In the initial weeks following the onset of COVID-19’s spread, employers across the country had to respond swiftly to the restraints imposed by the pandemic. While no organizations were exempt from dealing with the crisis, the response from group benefit providers was doubly important. For example, OASSIS was responsible for the continuation of coverage for over 380 organizations and their staff, while still ensuring employees received the overall support they needed. Prior to the pandemic, employers had difficulty providing meaningful mental health solutions – a matter made worse from what was to come.
Many have struggled, to varying degrees, with mental health. If you were to ask family members or coworkers, they would likely agree. Unfortunately, mental health was not enough of a priority for organizations even prior to the pandemic, and this has unfortunately continued during the pandemic and even now as we are emerging from it. However, the impact on mental health from the past year and a half is yet to be fully seen. OASSIS saw this impact firsthand and has taken many steps to make appropriate care available to its member organizations. Barriers to care were equally important to consider when promoting plan coverage and highlighting these services for employees.
The following article provides an overview of factors that prevent employees from accessing mental health-related resources. Organizations should address these potential barriers to ensure staff have access to the mental health support they may need.
Barriers preventing employees from accessing mental health services
Lack of awareness
One of the most avoidable barriers preventing employees from accessing mental health services is simply a lack of awareness. If an employee doesn’t know what is covered or what support services are available, how can they use them? The good news is there are easy steps employers can take to change this.
To ensure your staff are aware of mental health services, make sure to incorporate easy, digestible promotional material in both physical form — if you’re back in the office — and with digital materials (like newsletters, the company website and social media channels). Even something as simple as a one-page summary listing all the mental health resources available to employees and their family members has proven effective. Virtual chats are also a great, approachable way to familiarize employees with support services.
Benefit providers are always willing to arrange a “Benefits 101” for your employees upon request. It is always great to see employees leave the session feeling confident about what is included in their benefit plan.
Cultural stigma
While fostering awareness of available mental health resources is key to employee wellbeing, workplaces must also consider the power of cultural barriers. As an employer, it is vital to recognize that while mental health resources are an excellent foundation, an individual’s particular circumstances will influence their perception of health and illness.
Factors that influence how employees view mental health can vary based on their socioeconomic background, cultural background, or religious beliefs. In some cultures, a fear of being perceived as weak or unwell prevents individuals from accessing mental health resources. Knowing this, offering mental health resources is only half the battle — employers need to make intentional efforts to ensure resources are not only available but also that their employees feel comfortable accessing them.
Providing materials and discussions that destigmatize accessing mental health resources can help lessen cultural barriers in the workplace. The main goal of these materials should be to emphasize that mental health is health and not a lesser subset. Employers should also consider bringing in a facilitator with in-depth knowledge of cultural influences to host a webinar or discussion for their workforce (we can help with that!).
Anonymity concerns
In addition to awareness and cultural barriers, employers must account for how power dynamics may prevent employees from accessing mental health resources. While employees should never worry about confidentiality when seeking help for mental health, many may fear repercussions. Individuals may also believe their coworkers or supervisors will know if, or what, resources they’re accessing.
Breaking down this barrier goes hand in hand with promoting awareness and education on mental health resources. Employers need to emphasize both the resources available, and that employee anonymity is protected throughout the entire process. All discussion and materials on mental health should stress that employees are in a safe space and that their employer will not have access to any of the details regarding any of the resources they utilize.
How OASSIS responded to the growing need for mental health resources
While accounting for the mental health fallout over a year ago, we noticed a trend in long-term disability benefits and reacted by expanding our existing coverage and introducing new services. We knew it was essential to have everything possible in place to help our clients manage their self-care. Some of the resources we introduced include:
- Adding Psychotherapists as an approved paramedical provider to not only address access to meaningful care but also offer a benefit provider that focuses on solutions
- Access to online cognitive behavioural therapy utilizing employee health benefits
- Offering access to virtual health, online doctor visits and prescriptions
- Shifting to a modern and inclusive approach to offering employee assistance programs
- Supporting Personal Support Workers (PSW) in a meaningful return to work
- Implementing workplace strategies for mental health
- OASSIS wellness webinars, content and service
Final thoughts
Collectively, we’re all recovering from and grappling with the lasting impacts of the pandemic. Despite a range of work models, from in-person to virtual to hybrid, the ultimate goal remains the same: to have a healthy, productive work environment. At its core, every organization relies on its people — a successful organization means prioritizing employee wellbeing.
Whether you’re an employer or supervisor hoping to support your staff better or expand your coverage, or an employee striving to understand the resources available to you, mental health needs to be at the forefront. As we continue to progress through the pandemic, mental health resources are essential to not only ensure we can sustain ourselves but thrive.
As a provider of comprehensive wellness coverage exclusively to not-for-profits, we can offer targeted coverage and assist with any questions you may have as an employer. Please reach out to info@oassisplan.com if you’d like further information.
