Author: Olivia Seguin-Coles

Application Deadline: May 31, 2024

• Scholarship towards either full- or part-time study in the 2+2 Bachelor of Disability Management (BDM) program at Pacific Coast University for Workplace Health Sciences (PCU-WHS).
• Made possible by funding to the National Institute of Disability Management and Research (NIDMAR), provided by the Government of Canada through the Canada-British Columbia Workforce Development Agreement (WDA)
• $6,500 annually for each of two years of full-time study, or $3,250 annually for the first 3 years only of four years of part-time study, applied towards tuition fees.
• Scholarship funds will cover most (but NOT all) of the annual course tuition per year applied, and can only be applied to tuition for the specialized courses required to complete the 2+2 BDM program.

This is a critical gateway to a highly desirable and rewarding professional career opportunity in the rapidly expanding field of Return to Work and Disability Management not only in BC, but across Canada and internationally.

Candidates must:

●  Have permanent resident (landed immigrant) or Canadian citizenship status and be permanent residents of British Columbia;

●  Meet the admission criteria of PCU-WHS, and must qualify for Admission Directly into Year 3 of the Bachelor of Disability Management (BDM) program (i.e., the 2+2 program). To qualify for Admission Directly into Year 3, applicants must:

• Have graduated with an associate degree, 2-year diploma, or other relevant educational prerequisite which provides 60 transferable academic credits (or equivalent) in a range of disciplines[1]

                    OR

•  Be eligible for Admission Directly into Year 3 (i.e., the 2+2 BDM program) on the basis of Prior Learning Assessment and Recognition (PLAR). A combination of professional experience and career education will be assessed under Flexible Admission policy on a case-by-case basis. Applicants under Flexible Admission should have a minimum of 5-10 years of relevant experience in a related field.

●  Be in a position to register for full-time (10 courses per year) or part-time (5 courses per year) study in the 2+2 BDM program beginning in September 2024 and to complete the degree within a 2-year period for full-time study or 4-year period for part-time study. The Scholarship will apply to both years of the 2+2 program for full-time study, but only the first 3 years of the 2+2 BDM program for part-time study.

Scholarships are awarded on a first-come-first-qualified basis.

WDA Scholarship Information Booklet

WDA-Grant-Scholarship-Application-Form-2024

This Scholarship is designed to significantly increase the availability of disability management professionals and practitioners for British Columbia employers across all public and private sector organizations and be a major long-term strategic and sustainable workplace approach to “Building a Culture of Accommodation”. This strategy mirrors the successful outcomes seen in other jurisdictions across Canada and around the world where greater professionalization in the Return to Work and Disability Management field is significantly improving socio-economic outcomes for disabled workers, employers, and society at large.

 Preferred domains of previous study include human resources, occupational health and safety, healthcare, business, and social work.

Many of the traditional HR functions involve aspects of disability management. HR practitioners may be directly or indirectly involved in return to work planning. This eight-course certificate program is designed for HR practitioners with disability management responsibilities and focuses on knowledge and skills that they use when workers incur disabilities. For further details, please click on the following link to the PCU-WHS website: DM from a HR Perspective

Theme: Disability Management in our Post Pandemic world

About the Conference:  The goal of the IFDM conference is to build knowledge for the Disability Management professions in the CDMP and CRTWC Global community.

Date:  September 15-17, 2024, Location: Vancouver

Call for Abstracts: We invite researchers, scholars, policy and program practitioners and enthusiasts to submit abstracts for presentation at the IFDM 24 Conference. The conference aims to bring together professionals from diverse fields to share insights, exchange ideas, and foster collaboration.

Submission themes:
The four themes around which workshops and plenary sessions will be developed are:

1. Legislation and Policy
2. Workplace well-being and disability management
3. Evolution of the mental health landscape
4. Innovative and inclusive disability management approaches

Details of the themes can be found here submission themes

Submission Guidelines:

• Abstracts should be submitted by emailing info@ifdm2024.ca with tile “abstract Submission”.
• The abstract should not exceed 300 words.
• Each submission include a title, list of authors, name of presenter(s) and contact information.
• Clearly state the objective, methodology, results, and conclusions of the research.
• Abstracts should not contain references, tables, or figures.
• Abstracts need to be identified if suitable as an oral presentation for a plenary or workshop or for a poster exhibition.

