MIAMI – April 30, 2021 – Carisk Partners (Carisk), a specialty risk transfer and care coordination company, will be recognizing and celebrating two month-long initiatives this May. The month of May is recognized nationally as Mental Health Awareness month; a time to raise awareness and provide education and support around the importance of mental wellness. In honor, Carisk has collaborated with Bubs and Sass, a Florida based jewelry company, to create a statement jewelry piece that will be gifted to donors during May. The piece will serve as a ‘thank you’ and symbol of inspiration for individuals and families who have been affected by catastrophic injuries and may be experiencing behavioral health challenges as a result. All proceeds will benefit Kids’ Chance California and Kids’ Chance Florida. Kids’ Chance is an organization that provides educational opportunities and scholarships for the children of workers seriously injured or killed on the job. Carisk hopes to run this fundraiser annually with a new statement jewelry piece/collection each year.
The 1st annual 2021 Mental Health Awareness Month fundraiser campaign for Kids’ Chance theme is “Shine The Way You Were Meant To”. This theme sparks inspiration, and provides support, hope and advocacy for anyone struggling with behavioral health challenges. To donate to this initiative please visit Bubs & Sass.
Additionally, on behalf of injured workers, Carisk applied to the Society for Health Care Strategy and Market Development (SHSMD) and was granted approval for the month of May to be designated Workers’ Compensation Advocacy Awareness Month (WCAAM) on the National Health Observances Calendar. During this time, Carisk hopes to raise awareness of the importance of supporting the workers’ compensation patient. Advocacy remains difficult to implement because it runs counter to the traditional workers’ comp model. Most injured workers don’t know what to expect, and therefore the journey can be confusing, intimidating and scary, leading to stress, fear and depression. An opportunity exists to advocate for injured workers through raising awareness and providing education and support around the importance of taking a patient-centered approach. This can, in turn, produce better claim outcomes for both injured workers as well as their employers. Carisk is proud to lead this initiative in 2021 and for years to come and hopes to provide opportunity for its industry partners to join the movement and participate in raising awareness through its WCAAM Campaign.
“At Carisk, we are dedicated to always doing the right thing for each other, our customers, and our communities. Each year we look forward to changing the perspectives and stigma surrounding mental illnesses which might prevent anyone from seeking help or treatment,” says Joseph Berardo, Jr., Carisk CEO. “This year, we are proud to support Kids’ Chance California and Florida with a renewed focus on mental health for families affected by catastrophic injuries. Combining our efforts to advance positive patient experiences and shift the workers’ compensation relationship from adversarial to advocate is core to our mission and we are happy to partner with the workers’ compensation industry to create a consistent approach to communicating in a way that reinforces transparency and putting the patients’ needs first”.
Early adopters of advocacy-based workers compensation models such as Carisk’s PathwaysTM 2 Recovery program have been shown to positively impact workers’ compensation programs and influence employee satisfaction and engagement.
“It’s fitting that Mental Health and Workers’ Compensation Advocacy Awareness fall during the same month. Barriers such as stigma, isolation, communication and the tendency towards a one-size-fits-all approach represent areas of opportunity with those who face physical injury and mental illness,” says David Vittoria, Carisk Senior Vice President of Clinical Business & Product Development. “Incorporating transparency and a patient-centered approach helps to lessen uncertainties, anxieties and fears while building trust and improving overall outcomes. It is time the workers’ compensation industry shifts its thinking from a solely cost-based approach to a value-based model aligning patient and employer goals, in turn creating value for every stakeholder. Patients deserve compassion, respect and an overall collaborative approach to problem- solving at a time when they need it most”.
The objectives of the 1st Annual WCAAM Campaign are to:
- Announce, increase awareness, and garner industry support and engagement in the campaign.
- Show support for patients, caregivers, and families impacted by workplace injuries.
- Gather input on barriers and drivers to patient advocacy for future initiatives.
To participate, download the Carisk Partners WCAAM media kit and share content via social media promoting what Advocacy for Workers’ Compensation Patients Means to you and your organization. To join the growing movement as a WCAAM Ambassador, contact marketing@CariskPartners.com. Other ways of getting involved will be shared on the WCAAM Forum.
About Carisk Partners Carisk is a specialty risk transfer, care coordination company serving insurers, government entities, self-insured plan sponsors and other managed care organizations. With a foundation in behavioral health, Carisk’s end-to-end combined solutions include risk-transfer and care coordination of delayed recovery, complex catastrophic cases and MBHO services. Carisk’s Pathways 2 Recovery program guarantees to improve outcomes and reduce overall cost of quality care by applying best practices and a patient-centered approach to manage complex challenges for the Group Health, Casualty and Auto markets. Carisk is the first and only Managed Behavioral Healthcare Organization with dual accreditations from both the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) and the Accreditation Association for Ambulatory Healthcare, Inc. (AAAHC). Visit www.cariskpartners.com to learn more.
About Kids Chance The mission of Kids’ Chance is to provide educational opportunities and scholarships for the children of workers seriously injured or killed on the job. Collectively, the organization has awarded over 8,000 scholarships across the country, totaling over $27,000,000. For more information, please visit www.kidschancefl.org or www.kidschanceca.org.
