Civil Service Bulletin 8.20A

I. Program Components

EARLY INTERVENTION PROGRAM - Early intervention is the key to the State's Return-to-Work Program. Each department must develop and implement a strategy and process for ensuring that workers' compensation claims are given immediate and thorough attention, for ensuring the effective case management of each work-related injury or illness, and for ensuring that workers' compensation employees are provided the extent of care and support needed to facilitate their return to a whole, productive life as soon as possible.

All early intervention programs must meet the approval of the Workers' Compensation Division. The Bureau of Human Resources, Health and Benefits/Workers' Compensation Division is available to work with each department's Workers' Compensation Designee to help the designee develop the strategy and write the process best suited to that department by looking at the department's workers' compensation track record, finances, and resources.

OCCUPATIONAL PLAN - The Occupational Plan (OP) is a formal written plan that is jointly developed by the Return-to-Work Coordinator, Workers' Compensation Case Manager, Medical Case Manager and employing department. The OP is specific to the workers' compensation employee being served and provides the blueprint for the return-to-work process for that employee. The OP includes specifications for the occupations, special accommodation(s) and other factors and/or arrangements that are compatible with the employee's return-to-work capabilities and provides the focus necessary for a successful job match. The occupational plan may include the following components:

Work capacity evaluation

Job goal

Identification of physical, academic, personal and/or environmental issues that need to be addressed

Accommodation measures

Use of transitional duty position

Interdepartmental job search

To the extent possible, the occupational plan will be cooperatively agreed to by the employing department/agency and the workers' compensation employee, and the originating agency if a transitional duty position is used. However, a workers' compensation employee may not refuse a return-to-work opportunity that fairly recognizes the employee's work capacity and that is approved by the attending physician involved with the design of the Occupational Plan.

REGIONAL RETURN-TO-WORK TEAM - Regional Return-to-Work (RTW) teams will be established in accordance with current and anticipated needs. The purpose of the regional Return-to-Work teams is to provide basic program coordination and support services among and between state agencies on a regional basis. The teams will be comprised of representatives from management and labor and will represent agencies with significant employees in the

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