Protecting the Disabled Individual Through the Use of a Medicare Set-Aside Trust

In America, plaintiffs in tort settlements receive more benefits, including Medicare benefits, than plaintiffs in worker\u27s compensation cases. A properly established Medicare set-aside trust can guarantee that a disabled worker\u27s Medicare benefits will be available after a worker\u27s compensation settlement. This article discusses the theory behind a Medicare set-aside trust and tips for properly using it

Talent management in nursing: an exploratory case study of a large acute NHS trust

Introduction and Background Talent management (TM) is described as an organisational process led by senior leaders that encompasses core components including; defining, attracting, developing and retaining talented employees to best meet strategic business objectives. In the pressing contemporary context of global financial and workforce challenges, including national nursing shortages and an aging population with increasingly complex health and social care needs, it is essential to ensure that nursing can compete with other industries to attract, develop and retain the full potential of the current and future nursing workforce. A review of the literature revealed TM as an emerging concept, a subject more commonly associated with business and Human Resource Management literatures rather than healthcare and nursing. Whilst there are numerous definitions of TM, two primary organisational approaches to TM were identified, inclusive and exclusive. This research addresses the lack of empirical studies relating to TM in nursing in the NHS. Aims The research primarily aimed to engage clinical nurses in an exploratory case study of one large acute NHS trust, to gain new insights and knowledge into how TM is emerging as a concept within nursing. I aimed to explore nurses’ perceptions, lived experiences and possibilities of Talent Management. The secondary aim was to contribute to the development of TM in nursing within one acute NHS trust and to the emerging debates on TM in nursing in national and international contexts. Objectives • To identify how participants define talent in nursing • To identify what participants see as the challenges of talent management and how talented nurses can be effectively attracted, developed and retained • To identify areas for further research and contribute to the emerging debates on TM in nursing. Methodology A qualitative case study employed focus groups, one to one interviews, documentary sources and wider consultation involving 229 staff nurses. A thematic analysis of qualitative data was utilised and findings triangulated with other data sources, including a wider consultation. Findings Three common themes were identified; Nursing as talent, ward leadership and culture and career development. The findings were examined within the context of nursing as a gendered occupation. They identified a challenge for nurse participants in describing talent in nursing; nurses did not spontaneously describe what they did as talent. The image of nursing and public and media perceptions were identified as a concern when aiming to attract, develop and retain future and existing talented nurses. There was felt to be a lack of recognition and reward for nursing talent, a lack of clear career pathways and the impact of the local manager on talent development was influential. Talent in nursing could sometimes be viewed as negative, seen as a ‘disruption’ if individuals did not conform to existing expectations influenced by the leadership and local culture within a ward or department. In addition there was a need for greater recognition of Black and Minority Ethnic (BME) nurse development. The need for an inclusive approach to TM in nursing, creating an environment where all nurses felt engaged and valued with opportunities for education and development was identified. Conclusions This study contributes new knowledge identifying what participants regard as important in the development of TM as an emerging concept in nursing. Nurses were proud of their roles but felt undervalued and had no readily accessible point of reference for aspirational standards of excellence or talent in nursing. The majority aspired to clinical careers but career pathways in nursing were regarded as invisible. Nurses wanted to be recognised for their contribution, skills and talents and valued and engaged in the workplace. Recommendations include; a need for greater clarity in nursing career pathways, careers guidance for nurses, including the development of clinical career ladders for staff nurses, a need to improve managers’ skills as talent developers and explore inclusive approaches to TM. There is a need for Directors of Nursing to make TM important at all levels within an organization. To meet the healthcare needs of the population developing talent in nursing also needs to be considered wider than the boundaries of individual wards and specialities. Further research is recommended including; evaluation of approaches to TM, strategies for nurse retention, nursing career pathways and exploration of means to identify and recognise excellence in nursing

Conducting research with the disabled and disadvantaged

Based on their own project work, this paper presents a pragmatic and experience-based review of the advantages and difficulties of conducting research with and on behalf of those with disabilities or who are otherwise disadvantaged. It considers the financial aspects, health and wellbeing issues and the factors which should be considered in the preparation of proposals and the management of projects

Description of Supported Employment Practices, Cross-System Partnerships, and Funding Models of Four Types of State Agencies and Community Rehabilitation Providers

