: (1) when it requires
walking or standing to a significant degree; or (2) when it requires sitting
most of the time but entails pushing and/or pulling of arm or leg controls;
and/or (3) when the job requires working at a production-rate pace entailing
the constant pushing and/or pulling of materials even though the weight of
those materials is negligible. NOTE: The constant stress and strain of
maintaining a production-rate pace, especially in an industrial setting, can be
and is physically demanding of a worker even though the amount of force exerted
is negligible. Locus of
Control: Locus of control
is a useful construct in terms of vocational rehabilitation. Locus of
control is defined as an individual's perception of the cause of events in his
or her life: either one believes he/she controls his/her destiny (internal
control), or one believes that others, luck, or fate controls one's outcomes
(external control). Locus of control is closely related to the concept of
"attribution theory." M [TOP] Macular Degeneration: A chronic disease of the eyes caused by the deterioration of the central portion of the retina, known as the macula, which is responsible for focusing central vision in the eye. Malfunctioning cone cells in the retina can cause "wet" (disciform) and "dry" (atrophic) degeneration. Malingering: A medical and psychological term that refers to an individual fabricating or exaggerating the symptoms of a medical or psychological illness for a variety of motives, including obtaining financial compensation, avoiding responsibility, obtaining drugs or medication, getting lighter criminal sentences, or garnering attention or sympathy. Malingering is separate from somatization and factitious disorders, where the gain is not obvious or conscious.
Managerial Mediation: Since
unresolved conflict and associated anger play such a significant role in
workplace injuries, the single most productive intervention is managerial
mediation. Generally, strife in the worksite is between co-workers or a
worker and his/her supervisor. Since this condition is a commonplace
event, there is a strategy to deal with it. That strategy is called
managerial mediation. The methods of mediation have long since been adapted to
workplace disagreements and are called managerial mediation. Workplace
supervisors are trained in specialized methods of mediation and are required to
bring the methods to those situations that, left un-addressed, would likely
escalate. The process is designed to bring mutual acceptance to the
disputants in the conflict. Unmanaged employee conflict is arguably the
largest reducible cost in organizations today. It is estimated that over
65% of work performance problems result from strained relations between
employees – not from deficits in an individual's skills or motivation. Managing Your Boss: "Managing
Your Boss" was the topic of a paper written by two Harvard Business School professors, John Cabarro and John Kotter.
The paper was published in the Harvard Business Review in 1980.
The core concept was that individual employees should pay close attention to
managing the relationship with their bosses on the theory that if the boss
succeeded, the subordinate would do the same. The concept is still widely
used in well-managed companies. The concept is now sometimes called
"Managing Upward." The Maslow Hierarchy in Return
to Work: The Maslow Hierarchy is a well-known and frequently applied
standard of workplace motivation. Maslow classified motivation into five
levels by conceiving a hierarchy (pyramid) of needs: Injured worker motivation is one
of the essential issues of vocational/disability evaluation and occupational
rehabilitation. Rehabilitation counselors and case managers are
frequently disappointed by injured workers' responses to return-to-work
opportunities following periods of lost time. Meaning of Work: In
her research at New York University, Dr. Amy Wrzesniewski has determined that
individuals experience work in one of three distinct ways: 1. Job: the
individual is primarily concerned with the financial rewards of work 2. Career:
the individual is focused on advancing within the occupational structure 3. Calling:
the individual works not for financial gain or career advancement, but for the
sense of fulfillment that work brings Developing a quality disability
management program requires an awareness of Wrzesniewski's research in that
individuals who view their work as just a job prior to the onset of
injury or illness will be less likely to return to work than individuals who
consider work a career. In contrast, individuals who perceive work
more or less as a calling are generally eager to return to work
following illness or injury. Medium Work: The U.S. Department of Labor defines medium work
as involving the exertion of 20 to 50 pounds of force occasionally (up
to one-third of the time), and/or 10 to 25 pounds of force frequently (from
one-third to two-thirds of the time), and/or greater than negligible and up to
10 pounds of force constantly (two-thirds or more of the time) to move
objects. Physical demand requirements are in excess of those for light
work. Metabolic Equivalent (MET): The ratio of the associated metabolic rate for a specific activity divided by the resting metabolic rate. The resting metabolic rate is approximately 1 MET and reflects the energy cost of sitting quietly. Multiples of 1 MET indicate a higher energy cost for a specific activity. N [TOP] Non-Exertional Impairment: Non-exertional impairments are those anatomical or physiological health conditions that do not necessarily interfere with strength or endurance, but nonetheless may result in occupational or social disabilities. For example, it is known that facial disfigurement can be significant enough to cause social or vocational disabilities. Visual loss or hearing impairment are examples of non-exertional impairments. Emotional disorders are also representative of non-exertional impairments. Conversely, musculoskeletal or neurological impairments affecting an individual's strength or physical endurance represent exertional impairment. As with exertional impairments, non-exertional impairments can be accommodated in the workplace to lessen their effects on vocational functioning. Nonverbal Intelligence: The ability to analyze information and solve problems using visual or hands-on reasoning. Nonverbal tasks involve the ability to recognize and remember visual sequences, understand the meaning of visual information, recognize relationships between visual concepts, perform visual analogies, and recognize causal relationships in pictured situations.
