Support

Support for injured workers

Set up in August 2011, aworkcovervictimsdiary is a popular blog, run by seriously injured workers, whose primary aim is to assist injured workers by means of offering advice in gaining the benefits and services they are legally entitled to.

Our mission is simple and that is to assist and support any injured worker (from any state) who has sustained a work related physical and/or psychological injury/disability.

aworkcovervictimsdiary is not [yet] an organisation, it does not have funding nor external “resources”. It is solely run by volunteer work from injured workers, like you and me.

However, it is very important that you remember that the Authors and Contributors of this blog are themselves seriously injured workers. This means that they are not in any position to offer personalised support. We are not lawyers and we are also not counsellors nor therapists. 

Support for injured workers

Below are some useful tips on how to get general, personal  and professional support, and what type of support is available for injured workers.

Our popular injured workers forum is a great place to meet and interact with fellow injured workers who understand you and what you are going through. You can seek (and offer) support, get to know people, make friends and even chat (online chat facility). You can even start your own on-line diary (very therapeutic!). All you have to do is register with the forum and off you go.

If you need help with your workcover claim or have  a particular question, you can post it on our “need help with your workcover claim” page. Chances are that the Authors, Contributors of this blog, our readers, frequent visitors and fellow injured workers may be able to answer your question, or at least offer you some guidance.

You can also share your story or experience with workcover and we’ll publish your story on our site and comment. This is not only good for our cause (showing the world what the real workcover is really like), but it can also be very therapeutic! It also gives other injured workers an opportunity to, in turn, share their experience(s) or to offer commentaries and additional useful information.

We believe that psychological counseling is important and that the sooner you get it the better. It will help you “deal” with your “situation” and help you cope and it’s also very good for the purpose of documenting the impact workcover has on you (i.e. harassment, bullying, intimidation by workcover agent, case manager, rehab provider, employer etc.)

VIC

WorkSafe can pay the reasonable costs of psychology services to assist a worker in the rehabilitation of a work-related injury or illness, following the provision of a written referral from a medical practitioner.

WorkSafe considers psychology to be a referral service. A referral from a medical practitioner (your GP) must therefore be provided prior to commencement of psychology services.

What WorkSafe will pay for

WorkSafe will pay the reasonable costs of psychology services that meet all of the following criteria:

• A medical practitioner has provided a referral for initial treatment (excluding family counselling)
• A medical practitioner reviews the service regularly

Further services remain subject to regular review of the injured worker’s progress by a medical practitioner. The service is in line with the principles of the Clinical Framework for delivery of psychology services to injured workers.

WorkSafe can also pay for group consultations by psychologists. Group consultations may consist of between 4 and 10 workers receiving a face to face service.

WorkSafe will pay for the reasonable costs of family counselling services up to a maximum statutory amount (currently $5000 per claim):

• incurred in Australia
• provided upon prior approval from the agent/self insurer
• provided to the family member/s of a worker who has:
• died as a result of a work related injury
• sustained a severe injury under s99 of the Act.

A family member is a partner, parent, sibling or child of the worker or of the workers partner. Parent of a worker includes a person who has day to day care and control of the worker.

What is a severe injury?

• A severe injury which:
• was incurred on or after 1 July 2006
• required immediate in-patient treatment at a hospital
•  meets the definition of severe injury under the Act, being:
• amputation of a limb
• amputation of a hand or foot
• severe head injury
• severe eye injury
• separation of the worker’s skin from an underlying tissue (eg de-gloving or scalping)
•  severe burns
• paraplegia
• quadriplegia
• severe lacerations
• severe injuries arising from electric shock
• any other work related injury giving rise to an imminent risk of death.

NSW

For those with a claim there is , in NSW -counselling available of 8 sessions without any questions asked so long as you get a referral from your nominated treating doctor.

If you are under the assistance of a return to work case manager – in NSW- they should recommend this, if not get the GP to call the insurer direct.Those who have claims in dispute can access free counselling again via the GP under a mental health care plan.

If you have a GP mental health treatment plan your GP may refer you for Medicare-subsidised sessions with a psychologist, or an appropriately trained doctor, social worker or occupational therapist. A psychiatrist may also refer you for Medicare-subsidised treatment with a psychologist, an appropriately trained social worker or occupational therapist. You may receive up to 12 sessions of individual therapy in a calender year (in NSW). An additional six sessions may be available in exceptional circumstances.

The Injured Workers Support Network (IWSN) have injured workers support groups in Sydney, Newcastle and Bathurst -meetings are listed on the IWSN website. These meetings provide a decent environment where injured workers can come together for some peer support from people going thru similar issues and we try to provide a speaker on a topic of interest as well.

Work Injured Resource Connection, run by Mrs Ferguson-McKenzie.
P.O. Box 17
Welland
South Australia, 5007

Ph: 08 8410 0121
wirc@bold.net.au

• LIFELINE: 131114  a national 24 hour telephone counselling service for the cost of a local call
• BEYOND BLUE: info line 1300 22 4636
• SUICIDE CALL BACK SERVICE : 1300 659 467 – telephone support for those at risk of suicide ,their carers and those bereaved by suicide.Please visit their website.

“Injured workers are not problem people, we are people with a problem!”