REWARD Report Let's make lemonade and keep moving forward.

Coordinating a Different Return to Work

by Marion White

When life gives you lemons… I have the rewarding role of helping some injured workers make lemonade as the Tennessee Bureau of Workers’ Compensation Next Step specialist.

My preparation for this role was my previous position as the first program coordinator for a career development program for the Steelworkers Union in LaVergne, Tennessee at the Bridgestone plant for over a decade. I researched training opportunities with higher education, recruited independent instructors, and scheduled customized training classes to fit around the steelworkers’ 12-hour work schedules.

Their needs were diverse. I scheduled training for active steelworkers; workers who were laid off due to plant shutdowns; those who were off work due to personal or work injuries; and even workers who wanted to learn a new skill to start new careers once they retired from Bridgestone. Several of them have shared their success stories upon graduating from academic programs or starting new businesses.

Now that I am working with the Bureau, I am leveraging what I learned. I now offer career coaching and development advice to workers who have lost their jobs due to work injuries. Both careers have allowed me to help workers reach their full potential and career goals, and it has been very R.E.W.A.R.D.ing for me as well.

My goal is to help injured employees learn a new job skill or use their prior experience to return to meaningful employment. I have found that establishing rapport, building trust, and earning their respect and gratitude are the best ways to help injured workers get back to the workforce.

My initial conversation with injured workers sometimes begins with them asking me, “What are my ‘next steps?’” I explain the program, ask open-ended questions, and actively listen to build meaningful relationships. We talk about goals and aspirations, explore career interests, and match jobs and training with their skills and work experience.

Once we find a potential new career, we look at what needs to happen to get the injured worker there. It may be as simple as assisting with resume-writing and the job search. It could also include developing basic skills, such as computer competencies, in short-term training.

The Next Step Program has awarded 19 scholarships, up to $5,000, for vocational training at community colleges and universities. These possibilities are a critical piece to help injured employees remain in the workforce and overcome the barriers that might lead them to withdraw from the workforce.

Referring your permanently disabled injured employees to the Next Step Program when they are unable to return to your workplace can help them overcome their obstacles in finding the job they want. Most of our program applicants have successfully used the Next Step Program to return to work with a new employer and career using prior work experience and skills.

Take a glance at some of the Next Step Program’s recent statistics. As of October 31, 2024, we have assisted 160 injured workers as shown below. Of those 160 workers, 106 have returned to work, 61 have enrolled in school, and 36 were referred to vocational rehabilitation services, some of which were concurrent, where an injured worker was successful in both return to work and enrolling in an academic program:

Please add the Next Step Program to your return-to-work toolkit. When you are unable to return an injured worker back to your workplace, refer them to me so that I can help them find their next workplace. Employers and/or return-to-work coordinators may contact me, Marion White, at marion.white@tn.gov or (615) 253-1204.

Thank you for considering the Next Step Program.

ABOUT MARION WHITE

Marion S. White was hired as the first Vocational Recovery Specialist for the Next Step Program. Marion comes from a career development background with the Institute for Career Development for the United Steelworkers at Bridgestone. She also brings years of manufacturing experience from Bridgestone/Firestone in LaVergne. Marion is an active alumna of Middle Tennessee State University and a graduate of the Public Service Management Program at Cumberland University. In her spare time, Marion enjoys traveling and attending a variety of musical concerts and the performing arts. She also enjoys volunteering in the Nashville community, and she has served as a member of various non-profit organizations throughout her professional career.

R.E.W.A.R.D. PROGRAM: RETURN EMPLOYEES TO WORK AND REDUCE DISABILITIES

If an injured worker can’t return to work for the company, that doesn’t mean they can’t return to any work at all. Tennessee’s workers’ compensation system has a resource available that might help called the “Next Step” program. This program helps injured workers who lose their job because of a work injury to re-enter the workforce in a new field. For more information on return to work download the REWARD Program Toolkit.

MEET WITH LIKE-MINDED EMPLOYERS

Join us for the next REWARD Employer Support virtual meeting scheduled for February 10, 2025 at 1:00 central time. Jorge Vera, One-Stop Operator Manager with the American Job Center, will facilitate the meeting. Register to Attend via Microsoft Teams.

Disclaimer: Views expressed in the REWARD Report are solely those of the authors and may not reflect the official policy or position of the Tennessee Bureau of Workers’ Compensation, the Tennessee Court of Workers’ Compensation Claims, the Tennessee Workers’ Compensation Appeals Board, or any other public, private, or nonprofit organization. Information contained in the REWARD Report is for educational purposes only.