First responders with post-traumatic stress disorder
Understand how to claim and what to expect as a first responder with post-traumatic stress disorder.
The Comcare scheme provides streamlined access to workers’ compensation for first responders with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). In most cases, the rules allow your claims manager to presume that your PTSD is work-related and therefore decide your claim more quickly.
PTSD and its connection to work
For most workers' compensation claims, you need to provide information to show that your injury or illness is work-related.
However, we know that working as a first responder exposes people to potentially traumatic experiences and material, which can cause PTSD. Therefore, for most first responders with a PTSD diagnosis, the claims manager will presume that work caused or contributed to the condition. This can make the claim decision simpler and faster.
Eligibility
This streamlined decision process is open to first responders. First responders are people who are or were employed by the Commonwealth Government or the ACT Government as:
- an Australian Federal Police (AFP) employee, AFP Commissioner or AFP Deputy Commissioner
- a firefighter
- an ambulance officer (including paramedics)
- an emergency services communications operator
- a member of an emergency service
- an Australian Border Force (ABF) employee or ABF Commissioner.
You must also meet all of these criteria:
- You were diagnosed with PTSD by a psychologist, general practitioner or psychiatrist.
- The diagnosis was made in line with the criteria for PTSD in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th edition text revision (DSM-5-TR).
- You were employed as a first responder before your PTSD symptoms started.
- Your PTSD started or got worse on or after 15 December 2023.
If you don't meet these criteria, you can still make a claim for workers’ compensation. However, your claim will be assessed against the usual assessment criteria. This means that you will need to show that your work contributed significantly to the onset or aggravation of your PTSD.
How to claim
Follow the usual process to submit your claim. There are small differences in the evidence to attach:
- Medical certificate: Attach a medical certificate from a doctor or psychiatrist (known in the legislation as a Legally Qualified Medical Practitioners or LQMP), even if your PTSD diagnosis was made by a psychologist. Your medical certificate should state that your PTSD diagnosis (whether made by a psychologist or by the LQMP providing the medical certificate) was made in line with the DSM-5-TR diagnostic criteria.
- Employee statement: If you are submitting a claim to Comcare and you meet the criteria above, an employee statement should not be needed.