For some injured workers, recovery doesn’t follow the usual path. Even after therapy or surgery, pain, fatigue, or anxiety can make returning to work difficult. These complex cases need a coordinated team approach, not just one type of treatment.

That is why Washington State Labor & Industries (L&I) created Structured Intensive Multidisciplinary Programs (SIMPs), a proven way to treat the body and mind together.

At Convivio Health, our team uses this model every day. We combine medical care, therapy, psychology, and return-to-work planning to help injured workers move, think, and live with confidence again.

What is a SIMP Program?

A Structured Intensive Multidisciplinary Program (SIMP) is a short-term, team-based rehabilitation program for injured workers experiencing delayed or complex recovery. These programs bring together multiple specialists who coordinate care, ensuring injured workers receive the right support from every discipline involved in recovery.

Each SIMP includes:

• Doctors trained in occupational or pain medicine.
  
  

• Physical and occupational therapists.
  
  

• Psychologists or behavioral-health providers.
  
  

• Vocational counselors and case managers.
  
  

These professionals meet regularly, set goals, and focus on two things:
(1) restoring physical function and (2) preparing the worker to return safely to work.

The Washington State L&I SIMP Guideline (2023) notes that this level of care is reserved for complex cases where routine care has not worked, but when delivered well, SIMPs show clear, lasting gains in both movement and job readiness.

Why Team-Based Care Works Better

Traditional single-therapy care often treats only one piece of the puzzle. SIMPs address the whole person, body, mind, and workplace, through an evidence-based, biopsychosocial approach.

1. Physical Reactivation

Therapists guide graded exercise and endurance training to rebuild strength, flexibility, and confidence in movement.

2. Psychological Readiness

Behavioral-health experts teach coping and pacing skills using cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) and mindfulness. These tools break the fear-avoidance cycle that can trap people in pain.

3. Vocational Integration

Vocational specialists work with employers and L&I to create realistic return-to-work plans. Small, safe steps build lasting success.

What the Research Shows

Evidence from multiple studies confirms the benefit of multidisciplinary rehabilitation:

• Jenkins et al. (2025) – Multidisciplinary and psychological-based care (CBT and mindfulness) produces the strongest long-term gains in function and pain reduction.
  
  

• Kamper et al. (2015, Cochrane Database) – Combining physical and behavioral treatment improves recovery and shortens disability time compared with usual care.
  
  

• WHO Guideline (2023) – Non-surgical, team-based care is the global standard for chronic primary low-back pain.
  

The findings are consistent: patients recover faster, return to work sooner, and maintain improvements longer when multiple disciplines collaborate.

How Convivio Health Puts This Into Practice

At Convivio Health, our Functional Capacity mirrors Washington’s SIMP standards and adds our personal, data-driven touch.

1. Integrated Team Care

Medical, therapy, psychological, and vocational professionals meet as one team. Every patient’s plan is unified and goal-based.

2. Functional Restoration

We use graded activity and endurance training to rebuild the ability to perform work tasks safely.

3. Behavioral Health Integration

CBT and mindfulness sessions help workers manage fear, stress, and setbacks.

4. Data-Driven Monitoring

Reliable and valid outcome measures assessing multiple domains such as functional capacity, positional tolerance, depression and anxiety, self-efficacy, etc

5. Return-to-Work Collaboration

Our team partners closely with employers, vocational counselors, and L&I case managers to design gradual, sustainable return-to-work plans.

This full-circle approach restores confidence and prevents relapse. Workers leave with measurable gains in strength, mood, and job readiness.

Why Interdisciplinary Care Beats Surgery or Stand-Alone PT

Studies show that structured multidisciplinary rehabilitation matches, and often exceeds, the long-term results of spine surgery for pain and function, without the risks or costs.
It also outperforms stand-alone physical therapy because it targets not only movement but the thoughts and emotions tied to pain.

As the L&I Guideline (2023) explains, durable recovery depends on treating both the physical and psychological parts of injury.
Interdisciplinary care does exactly that, helping workers regain control over their bodies and their lives.

What Injured Workers Can Expect

Every SIMP-based plan at Convivio Health is:

• Time-limited. Clear start and end points keep goals realistic.
  

• Structured. Each day combines therapy, education, and progress review.
  

• Collaborative. You work with your full team, not in isolation.
  

• Goal-driven. The target is a safe, sustainable return to work.
  

Many workers report that this kind of coordinated care finally connects the dots between physical recovery and daily function. They move better, think clearly, and feel more confident handling job demands.

Final Thoughts

For Washington’s injured workers, recovery is more than pain relief; it is about restoring movement, confidence, and the ability to work again.

Structured Intensive Multidisciplinary Programs (SIMPs) give workers the best chance to achieve that goal. By combining physical reactivation, psychological resilience, and close coordination with L&I and employers, these programs help people move from chronic pain to renewed purpose.

At Convivio Health, we’re proud to align with this proven model, turning evidence-based care into everyday success stories for injured workers across the state.

About Convivio Health

Convivio Health is a Washington-based rehabilitation provider specializing in interdisciplinary care for injured workers. Its programs integrate medical, therapy, behavioral, and vocational services to restore function and promote lasting return-to-work outcomes in alignment with the Washington State L&I SIMP Guidelines.