Key Dates:

• Abstract Submission Deadline:  February 15, 2024
• Notification of Acceptance: March 15, 2024

How to Submit:

• Submit your abstract by emailing info@ifdm2024.ca by the deadline.
• For any inquiries, please contact info@ifdm2024.ca or john.mutch@cspdm.ca

Benefits of Participation:

• Opportunity to present your research to a diverse audience.
• Networking with professionals and experts in the field of Disability Management

Registration Information:

Details on conference registration, including fees and payment instructions, will be posted to the Conference Website early in the new year.

Sponsorship and Exhibitor Opportunities:

Interested in sponsoring or exhibiting at the conference? Email info@ifdm2024.ca for details.

Five graduates, who are located in the BC lower mainland area, who were part of the 2023 graduating classes attended in person, while graduates in Ontario and Alberta attended virtually, in the hybrid Convocation Ceremony that took place in Vancouver on November 28, 2023.

The Hon. Wayne G. Wouters, PC, OC, Chancellor of PCU-WHS, addressed the graduates identifying the evolving field of Disability Management and the need and importance of this field of practice. The Keynote speaker for the event was the Hon. Harry Bains, BC’s Minister of Labour, with additional speakers and congratulatory messages from: Josie Osborne, MLA Mid Island-Pacific Rim; Gord Johns, MP, Courtenay-Alberni; Dr. Tyler Amell, Registrar, Dr. Susan Patrick, Senior Academic Lead, and Dr. Kara Arnold, Chief Academic Officer of PCU-WHS; Shanna Ramm, the first graduate of the BDM program in 2020; and the founding co-chairs of NIDMAR, Peter Lawrie and Brian Payne, who identified the goals of return to work in the “early days” and challenged the new graduates to keep moving the field of practice forward. President of PCU-WHS, Wolfgang Zimmermann, was the MC for the event. Sarah Cosco, the Valedictorian, provided an emotional and inspiring perspective to having completed the program and the work they are all now involved in.

To view the recording of the Convocation Ceremony, please click on the following link:
https://youtu.be/zlErW2301MY?si=LgoyT1Ng9uqCFJbk

To view the Valedictorian address, please click on the following link:
Sarah Cosco’s address

The Government of British Columbia has recently enacted amendments to the workers’ compensation legislation aimed at providing greater clarity and reinforcement of the obligations placed upon organizations in facilitating return to work for employees who have sustained mental or physical injuries or illnesses resulting from workplace activities. The Workers Compensation Amendment Act (No. 2), which was ratified in November 2022, is slated to come into effect on January 1, 2024. This legislation introduces two new obligations for both workers and employers: the duty to collaborate and the duty to sustain the employment of an injured worker.

For further details, please click on the following link to download details regarding the course:DMCS-450-BC-Employer-RTW-Obligations-Under-Bill-41-3-1

Or, please go to the following webpage: DMCS 450

Following the recent BC Government’s New Release from the Ministry of Social Development and Poverty Reduction entitled “People with injuries, disabilities supported getting back to work”, NIDMAR has issued a News Release providing additional details with regard to this latest initiative “Reducing Poverty through Early Intervention and Occupational Rehabilitation Initiative.”

Please click on the following link to download the NIDMAR News Release: Optimizing Return to Work through Successful Early Intervention

Completion of education through PCU-WHS is a gateway to becoming eligible to obtain the CDMP professional designation – the internationally accepted Gold Standard for those working in the field of Disability Management and Return to Work. This short 10-minute video offers a snapshot of the value proposition associated with obtaining the coveted CDMP designation. Link to video.

Speaking at the Day of Mourning, a very moving ceremony held in Port Alberni, BC April 28, 2023. Hon. Josie Osborne, MLA for Mid Island–Pacific Rim and Minister of Energy, Mines and Low Carbon Innovation; Wolfgang Zimmermann, President of PCU-WHS; and Gord Johns, MP for Courtenay–Alberni.