Norm Group: A carefully constructed sample of the intended testing population that is intended to mirror the demographic composition of that population. The performance of individuals in thenorm group is the benchmark against which scores on a norm-referenced test are compared. O [TOP] O*NET: The O*NET has
replaced the Department of Labor's Dictionary of Occupational Title to
some extent. The O*NET system is a key program that the U.S. Department
of Labor (DOL) developed to provide occupational and labor market information
to job seekers, students, businesses, and other workforce entities. The
O*NET provides information to help the public select career goals and develop
education and training plans for work that is likely to be satisfying.
O*NET's website: http://online.onetcenter.org Occupational Disability: Occupational disability is the
difference between what a person can do as the result of a medical impairment
and what a particular job demands. Disability Proneness: Disability proneness is a phenomenon that exists in some
employees. Disability prone employees have a predisposition toward
disabling disease or injury. Disability proneness exists and employers
need to understand the phenomenon to be effective in working to alleviate it.
Unacceptable
+
Accidents,
= Acceptable
• A closed head injury means that a person received a hard blow to the head from striking an object.
• An open, or penetrating, head injury means that a person was hit with an object that broke the skull and entered the brain. This usually happens when the person was moving at a high speed, such as going through the windshield during a car accident. It can also occur from a gunshot to the head.
There are several types of brain injury. Two common types include concussions, which are the most common type of traumatic brain injury, and contusions, which are bruises on the brain.
Psychogenic: This suggests the inability
to work because of symptoms caused by or produced by mental or psychological
factors rather than organic problems. Depression, substance abuse,
personality disorders, and psychosis can lead to psychogenic disability.
Such disability is, unfortunately, often assessed by healthcare professionals
who legitimize symptoms manifested following the diagnosis of a disease or
disorder that is not necessarily disabling.
Job Analysis: Job analysis refers to a process of defining the
physical and mental requirements of a job. Job analysis is not the outcome but
the process of determining the tools, methods, materials, and procedures
involved in performing a particular job, and job analysis is distinct from the
outcome known as job description.
Occupational Therapy: According to the American Occupational Therapy Association, occupational therapy is skilled treatment that helps individuals achieve independence in all facets of their lives. Occupational therapy assists people in developing the "skills for the job of living" necessary for independent and satisfying lives. Services typically include:
- Customized treatment programs to improve one's ability to perform daily activities
- Comprehensive home and job site evaluations with adaptation recommendations
- Performance skills assessments and treatment
- Adaptive equipment recommendations and usage training
- Guidance to family members and caregivers
Occupational therapy is the process of assisting individuals to regain physical and/or mental capabilities after a trauma. Generally, the need is to assist the individual to regain his/her basic motor functioning and/or reasoning ability, but the process may also be used to assist individuals in learning ways to compensate for a permanent loss of functionality. The overall goal of occupational therapy is to assist individuals to achieve independence, be productive, and live satisfying lives. Occupational therapists are required to be accredited, and most such therapists have masters' degrees in the field. Occupational therapists are sometimes referred to as physical therapists, but this designation is not inclusive of their overall task.
P [TOP]
Pennsylvania Office of Vocational Rehabilitation (OVR): An agency that helps people with disabilities help themselves prepare for, start, and maintain a career. OVR counselors work with thousands of people with physical, mental, and emotional disabilities. OVR's website: http://www.dli.state.pa.us/landi/cwp/browse.asp?a=128&bc=0&c=27855
Physical Therapy: Physical therapy is concerned with identifying and maximizing movement potential, within the spheres of promotion, prevention, treatment and rehabilitation. It involves the interaction between physical clients, families and care givers, in a process of assessing movement potential and in establishing agreed upon goals and objectives using knowledge and skills unique to physical therapists. Physical therapy involves the treatment of injuries or disorders using physical methods, such as exercise, massage, or electrical stimulation.
