Disability Management Training Course: 8 years of training on the ICF biopsychosocial model.

Disability and Case Management is a multidisciplinary and person-centred methodology that, moving from the needs of the person, and in collaboration with health and social systems, links patients to appropriate service providers and resources across the continuum of health and human services. The Italian approach to disability management is based on biopsychosocial model, in which both the individuals and their environment are the target of intervention. The biopsychosocial model at the base of the WHO ICF Classification, represents the theoretical and conceptual basis of the post-graduate education on ‘Disability-Case manager and ICF’, that started in 2006 at Catholic University in collaboration with the Foundation IRCCS Neurological Institute Carlo Besta. The structure of the course, which is organized on annual basis, includes three weeks of intensive lectures with experts on bioethics, on ICF and related instruments’ use, in social and health policies in relation to school, work, environmental accessibility, human rights and legislation. Thus, Disability managers from Catholic University have a complete ICF training as well as a strong policy and bioethics education. This broad educational approach allows people to deal with the full complexity of creating networks for people with disability in fragmented systems. Since 2006 the course trained around 200 professionals from different parts of Italy and from different sectors, providing new skills to operate with greater awareness and effectiveness in the field of participation of all people.