Lisa IrvingClinical Psychologist · Telehealth
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Full courseFor employers and leaders

PTSD in the Workplace: A Practical Guide for Employers

Workplace trauma impacts mental health and productivity. This course helps employers support workers with PTSD and build a resilient workplace. Learn to recognise PTSD, provide effective support, explore treatment options, assess work capacity, and navigate workers compensation. Gain practical tools to foster recovery and meet legal responsibilities.

10 modules · 62 lessons · Approx. 8 hours

Welcome!

Lisa Irving (Clinical Psychologist) welcomes you to this training course designed for employers, managers, HR teams and leaders.

If you’re here, it’s because you want to better support your team, especially when someone has experienced a traumatic event at work. Whether you’re leading a large organisation or a small team, this course will give you the knowledge and tools to understand what PTSD is, how it can affect staff, and, most importantly, what you can do to help.

Here’s how the course is structured:

Module 1: Introduction, Lisa Irving & The CARES Model for Work-Related PTSD
Meet your facilitator, Lisa Irving, and learn about the CARES Model. This module also acknowledges the employer’s perspective and wellbeing, shares a little about how the course is designed, outlines the roles of each party in the workers compensation system, and includes a short pre-commencement survey.

Module 2: Understanding PTSD After a Workplace Incident
In this module, you will learn what Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is, how it develops, and the different ways it can appear in the workplace. We will explore its impact on an employee’s performance, communication, and engagement at work.

You will also discover the key indicators of PTSD and learn how to recognise when an employee may be struggling - while distinguishing it from other common work-related stress responses.

Module 3: Providing Support for Employees with PTSD
This module focuses on the practical steps leaders and managers can take to create a psychologically safe, trauma-informed workplace. You will learn effective communication strategies, how to make policy adjustments, and ways to provide environmental supports that help employees feel secure and valued.

Module 4: Navigating the Workers Compensation System
In this module, you will gain a clear overview of the workers compensation system, including both employer and employee responsibilities. We will highlight common pitfalls and share practical strategies to ensure the process is smoother, more compassionate, and supportive for everyone involved.

Module 5: Effective Treatment Options for PTSD
This module provides a summary of the most effective treatment options available for PTSD, with a special focus on Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing (EMDR). EMDR is a highly recommended treatment for trauma recovery. This module will help you better understand the range of treatments employees may be accessing.

Module 6: Assessing Work Capacity: When Is A Worker Ready to Return-to-Work?
How do you know when an employee is truly ready to return to work? In this module, you will learn how to assess work capacity in collaboration with healthcare professionals. We will examine both clinical and functional indicators so that you can make informed, supportive decisions that balance recovery with workplace needs.

Module 7: Observations and Recommendations for Occupational Groups at Higher Risk of PTSD
Which groups and industries are most at risk? Gain insights into occupational groups more vulnerable to PTSD, and explore tailored strategies for supporting these workers effectively.

Module 9: Thank you and a Note on the AI Software Used
Concluding reflections, along with an overview of how AI tools can assist in ongoing support and education.

Module 9: Assessment and Certification of Completion
Complete your assessment to demonstrate learning and receive certification for this course.

Module 10: Readings and References Relevant to the Course
Access additional resources, research, and readings to continue building your knowledge after course completion.

Each module is short, practical, and designed for real world application. No fluff, just the essentials.

The course will take approximately 8 hours to complete. Your progress is saved automatically, so you can dip in and out as time allows without losing your place.

The course aims to support your understanding of recovery, legal responsibilities, and workplace mental health and safety.

Let’s get started.

