Background
If your work causes poor mental health, this could impact how you think, feel and behave at and outside of work. It's important to get the help you need. Early treatment and support can reduce the impact of poor mental health. It can help you stay at or return to work and do activities that you enjoy in life.
Treatment and support
It's important you get the help you need while your claim is being reviewed. There's a range of treatment and support options for a mental injury. It's important you get the right support for your recovery.
- Provisional payments
Provisional payments help support people with recovery and return to work regardless of claim outcome.
Workers and eligible volunteers can access provisional payments for reasonable treatment and services for work-related mental injuries, while they wait for a claim outcome. If a claim is not accepted, a worker or eligible volunteer can continue to receive provisional payments for up to 13 weeks.
- General practitioner (GP)
A GP can work with you to develop an action plan and recommend services and resources that can assist you to address your mental health concerns.
Your GP may recommend or refer you to a mental health professional to provide you with psychological support services.
Your GP may also provide you with a certificate of capacity. You need to submit this with your claim form if you want to claim for weekly payments.
If you submitted a claim form to your employer, you may have a claim number and can bring this to your appointment.
Locate a GP near you
- Psychology
Psychologists are experts in human behaviour and use evidence-based psychological interventions to:
- prevent people from becoming unwell
- improve human functionality in their personal, vocational and familial roles
- assist them to overcome mental and physical illness
- optimise their health and functioning in the community.
You need to bring a referral from your GP and/or other medical practitioner.
- Accredited Mental Health Social Workers (AMHSWs)
They are specialist providers with knowledge in assessing, diagnosing and improving mental health and associated psychosocial problems experienced by individuals.
You need to bring a referral from your GP and/or other medical practitioner.
- Counselling services
Counsellors provide you with psychological support with rehabilitation, recovery and return to work. Counsellors work in a variety of settings and have different areas of interest that can be matched to your specific needs.
You need to bring a referral from your GP and/or other medical practitioner.
- Psychiatry
Psychiatrists are medical practitioners who are experts in mental health. They specialise in diagnosing and treating people with mental illness.
Psychiatrists provide psychological treatment, such as cognitive behavioural therapy and can prescribe medications.
You need to bring a referral from your GP.
- E-mental health services
There is a range of e-mental health services you can use. These are free and can be used on top of the treatment you may get from your healthcare provider. You get access to online programs and services which you can use on your own or with a healthcare provider. Speak to your doctor to discuss if this is appropriate for you.
- Facilitated discussion
It is a type of alternative dispute resolution. You can use it if there are workplace issues or interpersonal conflict.
Your WorkSafe agent can help you with a referral to this service.
Out of pocket cost
Reasonable cost of treatment doesn’t necessarily mean full payment. There may be a gap between what the provider charges and what WorkSafe will cover. If they charge more, you'll have to pay the difference. You can ask your healthcare provider if there is a gap fee before you book an initial appointment.
Other services
Your healthcare provider may want to refer you to other services. These can be complementary to your treatment but not directly related to your mental injury. They could also help you achieve your goals and recovery.
To access these you need:
- A referral from a medical practitioner
- Clinical justification for the request
- approval from your WorkSafe agent.
Services include (but are not limited to):
- occupational therapy
- remedial exercise
- outreach services
- pain management
- remedial massage
WorkSafe can pay for a range of services.
- Consultation sessions as required in line with the relevant policy and fee schedule.
- Medication as prescribed by your GP or healthcare provider for your mental injury (in line with the Pharmacy policy).
- Inpatient psychiatric treatment care as required.
- E-mental health services (if pre-approved by the agent).
- Facilitated discussions with occupational rehabilitation providers.
WorkSafe won't pay for cancellation fees if a worker cancels or doesn't show up to an appointment.
Mental health support
If you need immediate support these services can help:
- Lifeline 13 11 14
- Beyond Blue 1300 224 636
- Directline 1800 888 236