How do we improve workers' comp and get better outcomes through "Vocational Recovery?"
Take an in-depth look at Washington L&I's new Vocational Recovery Project. Is it shortening injury durations and returning injured workers faster? Does it improve the outcomes in comp while lowering costs? If so, how, and how can it be replicated elsewhere in the country?

• Guest Vickie Kennedy
  Vickie Kennedy became L&I's Assistant Director for Insurance Services in April, 2013. Vickie has been with L&I in the workers' compensation field for more than 45 years. She currently sits on the Board of Directors for the International Association of Industrial Accident Boards and Commissions (IAIABC) and also chairs the IAIABC's Disability Management and Return to Work Committee.  She has been recognized as an exceptional leader in public service as a 2016 recipient of the Governor’s Leadership in Management Award and as the 2017 Agent of Change Award with Washington’s Department of Labor and Industries.
  
  Formerly, she was the Director's Chief Policy Advisor and worked closely with agency leadership, external stakeholders and legislators on workers' compensation policy and approaches to improve Washington's system for employers and injured workers. She has also managed the Insurance Services Policy and Quality Coordination and Pension programs.

• Guest Ryan Guppy
  ​​​​​​​Ryan Guppy leads Return to Work Partnerships, within Washington's Insurance Services Division. As Chief of this program, Ryan is charged with ensuring the Washington State Fund designs, purchases, and effectively uses innovative work disability prevention programs to provide workers with state-of-the-art services customized for their unique return-to-work and vocational needs, and to partner with employers, medical providers, vocational providers, and public agencies to focus resources on best practices for supporting return-to-work opportunities. Ryan is a vocational provider, Certified Disability Management Specialist and trained in the Progressive Goal Attainment Program. He is currently a member of the Disability Management and Return-to-Work Committee of the International Association of Industrial Accident Boards and Commissions and past president of the International Association of Rehabilitation Professionals – Washington Chapter.  In 2017, he was awarded the Governor’s Leadership in Management Award.

• Guest Jason Parker
  Jason Parker is the President and Senior Work Disability Consultant of Centrix Disability Management Services.  Jason is the creator of Motivation and Action Planning, which is a unique behavioural work disability prevention approach.  Jason has extensive experience in Work Disability Prevention and Stay-at-Work/Return to Work programs with over 23 years of experience covering almost every employer group.  Over the years, he has developed a unique proprietary method of case management that is evidence based and worker centric.  
  
  Jason holds a Bachelor of Human Kinetics from the University of British Columbia.
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  Jason oversees the leadership of Centrix as well as continues to work in providing direct consulting to organizations while maintaining his hand in case management.