Modules

10
  1. Introduction: Lisa Irving & The CARES Model for Work Related PTSDMeet Lisa Irving and learn about the CARES model: five steps to support people with work related PTSD and guide recovery effectively.Show 6 lessonsHide lessons
    1. 1.Welcome!
    2. 2.A Little Secret About the Course...
    3. 3.The CARES Model
    4. 4.Acknowledging Your Perspective as the Employer: You Matter Too
    5. 5.The Roles of Each Party in the Workers Compensation System
    6. 6.Pre Commencement Survey
  2. Understanding PTSD After A Workplace IncidentLearn what qualifies as a workplace trauma and the common symptoms of PTSD, with real life examples to illustrate how these experiences may present.Show 5 lessonsHide lessons
    1. 1.Introduction to PTSD
    2. 2.What is the Prevalence of PTSD in Specific Work Settings?
    3. 3.Recognising PTSD in Employees
    4. 4.The Impact of PTSD on Work Performance
    5. 5.Psychometry: A Screening Tool for PTSD, Depression, Anxiety, and Stress
  3. Providing Support for Employees with PTSDSupport workers with PTSD by maintaining contact after injury, knowing what to say or avoid, and understanding available treatment options.Show 7 lessonsHide lessons
    1. 1.Creating A Supportive Work Environment
    2. 2.What Should Employers Do When an Employee Has a Psychological Injury?
    3. 3.Don't Say This...Say This Instead
    4. 4.Access to Early Psychological Treatment
    5. 5.The Role of Vocational Rehabilitation Providers and Injury Management Consultants
    6. 6.Incident Response Review: A Structured Interview
    7. 7.PTSD Audit For Your Organisation
  4. Navigating the Workers Compensation SystemWorkCover WA recognises PTSD as a compensable workplace injury. Learn the rights and responsibilities of both employers and workers in the compensation process.Show 3 lessonsHide lessons
    1. 1.Employer's Responsibilities
    2. 2.Workers’ Rights and Responsibilities Under WorkCover WA Legislation
    3. 3.Where Employers Go Wrong with PTSD Claims
  5. Effective Treatment Options for PTSDExplore effective treatments for PTSD, including EMDR, CBT, exposure therapy, mindfulness, relaxation, meditation, hypnosis, and grounding strategies.Show 8 lessonsHide lessons
    1. 1.Summary of Treatment Options for PTSD
    2. 2.EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitisation Reprocessing)
    3. 3.What Is Psychological Safety and Why Is It Important?
    4. 4.Mapping Incidents to Prepare for EMDR
    5. 5.Case Studies: Understanding Reminders of the Incident and Trauma Logic
    6. 6.Reminders of the Incident
    7. 7.Trauma Logic
    8. 8.What Is Generalisation and How Exposure Therapy Helps Undo It
  6. Assessing Work Capacity: When Is a Worker Ready to Return?Learn how psychologists assess a worker’s capacity for return to work: the signs of readiness, and the indicators that recovery is not yet complete.Show 2 lessonsHide lessons
    1. 1.How Does A Clinical Psychologist Assess If A Worker Is Ready To Return to Work?
    2. 2.Slower Is Faster with PTSD: Why Safety and Pace Matter
  7. Observations and Recommendations for Occupational Groups at Higher Risk of PTSDLisa shares her insights and practical recommendations for occupational groups more vulnerable to PTSD, based on years of clinical experience supporting workers.Show 7 lessonsHide lessons
    1. 1.Setting the Scene: Stories and Occupations Affected by PTSD
    2. 2.Support Workers: Disability, Aged Care, Detox, and Community Services
    3. 3.Prison Officers
    4. 4.Teachers
    5. 5.Mining: Physical Injury and Sudden Accidents
    6. 6.Nurses and Allied Health: Working in ED and Other Departments
    7. 7.Firefighters
  8. A Thank You and a Note on the AI UsedA closing thank you to participants, with insights into the AI used to create some of the stories and characters featured in this course.Show 1 lessonHide lessons
    1. 1.Thank You
  9. Assessment and Certification of CompletionComplete the quiz and the survey at the end of the course to consolidate your learning and receive your certificate of completion.Show 2 lessonsHide lessons
    1. 1.PTSD in the Workplace Quiz
    2. 2.Post Completion Survey
  10. Readings and References Relevant to the CourseA collection of key readings and references supporting the course content, organised by topic for further learning and credibility.Show 21 lessonsHide lessons
    1. 1.References: The CARES Model
    2. 2.References: The Employer's Perspective
    3. 3.References: Understanding PTSD After a Workplace Incident
    4. 4.References: What is the Prevalence of PTSD in Specific Work Settings?
    5. 5.References: Identify and Recognise PTSD in Employees
    6. 6.References: Impact of Work Related PTSD on Work Performance
    7. 7.References: The Employer’s Role in a Supportive Work Environment
    8. 8.References: What Employers Should Say and Not Say, Do and Not Do
    9. 9.References: IRR and PTSD Audit
    10. 10.References: Navigating The Workers Compensation System
    11. 11.References: Effective Treatment Options for PTSD
    12. 12.References: Psychological Safety
    13. 13.References: Return To Work Factors
    14. 14.References: The Worker’s Work Capacity: When Is It Good for the Worker to Return to Work?
    15. 15.References: Occupational Groups with High Prevalence of PTSD
    16. 16.References: Prevalence of Support Workers with PTSD
    17. 17.References: Prevalence of Prison Officers with PTSD
    18. 18.References: Prevalence of PTSD in School Teachers
    19. 19.References: Prevalence of PTSD in the Mining Industry
    20. 20.References: Prevalence of PTSD in Nurses and Allied Health Professionals
    21. 21.References: Prevalence of PTSD in Firefighters