One silver lining of the pandemic has been the growing acceptance of mental health care by the public. Thanks to COVID, this national health crisis was forced into the spotlight as heightened anxiety, social isolation, provider shortages, and other pressures overburdened a system that was already struggling. Fortunately, these concerns resulted in action.

As today’s mental health crisis collides with the nation’s current shortage of mental health providers, the result is an emotional perfect storm. Unfortunately, that storm’s unstoppable winds are blowing their way through America’s workforce, strengthening in intensity as they create new challenges. To ensure that support remains available, top-tier EAPs are leveraging technology in new ways.

More than half of U.S. children and teens are struggling with mental health issues after the pandemic. Sadly, only 8% are apt to get help due to lack of access, stigma and other obstacles. To reach these children indirectly, top-tier EAPs are creating innovative new programs to support their parents. Continue Reading

There has been a lot of noise in the market about the utilization and effectiveness of EAPs. But what’s fact vs. fiction in terms of the value EAPs actually provide? NBC put that question to its thought leadership task force and shared their insights in this important overview.

Since COVID, organizations have been scrambling to find innovative behavioral health tools that will augment outpatient counseling. A recent NBC member survey revealed 15 examples of top-tier EAPs whose innovative solutions are helping meet that need.

The growing need for mental health services has caught the attention of investors, who have been quick to capitalize on emerging industry opportunities. Would that have happened if mental health was a well-functioning industry?

Empathy is something organizations have been talking about for decades. As a result, some can truly characterize their culture as one grounded in empathy, while others, perhaps not as much. Suffice it to say, the pandemic has forced organizations to reflect on their workforces — to better understand their employees’ myriad of needs, expectations and overall wellbeing. As we continue to move through this pandemic, employees’ behavioral health have become top-of-mind for many organizations.

A knowledgeable benefits broker or consultant can be critical to helping organizations make the right behavioral health choices for their employees. Read the 10 suggestions offered by NBC members to optimize these pivotal decisions.