Directorate of ADF Rehabilitation Services
Awards
2009 Defence Safety Awards
ADF Rehabilitation Program Wins 2009 Defence Safety Award
Category 5 - Rehabilitation and Return to Work Award - recognises an agency's commitment to best practice, including early intervention and integration into the management system of the agency, success in reducing claim duration - attributable to the return to work program and return to work durability.
Winner: ADF Rehabilitation Program
 The ADF Rehabilitation Program (ADFRP) is a key element of the Defence OHS Management System and addresses Objective 5 of the Defence OHS Strategy 2007-12 to 'reduce the impact of occupational injury, illness and disease'. It delivers a holistic assessment and management system combined with the elements of health care, occupational health and safety, and personnel capability management. Health care and rehabilitation are provided regardless of whether the injury or illness is work related and compensable. The Program has also been developed to ensure the ADF meets its duty of care to members and its legislative responsibilities. As an occupational health and safety initiative, it seeks to reduce the impact of occupational injury, illness and disease, and to minimise the members need for compensation or medical discharge. Most importantly, the Program is workplace or occupational-based as this provides the most realistic environment to assess fitness for work. Through rehabilitation more members of the ADF will be employable and deployable, resulting in an increase in military capability. In addition, effective rehabilitation will reduce the number of medical discharges.
Panel Comment: The ADFRP program has clear triggers and policy that builds upon international experience and is a fully integrated system that operates at all levels of Defence. It operates throughout the spectrum of return to work and compensation as a whole of injury management system. There are clearly demonstrated reductions in compensation costs and discharges. It meets/exceeds national benchmarks.
2009 SRCC Safety Awards
ADF Rehabilitation Program is Highly Commended at 2009 National Safety Awards
 The 2009 Safety, Rehabilitation and Compensation Commission (SRCC) Safety Awards Category 5 - Rehabilitation and Return to Work Award recognises demonstrated efforts towards excellence and innovation in rehabilitation and return to work programs for ill or injured employees. Awarded High Commendation to Australian Defence Force Rehabilitation Program.
The ADF Rehabilitation Program has achieved excellent results, exceeding the national average return to work rate and a related decrease in the number of members discharged on medical grounds. This is despite the much higher levels of post injury/illness medical and physical fitness required by the ADF when compared with civilian agencies.
In its first three years of operation (July 2006 to June 2009) the Program has had a consistently successful return to work rate: 88%, 86% and 87% respectively. This is despite the much higher levels of post injury/illness medical and physical fitness required by the ADF when compared with civilian agencies.
The Program has also been successful in reducing the reducing the number of days lost through injury, as well as supporting the retention of experience through reduced separations.
The achievements of the ADF Rehabilitation Program were made possible by three things:
- Firstly, the hard work of all of us in the Directorate of ADF Rehabilitation Services and our contracted case managers. Together, we have managed over 13,000 referrals since 2006 and achieved an average return to work rate of 87 percent.
- Secondly, our success can be attributed to the men and women of the ADF. The drive and determination of ill or injured ADF members to return to work has made our Program more successful than the Australian and New Zealand average return to work rates.
- Thirdly, the support of senior officers, such as CDF, the Secretary and MAJGEN Alexander, to include the Program in the Defence White Paper as a permanent health care and retention initiative.
We are not resting on our laurels but are continuing to improve and streamline the Program to achieve ongoing value to ADF members and value for money for Defence. For example, this month we have expanded the Program to include the provision of non-clinical aids and appliances. This will reduce some of the barriers to successful and timely rehabilitation.
Message from Commander Joint Health
On Thursday evening 24 September 2009, VCDF and I attended the 2009 SRCC Safety Awards in the Great Hall at Parliament House. Defence had a number of finalists in the five Award categories. The ADF Rehabilitation Program (ADFRP) was a national finalist in "Category 5: Rehabilitation and Return to Work". The ADFRP had been nominated because of its impressive return to work rate, which was higher than the Commonwealth, State and Territory average rates.
It was a close contest, with the ADFRP coming equal second. They were awarded a Certificate of High Commendation for their achievements. The complete list of winners and finalists is listed at: http://www.srcc.gov.au/safety_awards/2009_srcc_safety_awards/winners_and_finalists Well done to everyone in Joint Health Command who have made the ADFRP a national success story. In particular, I would like to recognise the efforts of past and present members of the Directorate of ADF Rehabilitation Services who made this achievement possible.
Congratulations to Jim and the Rehab Services team on what is well deserved national acknowledgement of your hard work.
Warm Regards
Major General Paul Alexander
Commander Joint Health
Surgeon General Australian Defence Force
19 November, 2009
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