Positive Psychology: Positive psychology describes the effort of the American Psychological Association (APA) to refocus the primary goal on achieving the prevention of psychological distress as opposed to dealing with dysfunctionality after the fact. Dr. Martin Seligman of the University of Pennsylvania introduced the concept during his year as President of the APA, but many other academicians have contributed to its development. The earliest and most insistent application of positive psychology methods to disability management programs occurred at CEC Associates, Inc., in Valley Forge, PA. (see also Values in Action)
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD): PTSD is the consequence of a stressful event that leads to a severe psychological impairment. PTSD is always dependent on the exposure to some traumatic experience and is not the result of a pre-existing weakness. PTSD occurrences are most frequently related to military combat, but severe and continuing traumas in non-combat situations, including the workplace, are not uncommon.
Presenteeism: Coined by Gary Cooper, a professor of organizational psychology and health at Manchester University in the UK, presenteeism describes the overwork and feelings of job insecurity resulting from downsizing and restructuring. It can also be used to describe employees who go to work while sick or injured, thus causing lost productivity due to sub-optimal performance..
Primary Gain:
A primary gain in medicine is said to be the unconscious gratification derived from and amplified by the patient as a psychological defense against the guilt he or she associates with the medical condition.
A secondary gain is an external motivator that the patient assumes to gain sympathy or advantage by exaggerating the symptoms of the condition.
A tertiary gain is where the symptoms become more pronounced as the patient tries to please his or her health provider.
Psychometrics: Psychometrics is the field of study that examines both the theories and techniques that go into constructing mental measurements. The basic units of psychometrics are the validity and reliability of the instrument to be used in a specific application. The field of psychometrics is concerned with both the construction of the instrument and the process used for the application of the instrument.
Q [TOP]
Qualitative Research: Involves an in-depth understanding of human behavior and the reasons that govern human behavior. It focuses on the “why” and “how” of decision-making and categorizes data into patterns as the primary basis for organizing and reporting results.
Quantitative Research: Develops and employs mathematical models, theories, and hypotheses pertaining to natural phenomena. Measurement provides the fundamental connection between empirical observation and mathematical expression. Quantitative research focuses on the “what,” “where,” and “when” in understanding human behavior.
Quotient: The magnitude of a specified characteristic or quality, such as an intelligence quotient.
R [TOP]
Radiculopathy: Any disease of the spinal nerve roots and spinal nerves. It is synonymous with radiculitis. It is characterized by pain which seems to radiate from the spine to extend outward to cause symptoms away from the source of the spinal nerve root irritation. Causes of radiculopathy include deformities of the discs between the vertebrae.
Rehabilitation Act of 1973: This is the first legislation prohibiting discrimination against people with disabilities. This law is applied to employees of the U.S. federal government as well as employees of any organization that receives federal funding.
There are three sections of this act under Title V requiring that reasonable accommodations be provided:
• Section 501: This section requires affirmative action and prohibits discrimination in employment by federal agencies.
• Section 503: This section requires affirmative action and prohibits employment discrimination by federal government contractors and subcontractors with contracts of more than $10,000. This includes universities, federally-funded training programs, and private defense and research companies.
• Section 504: This section requires that qualified individuals with disabilities not be excluded from, denied access to, or be subject to discrimination under any program or activity that receives federal funding.
Reliability: The extent to which a measurement instrument yields consistent, stable, and uniform results over repeated observations or measurements under identical circumstances each time. For example, a scale is unreliable if it weighs a child three times in three minutes and yields three different weights.
Return-to-Work: Return-to-work is a conceptual approach to disability management in the workplace. That is, employers subscribe to the idea that they choose to return injured or ill workers to productivity whenever possible. Return-to-work is not a process; it is a commitment by the employer to want to return workers to productivity after an event.
S [TOP]
Sedentary Work: The U.S. Department of Labor defines sedentary work as exerting up to 10 pounds of force occasionally (up to one-third of the time) and/or a negligible amount of force frequently (from one-third to two-thirds of the time) to lift, carry, push, pull, or otherwise move objects, including the human body. Sedentary work involves sitting most of the time, but may involve walking or standing for brief periods of time. Jobs are sedentary if walking and standing are required only occasionally and all other sedentary criteria are met.
