Benefits teams have the opportunity to improve employee health, positively impact their organizations' bottom line and also help change the current reality of behavioral health care. (Image: Shutterstock)
With the importance of behavioral health in the workplace discussed more openly than ever before, employers are increasingly recognizing that investing in employees' behavioral health isn't just a social responsibility—it's critical for long-term business success. Employees need long-term solutions for their own personal benefit and only truly flourish when they understand that their employer cares about their well-being. This understanding has helped accelerate the overall industry progress being made to eliminate some of the major roadblocks to effective behavioral health treatment, like legacy stigma and access to care.
Companies are rushing to double down on the amount of money spent on benefits to help workers take care of their mental health given that the momentum around creating mentally healthy and supportive workplaces shows no signs of slowing down. There's no doubt that prioritizing spend on mental health services for employees indirectly contributes to an organization's bottom line significantly, including cost savings linked to fewer absences and higher levels of productivity and retention.
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Benefits teams have the opportunity to improve employee health, positively impact their organizations' bottom line and also help change the current reality of behavioral health care as a whole. But how can they achieve that goal?
What are the current problems?
Many benefits teams are struggling to effectively demonstrate the economic value of behavioral health investments to company decision makers because they don't have quality, evidence-based solutions that allow them to illustrate the direct connection between behavioral health and workforce productivity, medical costs and total business costs.
It is a very difficult balancing act to meet employee behavioral health needs while also ensuring the business itself can create real ROI. CFOs need to see tangible proof that a solution drives value for both employees and the business. Soft ROI or avoidance claims, such as absenteeism, is not always enough. Being able to prove hard ROI—long-term cost savings—going to be key.
A CFO might be able to see that employees are downloading a behavioral health program app and even be shown numbers on engagement. But are the employees getting better? Is working with a licensed therapist through the app decreasing employee absenteeism and improving productivity? Is the program helping the company retain employees? Many of those answers are not going to come within the first few weeks, or even months, that a program is implemented.
When it comes to providing a behavioral health care solution, it is an understandable move for employers to opt for low cost and easily implemented options. But many of these "wellness programs" are one-size-fits all and offer none or little efficacy in their approach. Along with financial constraints, businesses also face implementation bandwidth issues, privacy concerns and even solution fatigue. With so many options available, how do you know what the right answer even is? What happens if you pick the wrong one?
How do we keep moving forward?
There is a very real business case for investing in holistic care programs that reduce the negative impact of behavioral health in the workplace. For businesses, the ultimate price of failing to offer behavioral health care solutions that effectively address employee needs far outweighs the initial investment.
However, to be successful, not all behavioral health innovations can be treated the same. Diligent research is imperative to ensuring that businesses invest in solutions that effectively route employees to quality, evidence-based programs. Additionally, benefits and HR teams can then demonstrate ROI to the C-suite by linking employees' holistic health to their productivity, absenteeism and the long-term impact on business profitability.
HR and benefits teams have the chance to continue to drive positive change. The problem is real and is being recognized as one that has an achievable answer. But even with progress being made, the journey is not over. Quality behavioral health care that is affordable, efficient and delivers proven clinical outcomes exists. Helping decision makers see how the up-front time and costs spent on mental health care will pay off in healthier employees and the company's financial well-being. It will also accelerate positive progress being made to overcome current barriers preventing millions from accessing effective and affordable behavioral health treatment.
Jonathan Stout is senior vice president of enterprise growth at AbleTo, a leading provider of virtual behavioral health care.
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