Episode Summary: In todays episode we are joined by MSSN Specialists Rhonda Kellaway and Vicki Simpson  who will take us through the common obstacles to returning to work, plus we hear the real fear and emotions as members of My Social Support Network give a rare glimpse into their raw thoughts and trepidation. 

Guests: MSSN members & staff

Host: Abe

It should be simple. Get injured at work. Get support to go back. Go back to work.

We decided to run an episode on “transition back to work” the premise being that we would talk to our “experts/ rehab team” on what an injured worker needs to do to get back to work.

Easy. The intent was – Here are the steps. Follow the steps. Be inspired, Viola!

Well, not viola at all.

What I didn’t expect was the response we got from the injured workers who were part of the podcast.

For those that don’t know, the MSSN podcast is one of our internal social groups that injured workers can choose to participate in. The podcast is always recorded with a live audience of injured workers. We do this because:

1. The podcast is for injured workers so it’s important that injured workers are a part of the content development and recording process.
2. The injured workers can give instant feedback about anything we talk about to make sure that we are representing their views / opinions or concerns with integrity.

I didn’t expect the depth of emotion to arise from our injured workers about what our consultants were saying. I didn’t expect the fear and the explanations about how even now, a few years on from their injury, they remain frozen in time and completely grief stricken.

This episode will now be part one of a series we will run on how to help workers transition back to work and this is being developed with injured workers.

This episode covers common barriers and at approximately the 12.30 minute mark you will hear the voices of our injured workers talk openly and emotionally about how they feel and how they feel about what we say.

Common obstacles for our injured workers are:

1. Grief stricken and needed the chance to mourn the loss of their career.
2. Unable to concentrate on what they can do because they remain so overwhelmed with what they can’t do.
3. Fear of failure.
4. Feel embarrassed about being on a workers compensation claim.
5. Feeling that they will be ridiculed or not even seen as employable anymore.
6. Feeling the impact of stigma from being on a workers compensation claim.
7. They believe they have to be fully recovered to be able to go back to work.
8. They feel that any other employer will hurt them, and they won’t feel or be safe again with others.

For those that know how My Social Support Network as a rehab provider works, you will know that everything we do involves groups of injured workers working together to get better outcomes for the whole injured worker community.

It’s a very different way to do rehab and what I learn day after day is how little we all actually know about the complicated interactions between a psychological injury recovery process and a path back to safe return to work for injured workers.

I hope you enjoy this episode.