Social Contracts: In addition to any specific contract one might sign with the employer, one also receives an unwritten contract. A written contract might place special terms of employment such as pay levels, vacation policies, intellectual property rights, etc., into legal form. The unwritten agreement is called a social contract. The social contract assumes particular protections in various matters such as discrimination in terms of gender, race, age, religion, and disability. The social contract includes issues such as: coming to work on time, being respected in the workplace, cooperation, collaboration, and receiving rewards for productivity and creativity. Even an expected "good morning" could be part of an unwritten agreement or social contract.
When the social contract is broken, when employers or employees do not fulfill their unwritten obligations, resentment ensues, tensions build, and relationships break down. Breached social contracts are what make working intolerable for many people.
Social Security Administration: The United States Social Security Administration is an independent agency of the U.S. government which manages the country's social insurance program, which consists of retirement, disability, and survivors' benefits. To qualify for these benefits, most American workers pay Social Security taxes on their earnings. Future benefits are based on the employees' contributions.
Specific Vocational Preparation: The amount of lapsed time required by a typical worker to learn the techniques, acquire the information, and develop the facility needed for average performance in a specific job-worker situation. This training may be acquired in a school, work, military, institutional, or vocational environment. It does not include the orientation time required of a fully qualified worker to become accustomed to the special conditions of any new job. Specific vocational training includes vocational education, apprenticeship training, in-plant training, on-the-job training, and essential experience in other jobs.
T [TOP]
Temperament: The combination of mental, physical, and emotional traits of a person, or their natural predisposition.
Theory of Multiple Intelligences: A psychological and educational theory put forth by Howard Gardner that suggests that an array of different kinds of intelligence exists in human beings. Gardner suggests that each individual manifests varying levels of these different intelligences, and as a result, each person has a unique cognitive profile. Gardner identified eight kinds of intelligence:
- Linguistic (intelligence that has to do with words, spoken or written)
- Logical-mathematical (logic, abstractions, inductive and deductive reasoning, and numbers)
- Spatial (vision and spatial judgment)
- Bodily-kinesthetic (movement and doing)
- Musical (rhythm, music, and hearing)
- Naturalistic (nature, nurturing, and classification)
- Interpersonal (interaction with others)
- Intrapersonal (knowledge of oneself)
Transition-to-Work: Transition-to-work is a specific methodology created to return injured workers back to productive employment in the company in which the injury occurred. The critical, key aspect of transition-to-work is that the return is developed incrementally. The hours per week, endurance factors, lifting factors, and so forth, are all induced incrementally over time. Transition-to-work stands in direct opposition to the now-recognized as failed concept called "light duty." One source of the methods and materials used in transition-to-work is CEC Associates, Inc., in Valley Forge, PA
U [TOP]
Unemployment: According to The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition, unemployment is defined as the amount of people in a society that are actively seeking work but are unable to obtain it. This number is reported as a percentage of the general workforce and is used as an indicator of the health of an economy at a given time. The Bureau of Labor Statistics (http://www.bls.gov/bls/glossary.htm#X) defines unemployed persons as those individuals aged 16 years and older who had no employment during the reference week, were available for work (except for temporary illness) and had made specific efforts to find employment sometime during the four-week period ending with the reference week.
Utilization Review: The review of how certain medical services are requested and performed. It typically involves pre-authorization, inpatient evaluation of care and needs, and the larger historical picture of how physicians, labs, or hospitals handle their patient populations. Utilization review may be performed by the HMO or insurer itself, or it may be contracted out to a third party specialist or the hospital providing the service. Nurses are generally employed to conduct the actual review.
V [TOP]
Validity: In statistics, a valid measure is one which is measuring what it is supposed to measure. Validity implies reliability (consistency). A valid measure must be reliable, but a reliable measure need not be valid. Validity refers to getting results that accurately reflect the concept being measured. In psychology, validity is the ability of a test to measure what it was designed to measure, as well as the degree to which the results of an experimental method lead to clear-cut conclusions (internal validity) and how far those results can be generalized (external validity).
