Course Description
Attention federal supervisors, HR professionals, medical professionals, attorneys, and other agency employees:
- What should you do when an employee with a behavioral health issue has an episode in the workplace?
- Do you know how to accommodate and work with employees who have PTSD or substance abuse issues?
- What steps should you take if the employee threatens violence or suicide?
According to the National Institute of Mental Health 43.4 million adults – nearly 1 in 5 – had a mental illness diagnosis during the past year. Crisis management in the federal workplace is a critical area to understand – it is truly life and death.
This class is unique in that it covers the legal issues (for example, avoiding discrimination when it comes to behavioral health disabilities; providing reasonable accommodation for “unseen” disabilities; discipline under Title 5 for things such as threats, outbursts, and off-duty violent conduct) as well as the practical/clinical issues (what to do/say when someone has a dissociative episode, or threatens suicide, or has PTSD, or makes violent comments toward a supervisor).
It’s a combination of learning the law, understanding how to deal with employees who have mental issues, and managing risk in your agency.
Join FELTG Executive Director Deborah Hopkins and Shana Palmieri, Managing Partner of Clinical Education & Consulting at the Healthcare Legal Education & Consulting Network, for the two-day workshop Handling Behavioral Health Issues and Threats of Violence in the Federal Workplace. See below for a daily agenda.
Instructors
Deborah Hopkins, Shana Palmieri
Daily Agenda:
Tuesday
Handling Behavioral Health Issues: An overview of the ADA requirements on accommodating individuals with mental impairments and other behavioral health issues; your agency’s legal obligation to provide its employees with a safe workplace; types of mental disabilities and how they may exhibit in the workplace; the “direct threat” analysis; PTSD, substance abuse disorders;dos and don’ts when working employees who have behavioral health issues.
Wednesday
Dealing with Threats of Violence: Legal considerations for federal agencies; dangerous scenarios during the notice period; myths and facts about targeted violence in the workplace; dealing with suicidal employees; individual characteristics that put an employee at higher risk of committing an act of violence;how to develop and implement an in-house threat management team to deal with threat assessments, risk management, and the best ways to keep employees safe during a crisis; steps to take if someone becomes violent in the workplace
Pricing
- 2 days = $950
- 1 day = $530
As an Employee Relations Specialist, you have a challenging job –- and once you know the basics, you realize there is always more to learn. So, FELTG is happy to present Advanced Employee Relations, a three-day seminar focused on immersing you in the employee relations topics you need most.
In this class you’ll receive in-depth training on topics including leave, performance, misconduct and more. Plus, hands-on workshops will allow you to leave with the tools you’ll need to succeed.
The program runs 8:30 – 4:30 each day.
Instructor
Daily Agenda:
Tuesday
Leave and Attendance: Administering leave, with particular emphasis on sick leave, LWOP, and FMLA. Detailed review of sick leave provisions including authorized purposes for use of sick leave, limitations on use of sick leave for family care and bereavement, eligibility to use leave for care, notice requirements, acceptable documentation. Management actions to control use of leave and abuse of sick leave. Detailed review of FMLA provisions including eligibility to invoke FMLA, entitlement, coverage of family members, administration and notice requirements. Acceptable medical documentation under FMLA, definition of serious health condition. Substitution of paid leave. Discipline tied to FMLA. LWOP – when LWOP is mandatory, limits on granting LWOP, employee status while on extended LWOP. Other topics –issues related to annual leave and leave transfer, other leave entitlements.
Wednesday
Performance Management: Managing performance from system establishment to conducting annual appraisals to taking actions linked to performance. GEAR initiative and other efforts focused on modifying Federal performance management system. Requirements for performance plans, including design of agency systems, rating schemes, and procedures for conducting appraisals. Revised DOD performance system to be implemented in 2016. Linkage between appraisal and other personnel management decisions, including reduction-in-force and within-grade increases. Writing effective and measurable performance criteria that will withstand third-party review, including a workshop where participants will do an in-depth review of performance plans. Requirements for successful performance-based actions – from drafting a PIP notice that will withstand scrutiny to conducting a bona fide PIP to ensuring that due process is met in effecting an action on unacceptable performance.
Thursday
Misconduct and Other Related Issues: Implementation of a successful disciplinary program – delegation of authority, role of advisors, warnings and cautions, use of administrative leave. Nexus. Dealing with comparators in determining a penalty. Involuntary actions – resignations and retirements. Ordering and Offering medical examinations. Specific disciplinary situations: handling situations when an employee is unable to perform including excessive leave, disability retirement, separation disability; conduct unbecoming; misuse and technology-related misconduct; failure to meet conditions of employment.
Pricing
- 3 days = $1340
- 2 days = $950
- 1 day = $520