In 2005, the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research (NIDRR) awarded the VR Rehabilitation Research and Training Center (RRTC) to the Institute for Community Inclusion (ICI) at the University of Massachusetts Boston and its partners, InfoUse in Berkeley, California and the Center for the Advancement and Study of Disability Policy. In 2010, NIDRR provided supplemental funds to the ICI so that the VR-RRTC could include a focus on the provision of supported employment (SE) services. This SE research would focus on vocational rehabilitation (VR)agency partnerships with other state entities, and sources and models for long-term funding (extended services). The design called for embedding supported employment questions in ongoing surveys of multiple state agencies and case studies of SE coordination and funding models in several states to illuminate issues identified through these surveys. Accordingly, the ICI included an SE module into ongoing surveys of four state agencies known to deliver public employment services to people with disabilities. These surveys and the response rates achieved for each included: a) the state VR agency (89 percent); b) the state intellectual and developmental disability (IDD) agency (82 percent); c) the state mental health (MH)agency (55 percent); and d) the state welfare agency (47 percent).1 The SE supplement also included additional analysis of data obtained from an ongoing survey of community rehabilitation programs (CRPs) relevant to supported employment (37 percent response rate). The ICI then conducted case studies of SE partnerships in five states. These case studies were designed to help us better understand the range of practices that VR systems might use to ensure more successful transitions to long-term support through other resources. This report presents the findings from the SE supplement, the central focus of which was to identify the role and impact of VR agencies within the larger SE delivery system. The remainder of this executive summary highlights the findings in three areas the supplement was designed to address: providers of SE services, SE partnerships, and SE funding

Case Studies of Emerging/Innovative Vocational Rehabilitation Agency Practices in Improving Employment Outcomes for Individuals with Intellectual/Developmental Disabilities

The Vocational Rehabilitation Research and Training Center (VR-RRTC.org) based at the Institute for Community Inclusion (ICI) at the University of Massachusetts Boston partnered with national content experts to identify promising VR employment practices serving people with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities (IDD). The National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research (NIDRR), the funding agency,requested an emphasis on identifying promising practices for people with mental illnesses and peoplewith intellectual disabilities/developmental disabilities, and to identify promising practices related to order of selection and the designation of most significant disability. This report provides a summary of four promising VR employment practices for persons with IDD. The study included a nationwide call for nominations through extensive outreach using a variety of channels and venues, including (but not limited to) direct contact with VR agencies, Technical Assistance and Continuing Education (TACE) Centers, the Council of State Administrators of Vocational Rehabilitation (CSAVR), the Rehabilitation Services Administration (RSA), and NIDRR. The VR RRTC formed a Delphi expert panel to review and rateall nominated practices using a systematic, multi-step procedure to evaluate nominations

Vocational Rehabilitation Agencies Helping People With Psychiatric Disabilities Get Employed: How Far Have We Come? How Far Do We Have to Go?: Case Studies of Promising Practices in Vocational Rehabilitation

The final set of eight promising practices out of the 58 nominated practices are summarized here and then described inmore detail in the appendix. Each descriptive write up can be used independently and provides sufficient detail for review. A note from the VR RRTC Team: These are descriptions of practices in one snapshot of time. We acknowledge that by thetime we are able to produce asummary report, practices may have evolved or modified, and new practices may have emerged. For more specific details or up to date descriptions we advise going to the source, the state VR agencies, directly. We did our best to honor the ongoing work in thestate VR agencies and among their partners. The shortcomings of this report are the responsibility of the authors who welcome corrections, amendments, updates, and review. We humbly thank the many individuals that contributed to this effort by nominating practices, reviewing materials, participating in interviews, reviewing summary reports, and serving on expert panels. We applaud the ongoing work to innovate and advance employment outcomes of people with psychiatric disabilities and mental illnesses. The abstracts are in alphabetical order by state VR agency and thus order does not reflect any particular endorsement

Foundations for Self-Determination in Early Childhood: Preliminary Preschool Study

Foundations for self-determination begin in early childhood for children with disabilities with the onset of self-regulation and engagement in activities at home, school, and in the community. This article describes the development and preliminary results of an intervention model that encourages collaborative practices for parents and teachers around short-term goal setting to adjust environments for young children with special needs or at risk for delay. The Foundations Intervention was used with 48 children in authentic early childhood settings and involved parents, teachers, and a facilitator to enhance children’s self-regulation and engagement at home and school. Results showed feasibility of the intervention; positive child outcomes in goal attainment, self-regulation, and engagement measures were also evident. When parents and teachers communicated about a child’s strengths and needs within routines at home and school, this appeared to strengthen parent and teacher connections and helped children become more engaged or regulated in daily activities.U.S. Department of Education Grant R324A09026