Researchers unite with TAL and Workcom to strengthen support for Australians navigating mental health recovery
The Digital Health Cooperative Research Centre (DHCRC), University of Sydney, TAL and Workcom have collaborated to improve the experience and recovery outcomes of Australians making income protection claims for a mental health condition.
Led by researchers from the University’s Central Clinical School, the Pathways project will co-design and develop a new digital platform to support people throughout their claim and recovery. The project focuses on understanding what people need for their recovery, and how tools can be designed with customers to better support navigation, choice and engagement.
Drawing on lived experience and industry insights, the platform will be developed with customers and frontline teams and will incorporate research-informed frameworks and tools to help people set meaningful goals and connect with the right support at the right time.
The partners developed the initiative in response to feedback that people want a voice, clearer information and a greater choice during their recovery journey. Life insurer TAL and its recovery partner Workcom say supporting people early in their claim with consistent and structured information may improve their recovery experience.
Annette Schmeide, DHCRC CEO, said the project responds to a clear and growing need to better support people during what can be a stressful and uncertain period.
“The rising prevalence of mental illness in the community is reflected in income protection claims, with life insurers seeing more - and more complex - claims than ever before.
“The Pathways project is designed to find a better way to support people with these claims. Applying behavioural science, evidence-based goal setting and decision-aid models we hope to find new ways to put people at the centre of their own recovery – and avoid the ‘solution overload’ and trial-and-error referrals that can occur,” Ms Schmiede said.
Dr Elizabeth Stratton, Research Fellow at The University of Sydney’s Central Clinical School, said the project helps bridge the gap between how recovery is experienced during a claim journey and how recovery systems are currently designed.
“By working directly with customers, clinicians and claims teams to understand what is missing and what genuinely helps people navigate recovery, Pathways aims to help people exercise choice and maintain a sense of control during the claims process.
“This project is not about testing a single solution. It is about co-designing tools with customers and learning from their experiences to ensure future processes are designed to support autonomy, informed decision-making and active participation in recovery. There is a clear gap in the industry for recovery tools shaped by lived experience and real-world claim journeys, and Pathways seeks to help address that,” Dr Stratton said.
Workcom and TAL will lead the Pathways’ platform design, development and roll-out to TAL customers.
Georgina Croft, Chief Claims Officer at TAL, said Pathways delivers on TAL’s commitment to collaborate with industry experts on initiatives that make a difference for its customers.
“We support customers during some of life’s most difficult challenges. We want to help them feel more connected and supported throughout their claim and recovery. Pathways will give our customers more clarity and control of the recovery journey, and provide their claim support team more information about how best to support them and when.”
John Mellors, Managing Director at Workcom, said Pathways reflects the organisation’s belief that strong recovery outcomes are built on expert, compassionate human care, supported by thoughtfully designed digital tools.
“Pathways is about giving people practical tools shaped by human-centred design, so they can more actively and optimally participate in their recovery from the very outset. We’re excited to explore whether involving people experiencing mental ill-health in a more structured and intentional way in their goal-setting and recovery journey leads to stronger and more sustainable outcomes,” Mr Mellors said.
A collaborative research project, Pathways, is supported by DHCRC. The DHCRC is funded under the Australian Commonwealth's Cooperative Research Centres (CRC) Program.