EMPATHA UNIVERSITY

Education that moves the field forward.

Empatha University is Empatha’s continuing education and professional development platform — purpose-built for the claims and case management professionals, medical providers, and allied health professionals who work at the intersection of injury, psychology, and return to work.

The biopsychosocial model of delayed recovery is supported by three decades of peer-reviewed research. But most WC professionals never received formal training in it. Empatha University changes that — delivering practical, evidence-based education in a format designed for busy professionals.

Built for every professional who touches a delayed recovery claim.

Claims & Case Management Professionals
Adjusters, case managers, nurse case managers, vocational rehabilitation counselors, and claims supervisors. Empatha University helps you understand the psychosocial drivers of delayed recovery — so you know when to intervene, how to refer effectively, and what to expect from behavioral health programs.

Medical & Treating Providers

Physicians, occupational medicine providers, physiatrists, and surgeons. Understanding the biopsychosocial model helps you identify at-risk patients earlier, communicate more effectively with the claims team, and support return-to-work outcomes from the medical side.

Allied Health & Rehabilitation Professionals

Physical therapists, occupational therapists, and other rehabilitation providers. Learn how to recognize and respond to psychosocial yellow flags — the behaviors and thought patterns that predict poor outcomes even when the physical treatment is working.

Practical education. Immediate application.

  • The biopsychosocial model of injury and delayed recovery — what it is, why it matters, and how to apply it
  • Psychosocial risk factors: catastrophic thinking, perceived injustice, fear avoidance, disability beliefs — how to recognize them in clinical and claims contexts
  • Work-Focused CBT principles for non-clinicians — understanding what the intervention does and how it changes outcomes
  • PGAP® fundamentals — the evidence base, program structure, and how to use PGAP® outcomes data
  • The WIDR: Warning Indicators for Delayed Recovery — using the scoring tool to flag at-risk claims early
  • Orebro Musculoskeletal Pain Questionnaire — administration, scoring, and clinical interpretation
  • RecoveryCM+ platform training — getting the most from automated risk stratification in your workflow
  • Referral best practices — when to refer, what information to include, and how to read Empatha's assessment reports
  • Opioid risk in workers' compensation — identifying dependency signals and understanding the clinical pathway
  • Post-concussion syndrome in WC — neurocognitive screening, symptom differentiation, and RTW planning
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Flexible. On-demand. CE-accredited where applicable.

Empatha University courses are available on-demand, designed to fit into the working day without disrupting it. Courses range from 30-minute focused modules to comprehensive multi-hour certification programs.
  • On-demand video modules — watch at your own pace, on any device
  • Live webinars and expert Q&A sessions — scheduled monthly
  • Case-based learning — real-world WC scenarios with guided analysis
  • CE credits — Empatha University courses are offered for continuing education credit for eligible professions
  • Organizational licensing — deploy Empatha University training across your claims team or provider network
Empatha University is available to individual professionals, claims organizations, carriers, TPAs, and provider networks. Contact us to learn about organizational licensing and custom training programs.

The most expensive knowledge gap in workers' compensation.

The biopsychosocial evidence base has been clear for twenty years. But professional education in WC has not kept pace. Most adjusters, case managers, and treating providers were never trained to recognize or respond to the psychosocial factors that predict chronic disability. The result: billions in avoidable claim costs, and outcomes that leave injured workers behind.

Empatha University exists to close that gap — one professional at a time, at scale.

“Understanding psychosocial risk factors is no longer optional for WC professionals. The evidence is too strong, the cost implications too significant, and the tools are now available to act on this knowledge effectively.”

— Dr Darrell Bruga, CEO & Co-Founder, Empatha

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