For Immediate Release:
May 2, 2013
For Information Contact:
Dr. Hursh 617-353.2709
Bruce Adams 847-657.6964
GLENVIEW,
IL -- The International Association of Rehabilitation Professionals
(IARP) today announced the merger of two key disciplines in the private
rehabilitation career path. Case Management and Disabilities Management
have been combined to become IARP's Rehabilitation & Disability Case
Management (RDCM) section.
“We are very excited about this
merger,” said Dr. Norman Hursh, chair of the RDCM section and member of
the IARP Board of Directors. “It has great potential to strengthen
IARP’s value to the industry and membership. RDCM will become the
largest discipline in the IARP community, and, with enhanced resources
and expertise, will boost the career paths of many rehab specialists. We
are targeting especially those launching private rehabilitation
careers.”
Professionals involved in the new IARP
discipline coordinate multi-disciplinary rehabilitation services and
provide direct services that include: job placement and return-to-work
coordination, vocational counseling and career assessment, catastrophic
injury management, independent living and community integration,
benefits assistance, and ergonomic and assistive technology
implementation.
“The field is large and growing,” said Dr. Hursh,
an associate professor in the Department of Rehabilitative Counseling
at Boston University. “These professionals can interface with older
workers who want to continue and improve productivity, military veterans
who face return-to-work and productivity issues, and adults with
injuries and disabilities, to name just a few areas of focus.”
On
the employer side, IARP specialists offer expertise on regulation
compliance, disability policy issues and corporate best practices to
improve productivity.
“There is financial reward to having a
laser-sharp office whose personnel grasp the benefits program that
returns employees to productive work quickly,” said Dr. Hursh. "IARP
members provide the tools and knowledge to re-establish the workforce
fast and effectively.
“The new IARP section will better serve
pressing concerns of private and non-profit rehabilitation institutions,
such as hospitals, schools, corporations, insurance companies,
government and other agencies,” he added.
"The merger makes good
IARP’s promise of providing an enriched career path for a lifetime,"
said IARP President Steve Shedlin, owner of Rehabilitation Experts of
Maryland, Inc. in Rockville. "Experience in RDCM is an important
foothold in the private rehabilitation field and may lead to further
opportunities in vocational expertise, forensics and life-care planning.
“At
IARP we want to build the member’s professional identity and career by
exposure to a rich mix of opportunity. We do that through exemplary
education and certification coursework, a singular mentoring program and
an innovative and welcoming community of professionals.”
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