Values in Action: In positive psychology, Dr. Martin Seligman, its principal developer, provides a classification of strengths and weaknesses that may be used to guide the development of a positive approach to life. Seligman calls that classification "values in action" and names them as follows:
Wisdom and Knowledge:
1. Curiosity/interest in the world
2. Love of learning
3. Judgment/critical thinking/open-mindedness
4. Ingenuity/originality/practical intelligence/street smarts
5. Social intelligence/personal intelligence/emotional intelligence
6. Perspective
Courage:
1. Valor and bravery
2. Perseverance/industry/diligence
3. Integrity/genuineness/honesty
Humanity and Love:
1. Kindness and generosity
2. Loving and allowing oneself to be loved
Justice:
1. Citizenship/duty/teamwork/loyalty
2. Fairness and equity
3. Leadership
Temperance:
1. Self-control
2. Prudence/discretion/caution
3. Humility and modesty
Transcendence:
1. Appreciation of beauty
2. Gratitude
3. Hope/optimism/future-mindedness
4. Spirituality/sense of purpose/faith/religiousness
5. Forgiveness and mercy
6. Playfulness and humor
7. Zest/passion/enthusiasm
Since state-of-the-art disability management programs incorporate positive psychology principles, "Values in Action" are used to inform the integration of these principles into the program.
Verbal Intelligence: The ability to analyze information and solve problems using language-based reasoning. Verbal tasks involve the ability to listen and recall spoken information, understand the meaning of written or spoken information, solve language-based problems, understand the relationships between language concepts, perform language analogies or comparisons, and perform complex language-based analysis.
Very Heavy Work: The U.S. Department of Labor defines very heavy work as involving the exertion of an excess of 100 pounds of force occasionally (up to one-third of the time), and/or in excess of 50 pounds of force frequently (from one-third to two-thirds of the time), and/or in excess of 20 pounds of force constantly (two-thirds or more of the time) to move objects. Physical demand requirements are in excess of those for heavy work.
Vocational Expert: A vocational expert is a rehabilitation professional with the credentials to testify in court proceedings. According to the American Board of Vocational Experts (ABVE), a vocational expert has specific training and experience in such areas as assessment, functional capacity measures, psychological testing and measurement, job analysis, job placement, and job surveys. They can also provide testimony regarding those fields. The ABVE's website: http://www.abve.net/.
Vocational Rehabilitation: Vocational rehabilitation is the process of returning injured workers to suitable employment. Basic aspects of vocational rehabilitation are:
- that the employer has mandated the return of injured workers to employment within the workplace in which the injury occurred
- that the professionals providing the rehabilitation are qualified with the appropriate accreditation
- that the providers coordinate closely with the appropriate health professionals involved in the case.
The process is most successful when it is developed on the structure of a disability management program. (see also Occupational Rehabilitation)
Vocational Testing: Vocational testing is defined as the assignment of numbers or values to attributes of a person according to psychometric rules. The rules, or procedures for assigning numbers, must be stated explicitly. It is important to emphasize that vocational testing is concerned with the abstract aspects of work behavior (e.g., aptitudes, personality, and motivation), qualities that are inferred from variable types of observable test performance. The trait or aptitude that is measured is referred to as a psycho-vocational construct, such as an individual’s abilities, interests, work temperament, hand-eye coordination, etc. Vocational testing can be particularly useful for adolescents, young adults, or anyone concerned with career development or occupational change.
W [TOP]
Work Dysfunction: According to Rodney L. Lowman, the author of Counseling and Psychotherapy of Work Dysfunctions, work dysfunction refers to those psychological conditions in which there is a significant impairment in the capacity to work caused either by characteristics of the person or by interaction between personal characteristics and working conditions. Psychological characteristics or diseases of the worker (e.g., bipolar disorder) that cause impairment in work functions or interactions with others in the workplace are work dysfunctions. Obviously, not all psychological dysfunctions become work dysfunctions, but when the employee's psychological structure interferes with occupational performance, work dysfunction may be present. Work dysfunction can be a precursor of occupational disability.
Workers' Compensation: All states have workers' compensation programs. Each state's laws are unique. Workers' compensation programs are designed to cover injured workers without having to bring suit against their employers for damages. Therefore, workers' compensation laws are "no fault." In some states, employers are given discounts on their workers' compensation premiums if they offer state-approved safety programs. Jasen Walker has argued that workers' compensation programs can be pernicious, as they induce both helplessness and amotivational syndromes.
Worklife Expectancy: The number of years someone is expected to work between the current time and the end of his or her life expectancy. The cut-off is not the customary retirement age of 65, as people retire at different ages (usually earlier), and the average person has breaks in employment prior to retirement.
X [TOP]
X-ray: Electromagnetic radiation of wavelengths shorter than visible light. They are produced when electrons travelling at a high speed strike certain materials, such as tungsten. X-rays can penetrate most substances and are used to destroy diseased tissue and make photographic images for diagnostic purposes.
Xenophobia: A fear of strangers or foreigners.
Y [TOP]
Z [TOP]