Module benefits

Effective communication is the backbone behind quality service delivery, especially in Disability Management and Vocational Rehabilitation. By communicating according to best practice, professionals will be practicing professionally, ethically and, therefore, safely. They will also find their interactions with others to be satisfactory, efficient, effective and beneficial. They will enjoy their work more, achieve better outcomes and spend less time and money doing so.

Overview

This module focuses on Effective Communications: a best practice principle in Disability Management and Vocational Rehabilitation.  If you were to analyze in every situation why something has gone wrong, you will likely conclude that it has something to do with communication or the lack thereof. This module explores the use of interpersonal skills, presenting skills and writing skills in everyday practice.  We learn about attending, influencing, interviewing, building rapport, and building awareness.  We also learn how to question, listen, paraphrase, summarize, counsel, facilitate meetings, present to larger audiences, write products, and resolve conflict.

Module Content 

  • This module covers the following content:
  • Becoming a “Conscious Communicator”
  • What is communication?
  • The power of the word
  • Planning to communicate 
  • Basic communication concepts: attending, influencing, interviewing, 
  • We use case studies and examples throughout, building rapport, building awareness 
  • Effective communications
  • Interpersonal skills: questioning, listening, interviewing, counselling, non-verbal cues, putting it into context 
  • Conducting / facilitating meetings
  • Presenting skills 
  • Writing skills 
  • Conflict resolution
  • General issues in communicating 
We use case studies and examples throughout.

Module Design 

The module includes the following components:


Product

Size

Allotted Time for Completion

Reading material with endnotes, websites list, and references

85 pages

23,694 words

5 hours

Video presentation 

102 slides 

1 hour

Quiz (must achieve 80%)

25 questions 

1 hour

Total 


7 hours

About the instructor

Director of Education and Professional Development

Gail Kovacs

Gail has 43+ years of front-line, management, project and curriculum development experience in health care, disability management and vocational rehabilitation in both the public and private sector and in Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom and other European countries.Gail is a Director of KMG Health Partners, an international firm providing Disability Management / Vocational Rehabilitation management, audit and training services. The company leads or participates in projects that assist with the development of the profession and with the evolution of client, customer and provider services. KMG trains Occupational Health and Safety, Human Resources and Line Management within employers. KMG also trains other professionals in the field. Gail has extensive activity in supporting large and small organizations with disability management processes. Gail has developed and delivered curriculum and training modules for Foreign Trained Health Professionals in Ontario to assist moving them from practicing as doctors to practicing as Disability Managers. She has also created the Study Guide, workshop and on-line training for the 8 professional domains of the Canadian Certified Vocational Evaluator (CCVE) exam.Recently she completed the development of training for front line construction supervisors in British Columbia to help them enhance their communications skills during stay in work and recover at work processes. This was in collaboration with WorkSafe B.C.Gail is a Registered Rehabilitation Professional (RRP) and a Certified Vocational Rehabilitation Professional (CVRP). She is a Past President of the Vocational Rehabilitation Association of Canada (VRA Canada) and of the Canadian Assessment, Vocational Evaluation and Work Adjustment Society (CAVEWAS). She has also been on the Board of Directors for the College of Vocational Rehabilitation Professionals (CVRP). She was a Trustee and Vice Chair of the Vocational Rehabilitation Association (VRA) in the UK and has supported standards development with the VRA, UK Rehab Council and British Standards Institution.Gail has a certificate in Human Resources Development and professionally practices as an Ergonomist. She is also a Canadian Certified Rehabilitation Counsellor (CCRC), a Certified Disability Management Professional (CDMP), and a Consensus Based Disability Management Auditor (CBDMA). She has been awarded the Fellowship of the Vocational Rehabilitation Association of Canada, the Award of Excellence from CAVEWAS, and a lifetime membership with the VRA UK all in recognition of her professional achievements in Vocational Rehabilitation and for her dedication and commitment to professional development and to client and customer services.