Why employers are the answer for addressing the rise in mental health problems
From the moment the coronavirus arrived, it has exposed and deepened the need for crisis intervention and suicide prevention efforts.
In June 2020, the CDC reported that 40% of Americans are now grappling with at least one mental health or drug-related problem. In September 2020, it was reported that veteran suicides increased 20% since the start of the pandemic.
With the increased stress of the pandemic, on top of the day-to-day stress we all experience at our jobs, you would expect employers to take mental health as seriously as physical health. Unfortunately, 85% of employee mental health conditions go undiagnosed or untreated. This statistic is staggering and needs to be changed.
We believe employers are the answer.
During the pandemic, we learned how much influence employers can have. According to a Forrester survey, employees trust their employers as a source of information about COVID-19 and the coronavirus more than they trust governments and social media sites. In other words, companies became essential in delivering information as a trusted source.
Now is the time for employers to address mental health in the workplace. But where do you start?
The MyAdvisor Solution
With an initial focus on working with at-risk and rural populations, we designed solutions to provide access to mental health care before telehealth was commonly used. For more than a decade, we’ve been refining technology to offer distance counseling to anyone, anywhere. Whether it’s a video chat, phone conversation or text, we use a variety of methods to connect with patients to make it easy and convenient for them.
Care Coordination Technique
MyAdvisor’s care coordinators are trained to identify individual needs and take the appropriate steps to triage the situation. We often find that what the patient thinks the problem is – say having trouble sleeping – there is usually a deeper issue – such as financial stress. To measure success, we access the patient’s progress through a holistic approach. A plan is formulated through monetary forecasting, overall wellness and client relationships with healthcare professionals.
Case Management Technology
Because we’re a division of a technology company, our engineers designed our own case management system that can’t be found with any other telehealth company. Our platform leverages social media, mobile technology and biometric data to bring services in the privacy of patients’ homes using real-time data to track and report measurable outcomes. For patients to receive personalized care, planning, goal setting and proactive intervention, MyAdvisor provides capabilities such as:
A comprehensive resource library, spanning a multitude of topics that aid a person seeking to learn more about their psychological wellbeing.
24/7 access to care coordinators including licensed social workers, nutritionists, fitness professionals, psychiatrists, psychologists, nurses, and other medical mental health professionals.
Telephonic counseling or the potential of scheduling a virtual appointment with a trained provider.
Methods to ensure long-term success toward mental health goals.
Our Proven Process
For over a decade, we’ve refined our process to produce long-term outcomes. Our program is designed around four steps:
Assess: we provide an initial assessment to determine the root of the problem.
Triage: once we determine the issue, we develop a personalized plan and conduct referrals for additional care.
Connect: through regular one-on-one coaching sessions, we continue to follow up with the patient to ensure they’re meeting their milestones outlined in their plan.
Thrive: our overall goal is to provide patients with a better quality of life so they can thrive personally and professionally.
Who We Work With
We’re on a mission to work with companies who want to provide tele-mental health solutions to their employees. We can work with a wide variety of companies in any industry.
Veteran and government organizations
We first built our model to work with the U.S. military. At the time, 22 veterans were taking their own lives each day and the suicide rate among this population was steadily increasing. Despite their heroic actions, many were embarrassed to ask for help, creating a stigma among the veteran community. After securing a contract with the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), we developed technology solutions so that we could provide care to military members around the world in the comfort of their own home.
Health organizations
Whether it’s for employees or patients, we have worked with health organizations to provide additional care solutions that complement existing services. As partners, we can bring technology solutions such as our case management system or 24/7/365 care concierge services. Together, we can provide comprehensive care that address physical, mental and emotional wellness.
First responders
After completing a three-year accreditation program to become an approved Crisis Intervention Center through the American Association of Suicidology (AAS), our team is recognized as a national program of excellence in crisis response. For this reason, we can work with populations that often exposed to trauma as part of their work including EMTs, police officers, firefighters, crisis care workers and more.
Education
Even prior to the pandemic, the mental health of students and teachers were a concern. According to a national survey, about 50% of youth between the ages of 13-18 experiences a mental health disorder at some point in their life. Even worse, suicide is currently the second-leading cause of death for people ages 10-34. Now with virtual schooling and other academic changes brought on from COVID, we can provide mental and behavioral health solutions to educators and students.
Public and private companies
It’s no secret that mental health affects work productivity. With the majority of the workforce working remotely for the past year, it has been reported that employees are experiencing isolation, anxiety and burnout. We can provide services that support existing employee assistance programs (EAP), no matter the size of your company.
Are you interested in working with us? Complete this form to get in touch with our team!