Services for Employers

Section 1: Services for HR Personnel with employees that show worrisome behaviors at the workplace:

Fitness for Duty Evaluation – Click here for more information about FFD evaluations.

A Fitness for Duty Evaluation, usually scheduled within about five business days of your request, can provide concrete information about psychological problems such as depression, anxiety and confusion, that affect your employees’ workplace behavior. Immediately following the Fitness for Duty Evaluation, a preliminary report will immediately be delivered to you by telephone. This will be followed by a written report from a psychologist or psychiatrist within four days of the exam. Urgent evaluations can sometimes be scheduled to take place in fewer than five days after the date you call us.

Threat/Risk Assessment (Employee potential for violence and making dangerous errors)

After an evaluation, psychologists and psychiatrists can give you information regarding employees’ risk factors and, when possible, assist in planning for their return to work.

Critical Incident on-site response

Provides employers with a proven, cost-effective strategy for reaching large groups of employees immediately following a critical incident. The response equips the employer with a process for acknowledging an incident, communicating care and concern, and providing information about what to expect and how to access additional support. Critical Incident Responses are provided by our masters and doctoral level Critical Incident Specialists. (Check with your EAP before requesting this service from PsyBar).

Critical Incident TeleDefusing

Used primarily in response to robberies where no physical injury has occurred, TeleDefusing provides employers with a highly specialized, outbound call center service designed to manage risk by providing affected employees with immediate telephonic support and the opportunity to talk about the event. Our masters and doctoral level Critical Incident Specialists help affected staff develop an expectation of recovery and then help coordinate appropriate return to work plans. (Check with your EAP before requesting this service from PsyBar).

Section 2: Services Related to Employee Insurance Claims

Obtain psychological or psychiatric reports, and/or raw psychological test data from treating doctors.

To save you time and frustration, PsyBar will attempt to obtain psychological/psychiatric reports and raw psychological test scores.

File review, written by a psychologist, psychiatrist or physician with another medical specialty.

PsyBar can provide these both for employees with psychiatric/psychological problems only, and for “co-morbid” cases involving medical problems such as fibromyalgia and other orthopedic injuries.

Full Independent Psychiatric, Psychological or Neuropsychological Evaluation

Performed by a doctoral level psychologist, neuropsychologist, or a psychiatrist.

Neuropsychological Screening

This relatively short evaluation is designed to determine whether there is evidence of cognitive problems that can be detected with just a few neuropsychological tests. It provides a provisional diagnosis, description of cognitive deficits, treatment recommendations, and a brief discussion of employee limitations.

Brief Psychological or Psychiatric Evaluation designed for STD employee claimants.

These brief assessments are designed solely to determine employee diagnosis, prognosis, and to give suggestions about how treatment might better facilitate return to work. These assessments are not designed to evaluate employee functionality and do not include a neuropsychological assessment. They include a review of up to 20 pages of medical records.

Brief Employability Assessment

Used to match employee abilities to jobs and occupations. This is written by a master’s level Vocational Rehabilitation Specialist to complement your IME report. This very short addendum to an IME will include an opinion about the employee’s ability to transfer their skills to potential jobs/occupations. Because this opinion is based solely upon the IME doctor’s report and a functional capacities form filled out at the treating and/or IME doctor’s office, cost is much lower than that of a Full Employability Assessment.

Full Employability Assessment

Used to match employee abilities to jobs and occupations. This is a thorough analysis conducted by a master’s level Vocational Rehabilitation Specialist. The report will include an overview of relevant portions of the file, education and work history, current medical status, functional abilities and restrictions, the work tolerance level and functional abilities/limitations, a transferable skills analysis and , if identified, appropriate jobs/occupations for the employee. With your referral, please include the employee’s prior job description, prior work history and education, and information as to whether this is an any or own occupation claim.

Labor Market Survey

Written by a Vocational Rehabilitation Specialist. If it has been determined that an individual can perform one or more jobs/occupations, a Labor Market Survey may be conducted to determine whether jobs/occupations identified through an Employability Assessment (above) exist within the employee’s geographic area. The LMS will provide details about whether the specific job(s) reside, how many of them exist, if special training, licensure or education is required, what work experience is needed, and the potential salary range and benefits. Additionally, it will include the type of work environment, physical demands and general schedules that the employee would be expected to tolerate. Please let us know if there are special policy requirements for us to consider when preparing your report.

Critique of a psychological or psychiatric evaluation/peer review written by a doctoral level expert.

If you receive a report conducted by a treating or other doctor that is difficult to interpret or of questionable quality, PsyBar can review it to help facilitate your claim decision. We can help you decipher the doctor’s statements, and determine whether the doctor’s opinions are supportable.

Section 3: Free On-line Educational Services

Education for HR Personnel

PsyBar offers a free internet-based educational course designed to help HR professionals learn about evaluating employees who have psychological problems that may affect their workplace performance or present a danger to co-workers. The Employee Assistance Certification Commission has approved this unique program for 2 continuing education credits.

Education for Employer Claims Professionals

The Commission fro Case Manager Certification has approved PsyBar's on-line training program for those managing psychological/psychiatric claims. This program (approved for 3 continuing education credits) will help insurance professionals resolve claim issues quickly by effectively understanding the complexities of psychological and psychiatric Independent Medical Evaluations.