Allianz's Early Intervention Program improving mental injury recovery outcomes 

Mental injury claims are one of the fastest growing types of workers’ compensation claims in Victoria. They’re also one of the biggest costs to Victoria’s Workers’ Compensation Scheme. Mental injury claims are also often the most complex for employers to navigate.

Allianz has enhanced the way we approach claims management with the introduction of our Early Intervention Program.  The program supports workers with primary mental injuries  who are unable to work, while a decision is being made about whether they have an eligible claim.

Introduced in October 2023, the program aims to support earlier recovery and return to work outcomes. This is achieved through early intervention initiatives and proactive claims management. The program emphasises a holistic approach to recovery. It considers the psychological and social factors that contribute to a worker’s overall wellbeing.

Allianz claims data shows that in Victoria, only 17% of workers with primary mental injuries received treatment within 28 days of lodging their claim. This highlights the need for quicker support.

Questions around claims liability can lead to a relationship break down between the employer and injured worker. This can lead to a loss of communication and cause injured workers to feel isolated. These issues can further complicate the claims process, potentially delaying recovery and successful return to work.

Early intervention is also vital to help workers manage their own recovery if their claim is rejected.

There are several reasons why few injured workers receive treatment in the early days after they submit a claim. These can include the following:

• a focus on liability rather than wellbeing and recovery
• limited availability of treatment providers
• lack of knowledge and education
• limited injury management resources in smaller companies
• challenges relating to perceptions and stigma around mental health

The Early Intervention Program sets itself apart by changing the narrative of how claims are managed. Our approach when engaging workers and treating physicians focuses on workers’ wellbeing, rather than technical information related to claim liability.

The key focus of the team includes assessing and triaging mental injury claims early. Claims specialists identify and respond to biopsychological risk factors for each case. They promote early access to treatment and recovery support by linking workers with treatment providers and support within their community. Using shared experience and valuable insights, the team supports personalised return to work pathways. 

The program offers significant benefits to employers:

• additional support for complex claims
• valuable training around proactive communication and work culture
• opportunity for facilitated discussion between injured workers and employers
• additional support for businesses who have limited resources and may not have dedicated return to work coordinators

The program provides a seamless transition into ongoing claims management if liability is accepted, while ensuring workers have support in place if liability is rejected.

The program has been a great success so far. In the first 6 months of the program, we’ve supported 458 workers and there has been 864 successful treating practitioner contacts.

We’ve seen significantly improved outcomes:

• Median time to access psychological treatment down from 43 days to 24 days.
• Time to access rehabilitation services down from 46 days to 22 days.
• Median days to initial return to work down from 96.5 days to 41 days.

After a traumatic event at work in September 2023, a worker faced severe psychological distress. This led to disturbed sleep, flashbacks and anxiety, and the worker taking leave. The worker received help from their Employee Assistance Program, but only had one session before lodging their claim on October 4.

Our Claim Specialist identified that timely access to treatment was the main challenge for recovery.  They introduced the worker to our Mental Health Services Directory (MHSD). The worker attended their first appointment on October 30 and, with continuous support, showed great progress.

They returned to work part-time on December 14 and received full clearance by February 14, 2024. The treating psychologist confirmed their recovery, emphasising the importance of timely intervention and support.

Our goal is simple: make sure injured workers get the right care at the right time. This helps workers regain their physical and mental wellbeing, all while safely transitioning back into the workforce.

Allianz is helping to raise the standard for claims management and support initiatives. The success of the Early Intervention Program was recognised by the 'Excellence in Recovery' award received at the 2024 WorkSafe Victoria Recognition of Excellence Awards. Given the success of the program to date, we see potential to expand the program to all pre-liability claims, including primary physical and secondary mental injury claims.

We’re also expanding the MyJourney program: a holistic screening tool, after its successful pilot in the Northern Territory.  The optimised screening tool helps identify biopsychosocial risks to better support workers. The tool changes the way claims are managed. This allows us to holistically understand and respond to the factors that may affect worker’s recovery. We’re anticipating roll out of this tool in Victoria at the end of 2024. Read more about the MyJourney tool. 

This article has been prepared by Allianz Australia Insurance Limited ABN 15 000 122 850 AFSL234708 ("Allianz"). In some cases, information has been provided to us by third parties and while that information is believed to be accurate and reliable, its accuracy is not guaranteed in any way. 

Any opinions expressed constitute our views at the time of issue and are subject to change. Neither Allianz, nor its employees or directors give any warranty of accuracy or accept responsibility for any loss or liability incurred by you in respect of any error, omission or misrepresentation in this article.