If you have sustained an injury, your health and welfare are the most important priority. Seek medical assistance immediately.

The Albuquerque Service Center/Human Capital Management/Workers' Compensation Section (ASC/HCM/ Workers' Compensation) is the initial point of contact for processing and managing all work-related injury and illness claims. If you require immediate medical attention for a work-related injury, you, your supervisor, or another responsible party can call the Contact Center at 877-372-7248. Press "2" for HCM, then press "5" for Workers' Compensation (between the hours of 7 a.m. and 6 p.m., MTD). Tell the Contact Center representative you are requesting authorization for medical treatment and you need to speak with someone in Workers' Compensation. Your call will be transferred directly to Workers' Compensation after you provide information needed by the Contact Center. If you are injured on a weekend or after hours, call 505-280-7691. If you still cannot reach anyone at Workers' Compensation, don't worry, you can get medical care from your chosen physician or the hospital emergency room. Workers' Compensation can contact providers later.

After seeking help, notify your supervisor/Forest Service volunteer coordinator of the injury. Injuries must be reported as soon as possible, but no later than 1 day after the incident. After addressing your immediate needs, your supervisor/ volunteer coordinator will have you file your claim through the Safety and Health Information Portal System (SHIPS), accessed through Dashboard. In most instances, your supervisor/volunteer coordinator will have to access SHIPS for you. After you complete your section of the CA-1, your supervisor/volunteer coordinator will need to complete their portion of the form in SHIPS.

If you are unable to access SHIPS, you should file a paper copy of Form CA-1, "Federal Employee's Notice of Traumatic Injury and Claim for Continuation of Pay/ Compensation," without delay, entering the information into SHIPS later. Fill out the "Employee Data" and "Description of Injury" sections. Your immediate supervisor/volunteer coordinator must fill out the "Supervisor's Report." If there were witnesses to the injury, have them fill out the "Witness Statement." Once everyone has signed the CA-1, your supervisor/volunteer coordinator will send it along with a copy of the volunteer agreement to Workers' Compensation. If you have questions, you can contact your supervisor/ volunteer coordinator and/or call Workers' Compensation at 877-372-7248. Press "2" for HCM, then press "5."

Even if medical treatment is not required, fill out Form CA-1 to protect yourself and the agency if problems arise later. Even in cases where the injury does not appear to be work related, fill out a CA-1, just in case circumstances are not as they appear.

For additional assistance, volunteers or supervisors should call the Contact Center at 877-372-7248. Press "2" for HCM, then press "5" for Workers' Compensation. Once you request assistance through the ASC/HCM Contact Center, a Workers' Compensation assistant or specialist will give you a direct number. They encourage questions from both volunteers and supervisors.