On April 28, known as the Day of Mourning, we honor people who have passed away, been sick or injured at work, or endured a tragedy at work. In Canada, 1,081 workplace fatalities were recorded by the Association of Workers’ Compensation Boards of Canada (AWCBC) in 2021. Among these deaths, 18 were young workers aged between 15 to 24. In addition, 277,217 claims for lost time due to work-related injuries or illnesses were accepted by the AWCBC, including 34,548 claims from workers aged 15-24. However, these figures do not account for all cases, and it is expected that the actual number of affected workers is higher.

Annual observance of this day was proclaimed by the United Nations in 1992 to promote an understanding of disability issues and mobilize support for the dignity, rights, and well-being of persons with disabilities. The theme for the 2022 global observance is “Transformative solutions for inclusive development: the role of innovation in fuelling an accessible and equitable world”, and covers three topics:
– Innovation for disability inclusive development in employment
– Innovation for disability inclusive developing in reducing inequality
– Innovation for disability inclusive development: sport as an exemplar case

We are extremely pleased to announce the appointment of Kara Arnold, PhD, as PCU-WHS’s Chief Academic Officer. In this consulting role, Kara will provide invaluable support to educational delivery and development aspects, including the academic and continuing education components of PCU-WHS.

This special initiative for Canadian Residents is funded by the Government of Canada’s Sectoral Initiatives Program and provides a limited number of free Continuing Education courses in Disability Management and Return to Work. For further details on this Continuing Education opportunity, please visit: Support for Canadian Residents for DM / RTW Continuing Education 

On October 19, Pacific Coast University for Workplace Health Sciences (PCU-WHS) welcomed its 2022 class of graduates, 10 new recipients who have earned a Bachelor of Disability Management (BDM) degree.

PCU-WHS― a leading edge University in education and research for excellence in the field of disability management and return to work ― held an online convocation ceremony with faculty, government officials, and graduates from various time zones, ranging from North America to Europe, Africa and Australia.

PCU-WHS Newsletter Vol 9 Issue 36 October 2022 BDM Degree Graduates Honoured

Welcoming our Member of Parliament, Gord Johns.

With significant national attention focused on the ongoing developments regarding a Canada Disability Benefit and the recently released Canada Disability Inclusion Action Plan, MP Gord Johns wanted to learn more about current challenges facing persons with disabilities and potential positive opportunities.

Following the weekend Global News article (see link below), discussions centered on the fact that highly inequitable employment opportunities for persons with disabilities are a major contributor. We need to break the vicious disability – poverty – unemployment cycle.

More than 80% of mental and physical health impairments occur during a person’s working life, so maintaining workplace attachment through effective Disability Management programs is key towards “Building a Culture of Accommodation,” reducing disability stigma, and is required to build a Disability Inclusion society.

https://globalnews.ca/news/9176485/poverty-canadians-disabilities-medically-assisted-death/

The Accessible Canada Act, introduced in 2018 and which received Royal Assent and came into force in July 2019, is “An Act to ensure a barrier-free Canada.”

The definition of “Barrier” in the Act “means anything – including anything physical, architectural, technological or attitudinal, anything that is based on information or communications or anything that is the result of a policy or a practice – that hinders the full and equal participation in society of persons with an impairment, including a physical, mental, intellectual, cognitive, learning, communication or sensory impairment or a functional limitation.”

The National Executive Steering Committee for the special initiative that NIDMAR is currently undertaking requested a Fact Sheet that sets out the current situation in Canada today.

Funding for the initiative is provided under the Government of Canada’s Sectoral Initiatives Program, and covers support through education, professionalization, and program assessments – all related to Disability Management and Return to Work.

Free access to Continuing Education courses in Disability Management and Return to Work for BC Residents. For details and to download an application form, please visit: BC Workplaces Supported with DM and RTW Continuing Education

Wolfgang Zimmermann, President of PCU-WHS, is pleased to welcome Tyler Amell, PhD, to the position of Registrar. As a long-time professor and supporter of PCU-WHS, Dr. Amell accepted the role stating, “It was an opportunity to contribute to the University’s greater success and it was appealing to me to join with Wolfgang and the top leadership now in place.” Please click on the link below to view the newsletter announcement.

PCU-WHS Newsletter Vol 9 Issue 35 July 2022 Appointment of Tyler Amell, PhD, as Registrar