Bigger and better mental health benefits are needed – and communication is key

Today, 50 million Americans struggle with their mental health, and more than half aren’t receiving treatment for their condition. One of the issues is that many employees don’t know if they have mental health benefits through their employer and/or don’t know how to use them—if they’re available at all.

The findings—part of an Amwell survey that explored the state of employee mental health care—underscores the need to break down barriers to mental health care access and awareness in the workplace.

A mental health-centric approach to wellness

In a post-pandemic professional environment, behavioral health care has become a business imperative. One out of five employees say their mental, physical and financial health is worsening, and two out of three would change jobs for better benefits, a 2024 survey on employee well-being and benefits found. It’s not surprising, then, that 74% of employers in the survey have increased their benefits this year, with 59% focusing on mental health services.

Yet the Amwell survey shows employers have a long way to go in communicating availability of mental health benefits to employees. For example, about one out of two say behavioral health coverage isn’t part of their employer-sponsored health plan, despite companies’ professed commitment to expanding their mental health benefits to employees.

As more workers confront the daily challenges of living with a mental health condition, combined with the constant tension most face between their personal and professional lives, it’s no longer enough for employers to provide traditional health insurance benefits. At a time when COVID brought out a sense of loneliness and anxiety about the future, it’s time to create a work environment that supports people on their journey to good mental health.

Thinking outside the box

Offering employees connections to mental health care is good for business, recruitment and retention, and, most important, employees. Here are approaches to consider.

1. Take a fresh look at ways to communicate mental health benefits to employees. Given that a significant proportion of employees aren’t aware of their company’s mental health benefits or don’t know how to access them, ramping up efforts to educate employees on behavioral health coverage and programs is vital to creating a healthy workforce. Introduce new and existing offerings during town halls and follow up with information via regular employee communications—and explain how to access them. Make sure to highlight offerings that were introduced based on employee feedback. Ask employees how they would like to learn about mental health benefits, capturing feedback through surveys and focus groups, and build those options into your communication approach. This meets employees where they are.
2. Recognize the desire for online and digital mental health support. The Amwell survey found nearly half of employees (48%) want access to one-to-one mental health services online, delivered by a live human. Meanwhile, 53% would like access to online and digital resources for managing their mental health—and two out of three say they would use a digital mental health program, service or tool if it were offered to them. These findings point to the value of including a range of options for accessing behavioral health care.
3. Leverage Awareness Days and Months to bring mental health to the forefront. For instance, in May, during Mental Health Awareness Month, consider featuring new activities each week, from meditation and yoga sessions to education that speaks to employees’ health circumstances and interests, like bringing in a guest speaker to explore how to better manage workplace stress. These Awareness Days and Months can be great opportunities to get started and introduce conversations about mental health to your organization. Tip: with many workplaces operating in a fully or partially remote model, look for programming that appeals to employees no matter their environment.
4. Establish mental health days for employees. At Amwell, these are days when an employee can message their team in the morning and say, “I need to take a mental health day today,” and it’s granted—no questions asked. These days are separate from an employee’s PTO bank. From a management standpoint, a flexible time-off policy that includes mental health days helps keep employees engaged. Ultimately, allowing an employee to take a day off to focus on mental well-being is more valuable than a day of unproductive work, and it helps avoid scenarios where extended time off must be taken.
5. Teach managers about the importance of employee mental health. Conduct training sessions that teach managers how to actively listen to employees to spot behavioral health concerns. Make sure managers understand when to address concerns one-on-one with their direct reports and when to alert human resources to the need for more specialized support. In companies that haven’t placed a big focus on behavioral health care and services in the past, the move toward a proactive approach to mental wellness will require a culture shift. One tip: Invite employees to share their ideas for creating a behavioral health-friendly environment and include the best ones in your offerings.

Related: HHS funds $46M behavioral health program for Mental Health Awareness Month

By being intentional about employee mental wellness, employers can more effectively develop fresh offerings that best meet employees’ needs while strengthening awareness, accessibility and outcomes on the journey to good mental health.

Amber Howe is chief people officer for Amwell. The company was awarded a Gold Bell Seal for Workplace Mental Health from Mental Health America.