Track: Disability 

Mental health disability claims do not end at adjudication. Once a decision is made, access to timely and appropriate care, as well as continuity of that care, are critical to recovery and a successful return-to-work process. This is increasingly important as mental health challenges now account for nearly 40% of long-term disability claims in Canada, making them the most common category of LTD claims nationwide (HR Reporter, 2024). Treating mental health on par with physical health is essential to effective and equitable disability management.

This session examines the role insurers and claims adjusters play in supporting employees through the return-to-work journey, not as care providers, but as informed and empathetic connectors to qualified mental health professionals. It explores how counselling and psychotherapy support functional recovery, why continuity of care matters, and how regulatory and scope-of-practice differences across Canada can affect access. Participants will gain practical insight into engaging employees in an informed and sensitive manner, facilitating appropriate referrals, supporting access across provincial and territorial borders (including virtual care), and enhancing claimant experience while supporting sustainable return-to-work outcomes.