Psych Injury: Supporting Recovery at Work

Last month, Gabe Burden, one of our SA mobile case managers, shared what he often sees in the first 48 hours after a workplace injury. The biggest difference is whether the employer has already reached out — not with paperwork, but with a genuine phone call. [Read more: The First 48 Hours]

In a psychological injury claim, that principle goes further because the treating practitioner becomes a central figure in recovery and employers aren't always clear on their role or how they can work together to support the worker.

Joe Raciborski is one of our injury management specialists in our NSW business. He has worked extensively with employers, claims teams and treating practitioners across his career and his message is consistent: "The treating practitioner — GP, psychologist or both — are very important for an employee's recovery. But they cannot do it in isolation. They need information from you about what the workplace can offer. And in many cases, the best outcomes come when the employer's claims team and workplace rehabilitation provider are all helping build that picture."

What your employee's treater is dealing with

"A GP may only have a short consultation window. Within that time, they're often assessing mental state, considering medication, managing referrals and completing certificates of capacity with legal implications — while also working across many patients, conditions and systems, whether that's Medicare, the NDIS, road accident schemes, workers' compensation, veterans' care or aged care."

"A psychologist may have a deeper therapeutic understanding of the worker's fears, functioning and progress, but not always the same visibility of the claims process or workplace options. Ideally, the GP, psychologist and claims team are sharing information to support recovery. In practice, that coordination can be inconsistent."

The practical impact is that clinical decisions are sometimes being made with only part of the picture. Treaters understand the worker's presentation, but they may not have a clear view of what the workplace can offer. Without that context, a more cautious approach — including more time away from work — can become the safer clinical decision, not necessarily because the worker has no capacity, but because the treater cannot yet be confident the workplace won't aggravate the situation.

Five things you can do

1. Help the treater understand what the workplace can offer.

"Treaters are often making return-to-work decisions with only the information available to them at the time. When they can see what's available — a quieter role, changed reporting lines, graduated hours — the conversation is more likely to shift from 'Are they fit?' to 'What kind of return could work?'"

Prepare a simple one-page summary of suitable duties, modified hours, supports on return and any workplace changes since the worker went off work. Ask your claims agent or workplace rehabilitation provider to share it with the GP and psychologist so they can see what a supported return could look like. A workplace rehabilitation provider can also help turn that information into realistic duties, a graded return plan and practical workplace adjustments. Evidence suggests that better clinical and workplace outcomes are more likely when treating practitioners have clear workplace context and practical options in front of them.

2. Don't rely on forms alone.

"When a claims manager calls and says, 'I'm not calling to challenge anything — I want to understand what your patient needs and how we can help, the dynamic can change. The treater may share what the worker is worried about, what's holding them back and what support might make progress more realistic. That level of context doesn't always come through in a form alone."

Forms still matter, but they rarely do the whole job in a psychological claim. Ask your claims agent whether they have spoken with the GP and psychologist directly and what concerns or barriers emerged from those conversations. That approach is more likely to surface the issues shaping capacity, confidence and recovery than paperwork alone.

3. Understand the different roles of the GP and psychologist.

"The GP and psychologist may each hold a different part of the picture. The GP is often managing certification, treatment coordination and broader health issues, while the psychologist may have deeper visibility of the worker's fears, functioning and progress over time. Good decision-making is usually stronger when both perspectives are understood."

Don't assume that the certificate tells you everything. Ask whether both the GP and psychologist have been consulted and whether they are giving a consistent message on capacity, barriers and next steps. If one perspective is missing, the return-to-work plan is more likely to be cautious or less complete.

4. Lead with recovery and support.

"If a treater feels a conversation is mainly about testing liability or building a dispute position, they may become more guarded. Starting with recovery, support and practical options is more likely to keep the discussion constructive and focussed on what will help the worker move forward."

Lead with recovery in every early conversation. With the worker, ask what would help them feel safe taking a first step back. Through the claims agent, ask the treater what duties, hours or workplace adjustments would make a graded return more realistic. Evidence suggests that trust, respectful communication and practical problem-solving can play an important role in recovery.

5. Stay engaged beyond the first few weeks.

"In many psychological claims, the early urgency fades after the first few weeks, but that's often when coordination matters most. The worker is in treatment; the treater is forming views about progress and decisions about return to work are still evolving. If the employer's contact drops away too early, it becomes harder to maintain a shared picture of what support is available and what a return could look like."

Stay involved after the first few weeks and make sure the worker is involved in planning rather than being presented with a plan built around them. Check in on what is improving, what still feels difficult and what the next workable step as that rhythm matters. Return to work outcomes are stronger when workers are supported early by their employer and plans are developed with them, not just for them.

Joe's advice to employers is simple: You don't need to have all the answers to make a positive difference. You don't need to become the clinician or run the claim, but you can play an important part by staying engaged, making early contact with the worker and helping the treater understand what support the workplace can offer. The formal coordination may sit with the claims team and workplace rehabilitation provider, but employers should feel confident giving it a go.

In psychological injury claims, progress often comes from simple things done well and done consistently: staying in touch, involving the worker in planning, sharing practical information with the treater and helping the claims team and workplace rehabilitation provider support the next workable step. Employers don't need to do everything themselves, but their support and willingness to engage can make a real difference.