Supporting return to work for workers with post-traumatic stress disorder

When supporting workers with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) to return to work, it’s essential to consult with the worker and identify meaningful suitable duties that prioritise their psychological safety and reduce exposure to trauma triggers.

Best practice

Take a trauma-informed approach when designing suitable duties for workers recovering from PTSD. This means consulting with the worker and their health providers and planning meaningful duties that avoid known psychological triggers, provide structure and predictability, and help the worker regain confidence in a safe and supportive environment.

For complex injuries, your insurer may engage a workplace rehabilitation provider for support managing a worker’s rehabilitation and return to work.

Why this is important

First responders, including police officers, firefighters, ambulance officers, and certain healthcare workers, are at increased risk of developing post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

Poorly matched suitable duties can delay recovery or, in some cases, retraumatise and further harm workers. For frontline workers recovering from PTSD, returning to familiar environments or roles without appropriate adjustments can reignite symptoms and lead to disengagement.

Trauma-informed rehabilitation and return to work planning helps to:

• rebuild trust between the worker and the organisation
• reinforce psychological safety
• reduce the risk of relapse
• support long-term recovery by gradually building confidence in returning to work and respecting the worker’s lived experience and current capacity.

What actions can I take now?

Take a trauma-informed approach:

• Design duties that reduce or eliminate exposure to trauma-related content or environments by:
  • avoiding isolation of workers by offering team-based, low intensity roles that allow social connection without high pressure
  • considering offsite, remote or flexible duties if the workplace environment is likely to trigger stress responses
  • regularly reviewing duties and checking in with the worker to ensure the duties are still appropriate as their recovery progresses.
• Provide clear expectations and structured routines to build predictability and minimise anxiety.
• Promote safety by establishing a safe physical, psychological and emotional environment.
• Engage the worker and their treating practitioner in collaboratively identifying suitable duties that feel safe, purposeful and manageable.
• Promote suitable duties that contribute to team outcomes without placing the worker in high-stress or emotionally intense situations.

You don’t need to do this alone. Draw on the right support and plan thoughtfully. This may include:

• seeking specialist input from occupational physicians, psychologists, or trauma-informed workplace rehabilitation providers when planning suitable duties
• encouraging supervisors to access information and training on trauma-informed communication (the Queensland Mental Health Commission has useful information on Supporting someone in distress)
• talking to your insurer about support they can provide
• seeking help from the Workers’ Compensation Information and Advisory Service for Employers
• seeking support from a trauma-informed rehabilitation providers with expertise in post-traumatic stress disorder. Check with the Australian Rehabilitation Providers Association for providers that have experienced staff supporting workers with a diagnosis of PTSD.

Your toolkit

• Read Dr Deborah's story about returning to work after being the first responder at a mine explosion in Moranbah.
• Share this Mental health webinar from the University of Queensland with your workers.
• Be inspired by stories of lived experience recovering from PTSD and listen to a lived experience podcast.
• Use evidence-based guidelines from the Black Dog Institute and the University of NSW.
• Consult and collaborate with your workforce to develop rehabilitation and return to work policies and procedures (PDF, 265KB) that are meaningful and work for your business.
• Complete rehabilitation and return to work coordinator training.
• Raise awareness of mental health resources and keep mental health on your organisation’s radar all year round.
• Refer to Beyond Blue’s Good practice framework for mental health and wellbeing in police and emergency services organisations.
• Access and share information about the free and independent workers’ compensation advisory and support services for Queensland businesses and workers:
  • Workers’ Compensation Information Advisory Service for Employers
  • Workers’ Compensation Information Advisory Service for Workers
  • Workers’ Psychological Support Service, a free and independent support service that connects workers experiencing a work-related mental injury with community services appropriate to their needs.