Department of Labor September 29, 2017 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

Washington State's workers' compensation system runs several promising early intervention programs including the Centers of Occupational Health and Education (COHE) and the Early Return to Work and the Stay at Work programs, which provide early intervention and return-to-work services for individuals with work-related health conditions and their employers. The President's FY2018 budget proposed that the Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP) at the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) and the Social Security Administration (SSA) jointly conduct a demonstration testing the effects of implementing key features of these programs in other states and/or for a broader population beyond workers' compensation. To do that, we anticipate funding two to three states to operate projects with key elements drawn from the Washington State programs mentioned above, with an increased emphasis on access to employment-related supports, or fund the expansion of existing programs to include increased access to employment-related supports. The ultimate policy goal is to increase employment and labor force participation of individuals who have or are developing work disabilities. This request for information (RFI) seeks public input on how the proposed demonstration projects can best be designed to promote labor force attachment, coordinate employment and health services, and support injured and ill workers in returning to and remaining at work. The input we receive will inform our deliberations about the possible design of a future demonstration project.