A gradual psychological injury can be reported to the WCB by either workers or employers. Employers who use MyAccount, WCB's secure business portal, now have the option to choose "Psychological Injury" in the "Injury Type" dropdown menu.

Workers will be able to use a self-assessment feature that will be available on our website this September, to explore whether what they are experiencing could be a gradual onset psychological injury (GPI). They will also be able to call WCB Nova Scotia and speak to a Client Care Navigator (CCN) on the GPI team. The CCN will help workers - and employers - as they progress through the claim process. They will also connect workers with mental health supports and resources in their communities, whether or not their situation meets claim criteria for acceptance.

Workers will be directed to a Client Care Navigator (CCN) when they call WCB's phone line for workers to inquire about a gradual onset psychological injury. From this point onward, that CCN will be the team member dedicated to that individual's claim inquiry.

CCNs have received trauma-informed training and are ready to help guide those who call through the self-assessment tool, and connect them with mental health resources in their community.

After September 1, 2024, call 1-800-870-3331 during our regular business hours, to get started.

Return-to-work strategies for workers with a psychological injury are just as important for workers who are impacted by a physical injury.

Employers need to be comfortable talking to their employees about mental health challenges in the workplace and be able to recognize the signs and symptoms of declining mental health. Assessing and providing accommodation needs for workers are key to maintaining a psychologically safe and healthy workplace, as is developing return-to-work strategies for employees who take a leave of absence due to their mental health.

Supporting workers at a time when they are most vulnerable is not only the right thing to do, it's essential to ensuring employees can continue making valuable contributions to the workplace and prevents unnecessary disability.

Learn more about return-to-work tools and supports for psychologically safe and healthy workplaces:

• Return-to-Work Toolkit - A guide for healthy recovery from psychological workplace injury
• Psychological Health and Safety Resource Centre

Often, it's easier to talk about the injuries we see than the ones we can't. 

Learning about how to create and maintain a psychologically safe and healthy workplace is something both workers and employers can do to prevent injuries from happening in the first place, and to support those with a psychological injury.

As leaders and as co-workers, the important thing is to keep the conversation going. Be sure to check existing materials on our Psychological Health and Safety Resource Centre and keep checking back as we add more.