Our Programme - Empatha

OUR PROGRAMS

The right program for every stage of delayed recovery.

Every referral starts with a biopsychosocial assessment that identifies the specific risk factors driving delayed recovery. Each program is built to address them directly — with evidence-based modalities matched to the worker's clinical profile and claim stage.

Delayed Recovery Program

For injured workers who are struggling to return to work.

The most common presentation: a physical injury with a psychosocial overlay. The injury has stabilized, but the worker isn’t progressing. Empatha’s Delayed Recovery Program combines PGAP® — the most empirically supported return-to-work intervention in the literature — with Work-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (WF-CBT) and biopsychosocial-informed physical therapy.

Addresses all four key psychosocial risk factors: catastrophic thinking, perceived injustice, fear avoidance, and disability beliefs
78% return-to-work rate in high-risk populations
120% RTW advantage when all four risk factors are present, compared to standard care
Available via telehealth — no geography limitations

Work-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (WF-CBT)

Evidence-based. Return-to-work focused. Integrated into every Empatha program.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy is one of the most rigorously studied psychological interventions for chronic pain, anxiety, and depression. Work-Focused CBT adapts this foundation specifically for the workers’ compensation context — with the explicit goal of restoring function and returning the worker to meaningful employment.

Unlike general CBT, WF-CBT is structured around work barriers. Sessions are built to identify and directly challenge the specific thoughts, beliefs, and avoidance behaviors that are keeping the worker away from work — not just from daily life. This makes it uniquely effective in the WC setting, where RTW is the primary outcome.

What WF-CBT Addresses:

Fear of re-injury and activity avoidance — the belief that movement will cause damage
Catastrophic thinking — the tendency to interpret symptoms as worst-case signals
Perceived injustice — anger and blame that fuel disability and treatment non-compliance
Low recovery expectations — the belief that returning to work is no longer possible
Pain-related anxiety and hypervigilance — amplification of normal physical sensations

How It Works in Empatha Programs

WF-CBT is delivered by licensed psychologists and trained clinicians as an integrated component of Empatha’s Delayed Recovery, Complex Behavioral Health, and Chronic Pain programs. Sessions are typically conducted weekly via telehealth, structured to build specific skills — behavioral activation, cognitive restructuring, graded exposure — and tied directly to the worker’s RTW timeline.

Progress is tracked using validated psychosocial measures at every session. Where risk factors are elevated on standardized biopsychosocial risk questionnaire, WF-CBT targets are adjusted accordingly.

The Evidence

WF-CBT for occupational pain and delayed recovery is supported by a robust body of peer-reviewed research. Studies consistently demonstrate significant reductions in catastrophizing, fear avoidance, and perceived disability — with corresponding improvements in function and return-to-work rates. In combination with PGAP®, WF-CBT delivers the 120% RTW advantage Empatha reports across its high-risk population.

WF-CBT is a health behavior intervention — not a psychological claim. Authorization for WF-CBT does not create or expand a psych claim. It is consistent with MTUS-ACOEM guidelines for the management of psychosocial risk factors in accepted physical injury claims.

For claims involving PTSD, trauma, anxiety, and co-occurring mental health conditions.

Complex Behavioral Health Program

When a claim involves PTSD, workplace trauma, or depression alongside physical injury, standard approaches aren’t enough. This program integrates PGAP®, WF-CBT, Trauma-Focused CBT, Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT), and where appropriate, psychiatric consultation — within a structured return-to-work framework.

For claims involving head injury, post-concussion syndrome, and cognitive symptoms.

Concussion & TBI Program

Post-concussion syndrome is one of the most misunderstood and mismanaged conditions in workers’ compensation. The overlap between cognitive symptoms, chronic pain, PTSD, and psychosocial factors makes these claims complex — and expensive when managed incorrectly.

Empatha’s Concussion & TBI program provides neurocognitive assessment, biopsychosocial evaluation, and structured return-to-work support for injured workers experiencing persistent post-concussion symptoms.

Neurocognitive screening and comprehensive post-concussion evaluation
Differentiation between organic cognitive impairment and psychosocial symptom amplification
Integrated WF-CBT and CBT protocols for post-concussion syndrome and associated PTSD or anxiety
Functional work capacity assessment and phased RTW planning
Pre-surgical psychological evaluations available

For long-duration claims with opioid dependency or functional decline.

Chronic Pain & Complex Care Program

Some claims have been open for years. The worker has become dependent on opioids, functional capacity has deteriorated, and prior interventions have failed. Empatha’s Chronic Pain & Complex Care Program is built for exactly this population — combining interdisciplinary treatment with a realistic, coordinated plan for functional restoration.

7x ROI achieved for payers on high-cost delayed recovery cases with opioid dependency
77% morphine equivalent dosage reduction among program participants
Integrates functional restoration, WF-CBT, Pain Reprocessing Therapy (PRT), and medication optimization
Works in partnership with existing case managers — we coordinate, not disrupt

How Every Empatha Program Works

Every referral follows the same accountable four-step process.

Step 1

Referral & Intake

Send us the claim at referrals@empathacm.com or call 800.805.1821. Include claim summary, date of injury, diagnosis, and current work status. We acknowledge receipt within one business day.

Step 2

Assessment Report

Within five business days: a comprehensive assessment report covering psychosocial risk scores, functional status, cognitive screening (where indicated), recovery expectations, and a specific program recommendation. No jumping straight to treatment.

Step 3

Program Delivery

The worker starts their matched program. Weekly progress reports go directly to your claims team. We flag barriers, escalate when needed, and coordinate with the full care team throughout.

Step 4

Discharge & RTW

Final outcomes report: RTW status, risk score changes, symptom improvements, work capacity, and optional MMI opinion and impairment rating. The claim moves forward with clarity.