Urgent treatment for worker with PTSD, retroactive LOE benefits paid

He was a transit maintenance worker who had to deal with the aftermath
of suicides and attempted suicides.

The worker suffered severe post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Yet,
he was not receiving psychiatric treatment and was in extreme mental
distress.

The WSIB had offered the worker psychiatric treatment but he didn’t
want to see the practitioner the WSIB offered. Months went by with no
treatment and no follow-up by the WSIB. The WSIB did not respond to
the worker representative’s correspondence and benefit-related queries.

The Commission contacted a WSIB manager about the lack of
response and the worker’s urgent need for treatment. The manager
reviewed the file and agreed the worker needed immediate treatment. The
WSIB arranged, through the worker’s representative, for the worker to see
the health practitioner with whom he was most comfortable.

The manager also informed the Commission that the worker hadn’t
received loss of earnings (LOE) benefits to which he was entitled. As a
result, the worker was paid several years of retroactive benefits.