TPI recovery: Information for workers

You would apply for workers' compensation for a psychological injury in the same way you would apply for a physical injury. Always tell your employer first about your injury. You would then complete the Application for Workers' Compensation Benefits on our website. Be sure to read the directions carefully and submit all information requested, including pay information and medical documentation, to help ensure your application is processed quickly. Your employer must also complete a Report of Injury or Illness. Some larger employers have a different process (Form 67). Please ask your employer what process they use. If in doubt, file the Application for Workers' Compensation Benefits.

When you apply for workers' compensation and indicate your injury is a TPI, your application will automatically be reviewed to see if it meets the eligibility criteria for the SUCCEED program. There is no additional application.

SUCCEED is an acronym that helps WorkSafeNB describe its six-week early intervention program for TPIs.

• Strengthen: We strengthen a worker’s resilience, support and connections at work.
• Understanding: We increase education, leading to greater empathy, and improved flexibility and support.
• Care: We care for a worker in and out of the workplace.
• Collaborative: Collaboration of worker, employer, health-care provider, co-workers and WorkSafeNB is critical. Everyone is involved in recovery!
• Evidence-based: Treatment is evidence-based, using proven medical processes and practices.
• Early: Treatment is early, leading to quicker recovery.
• Direction: We have clear pathways for workers, employers and health care providers, leading to successful outcomes.

The SUCCEED program is delivered by WorkSafeNB-approved licensed social workers and counselling therapists.

No. The SUCCEED program provides immediate treatment (usually while WorkSafeNB determines if the injury is compensable under the Workers’ Compensation Act). If your injury is not compensable under the Act, treatment will stop at the end of the SUCCEED program’s six weeks (or six sessions). If your claim application is accepted, further treatment recommendations will be reviewed at that time.

You can expect treatment that focuses on the memory of the traumatic event or its meaning. Your health care provider may use different techniques to help you process your traumatic experience. Some involve visualization, talking and thinking about the traumatic memory. Others focus on changing unhelpful beliefs about the trauma. People with TPIs often try to avoid things that remind them of the trauma. This can help you feel better in the moment, but in the long term it can keep you from recovering.

Your employer is a vital support in your recovery. They will:

• Keep in touch with you throughout the recovery process;
• Offer meaningful and productive modified duties or other suitable work that is safe and within your capabilities;
• Ensure supervisors and co-workers support you during recovery; and
• Communicate and collaborate with all return-to-work partners, including WorkSafeNB and health care providers.

People with TPIs often try to avoid things that remind them of the trauma. This can help you feel better in the moment, but in the long term it can hinder recovery. Always follow guidance from your medical care professional, keep in contact with your employer and WorkSafeNB, and share any concerns or potential barriers to recovery as they develop.

Your treatment in the SUCCEED program will continue, regardless of the claim decision. The SUCCEED program lasts for six weeks (or six sessions). Treatment beyond the program, however, will not be supported.

For some people, treatment can remove TPI symptoms altogether. For others, it can make symptoms less intense, enabling to enjoy and participate in life. We recommend you focus on the small successes and the ability to continue growth toward your recovery goals.

WorkSafeNB follows the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) definition of traumatic event. It defines trauma exposure as “exposure to actual or threatened death, serious injury, or sexual violence.” Learn more by reading the policy Conditions for Entitlement – Traumatic Mental Stress.

Working to Well is a resource to help workers like you learn more about the recovery and return-to-work process. Visit its website to watch videos of other workers hurt on the job and get tools and tips to improve your recovery.

MyServices is a secure and confidential online service where you can check your claim status. Once a claim is accepted, you can also:

• Email your case manager
• Learn more about available benefits
• View prescription history
• Check on payment status and view past payments
• Submit travel expenses

Register here.

New Brunswick's Workers' Compensation Act excludes mental stress as a compensable condition except when the mental stress or the disability is the result of an acute reaction to a traumatic event. Learn more by reading the policy Conditions for Entitlement – Traumatic Mental Stress.

This SUCCEED program lasts for six weeks (or six sessions). There are no extensions. If your claim application is accepted, further treatment recommendations will be reviewed at that time. If your injury is not compensable under the Act, treatment will stop at the end of the SUCCEED program’s six weeks (or six sessions). 

Please call 1 800 999-9775.