Lifesaving Support: Prioritizing Workforce Mental Health

Employers can play a pivotal role in supporting the mental health and well-being of their workforce. By offering a holistic approach to healthcare benefits and resources, fostering a supportive environment, educating employees about available services, and recognizing signs of distress, companies can have a profound impact on the mental and physical safety of their employees.

Building A Support System

Suicide prevention is not just about crisis response. It starts earlier with suicide awareness and protective strategies. 

As a society, our awareness of the importance of mental health continues to grow. However, many still have concerns because discussing mental health issues carries a stigma. Nearly half of all employees worry their career would be negatively impacted if they talked about mental health concerns in the workplace, according to a recent poll by the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI).

Employers can encourage informal and formal conversations about stress, anxiety, depression, and pain. There are programs, offered by health plan partners like Anthem, that can help others learn emotional coping skills, promote psychological safety at work, and make it easier for people to get help. 

Experts have found that, because people are often reluctant to discuss behavioral issues, self-reported “stress” is often a good proxy indicator of mental health. Work often is a top cause of that stress. The great majority of employees, 8 in 10, have indicated that remote work, flexible schedules, and mental health days could help ease work-related stressors. Reduced stress not only makes employees healthier but has been tied to increased productivity, benefiting employers.

Additional Tools

Employers can truly make a difference in their employees’ mental health by including additional programs and resources in their benefits mix. Programs that focus on social drivers of health, for instance, address issues beyond traditional healthcare concerns. These programs work to improve the overall well-being of an employee and often help employees with:

• Housing
• Food
• Transportation resources
• Applying for benefits
• Connecting employees with resource navigators for continued support

Carelon Behavioral Health, which provides behavioral health services for Anthem members, helps ensure employees have access to crucial resources, suicide care, and protective environments.* Its Suicide Prevention Program is available to clients that have certain behavioral health products combined with medical plans. The program is designed to identify at-risk employees early and help prevent crises through:

• Early outreach and risk detection.
• One-on-one support from case managers and peer specialists.
• Partnerships with workplaces to reduce stigma.

This comprehensive program provides members with powerful tools when needed, including 24/7 access to crisis phone lines and mobile response teams. Help is also available through short-term stabilization centers as alternatives to emergency rooms. Additionally, members have quick access to licensed and culturally competent mental health care.

Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs) include counseling services and educational resources to improve work-life balance and overall wellness. Also available are services to help employers develop policies that support mental health. 

Through community engagement and partnerships, Anthem helps provide mental health education and support, aiming to reduce stigma and promote mental wellness across various populations.

Awareness Is Key

Educating your employees about behavioral health benefits and resources that are available can encourage engagement and participation. According to a NAMI poll, about 25% of workers, including 22% of managers, reported not knowing whether their employers offer mental health benefits. Most respondents said they would feel comfortable about discussing mental health issues at work if they receive training on the subject. By spreading awareness, employers can create a welcoming environment and make a significant impact.

Together, We Can Make A Difference 

Through initiatives like these, a company can help create an environment for their workforce that is conducive to good mental health. Empowering employees to feel safe seeking help and educating them about suicide risks and warning signs can save lives.

If you know somebody who is struggling with their mental health, connect them to support: a therapist, EAP, or the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. Call 911 if there’s immediate danger.

* Carelon Behavioral Health is a separate company providing behavioral health services on behalf of Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield.