How To Increase Utilization Of Mental Health Benefits By Breaking Down Access Barriers

Although workers are interested in accessing mental health and wellness support in the workplace, a lack of care continues to delay some of the support they need.

An American Psychological Association survey found that 92% of employees say it's important to work for an organization that provides mental health resources to their employees, but only one in three employers identifies it as a top priority, according to SHRM. Workers who do not receive adequate care for their mental health issues are less safe in the workplace, less productive and more likely to miss days, according to the World Health Organization. Because of the threat this poses to a company's bottom line, the need for employers to remove existing barriers to care (and standardize support) cannot come soon enough.

"It took a global epidemic for employers to understand that they need to support the whole person," said Karishma Patel Buford, clinical psychologist and director of mental health solutions at SpringHealth. “[But] there are currently a lot of organizations that don't have mental health services, so we still have a long way to go.

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When employees are at the point where they need to work with a mental health professional, many things can get in the way of care. By implementing mental health resources like Spring Health, by providing quick access to an appropriate provider, employers can avoid two of the biggest barriers: long waits and wasted time to find the right specialist, Buford said. A recent study from Spring Health highlights the need for mental health resources, with their use by clients increasing by 40% in recent years.

Leaders can complement care delivery with benefits by assessing the well-being of their employees through ongoing communication. Spring Health implemented Focus Fridays to help employees deal with burnout .

"We measure how well our employees are improving, which leads to better mental health and better performance," he explains. "It's about creating a culture where people truly thrive, and that means being their best selves at work and in life."

Read more: How returning to the office can benefit employee mental health

This coordination of employer efforts is what makes mental health support more effective, Buford said. By combining benefits , resources and leadership involvement, employees feel empowered to take appropriate care and use it.

"Don't present this benefit on a silver platter; get people to use it and make sure it's valid," he says. "The difference between companies that tell us these benefits and companies that say, 'Hey, mental health services are here, use them, and the CEO talks about themselves and their own mental health journey,' using therapy opens up everything." . This gives. It allows people. It makes it normal.

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