Blue Cross Offers Employers Mental Health Support
Amy Barczy
| 2 min read
Amy Barczy is a former brand journalist who authored content at Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan. Prior to her time at Blue Cross from 2019-2024, she was a statewide news reporter for MLive.com. She has a decade of storytelling experience in local news media markets including Lansing, Grand Rapids, Holland, Ann Arbor and Port Huron.
More and more employers are realizing the best way to boost productivity and improve employee satisfaction is to support their workers’ mental health needs. Mental health supports have big impacts on the workforce: more than 200 million workdays are missed due to mental illness each year, which amounts to $16.8 billion in lost productivity. During the COVID-19 pandemic, those mental health needs may be greater than ever as we all worry about the health of our families and our ability to keep working. As a result, we are all affected – and many are adopting negative coping behaviors like smoking more, drinking more or eating more.
Click here to view. But the increasing need for behavioral health supports is not only linked to the pandemic. Data shows an increasing prevalence of the top behavioral health conditions in the past four years – including anxiety, tobacco use disorder, major depressive disorder, hyperactivity and substance use disorder. During these challenging times, it’s important we take a closer look at behavioral health as a whole -- as seen in the chart included in this post. Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan has also prepared other resources for employers to use to educate, inform and help their employees get the care they need. Need something to share now? Here’s a downloadable mental health awareness toolkit we’ve developed with our partners at New Directions Behavioral Health®. It’s designed specifically for employer use, and includes:
- Informative articles
- Digital images
- Posters
- Personal stories
- Tip sheets
Additionally, Blue Cross offers an educational webinar series called Blue Cross Master Class. Topics range from a number of business-critical issues, including behavioral health and COVID-19. As employers, you are leading your employees and your company through the crisis of the pandemic – and we at Blue Cross are here to support you through this journey. Online at bcbsm.com/coronavirus, Blue Cross has resources tailored to employers’ needs to stay up to date on the pandemic, answer frequently asked questions and to share the latest news. If you’re looking for other content to share, we’ve developed a range of resources to share with your employees. Topics covered include COVID-19, how to use an online Blue Cross account, resources for open enrollment, health and well-being programs, tutorials on telehealth care through Blue Cross Online Visits and much more. More from MIBluesPerspectives.com:
- Supporting Staff Who Work Remotely
- How Blue Cross Can Help Your Employees Quit a Costly Habit
- Coronavirus Outbreak: What You Need to Know
Photo credit: Victoria Gnatiuk
