Mental health is not a luxury, but a necessity in today’s fast-paced work environment. In a tight labor market, New Hampshire businesses are under pressure to attract and retain top talent. However, many are overlooking one critical aspect of workforce well-being: access to quality mental health care. Mental health is not just a “nice to have” benefit; it’s essential for employee wellness, productivity, and retention. As an employer in New Hampshire, it’s crucial to demand mental health resources from your health insurance provider. Here are five critical mental health resources you should demand:
* **On-demand access to mental health providers**: Traditional in-office therapy may not be enough, especially in rural areas with limited supply. * **Integrated behavioral health**: Combine physical and mental health services to address the interconnectedness of mental and physical health. * **Mobile-first experience**: Provide easy access to mental health benefits, virtual therapy options, and support through mobile tools. * **Specialized support for substance use disorder and youth mental health**: Offer in-home treatment, virtual providers, and specialized care for teens and families. * **Employee engagement programs**: Develop programs that encourage employees to access mental health benefits and make it easy for them to do so. As a panelist, Maria Proulx, President of Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield in New Hampshire, emphasizes the importance of providing on-demand access to mental health providers. “Traditional in-office therapy cannot be the only option,” she says. “With rising demand and limited supply, especially in rural areas, employees need multiple access points: virtual, in-home, and on-site.”
Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield in New Hampshire is leading the way in providing on-demand mental health care. They recently grew their roster of outpatient, residential, and virtual mental health providers across the state. They also partnered with Aware Recovery Care, a 52-week in-home program for substance use disorder, and Aspire365, which delivers intensive in-home mental health treatment for teens and adults. To integrate behavioral health with primary care, Anthem emphasizes collaboration between physical and mental health services. They leverage digital tools and data to identify behavioral health needs during routine medical visits. This helps catch problems early, closes treatment gaps, and coordinates care more effectively. Mobile-first experiences are also crucial in making mental health care feel less like an appointment and more like an everyday resource. Anthem’s Sydney Health app empowers employees to take small but consistent steps toward better mental health. It offers virtual therapy options, symptom checkers, claims information, and wellness tracking tools. For substance use disorder and youth mental health, Anthem offers specialized support. Their partnership with Aware Recovery Care brings intensive, in-home treatment to individuals struggling with addiction. Aspire365’s in-home support creates a safe, structured alternative to inpatient hospitalization or long waitlists for teens and families. In addition, Anthem was the first health plan in New Hampshire to contract with InStride Health, a virtual provider delivering highly specialized care for children and young adults with moderate to severe anxiety and OCD. Employers should ask their health plan:
* What are you doing to support vulnerable populations, such as those with substance use disorder or youth mental health needs? * What employee engagement programs actually work, and how can they be promoted? Anthem’s strategy goes beyond brochures. They develop tailored digital outreach, on-site wellness partnerships, and intuitive digital tools to help members better understand and access their behavioral health benefits. They have also lowered copays for behavioral health visits across the board and eliminated cost shares for in-network primary care and outpatient behavioral health office and virtual visits for children under age 19 in certain plans. By choosing a plan that makes mental health care easy, affordable, and stigma-free, employers can normalize mental health care and support a more resilient, thriving workforce. The data is clear: investing in mental health is essential to building a healthy workforce and workplace. With the right plan in place, businesses can shift the story – supporting healthier lives while fostering a more connected, productive, and sustainable work environment. As a New Hampshire employer, you have a choice. Make sure your health plan reflects your commitment to the people who power your business – mind and body. By prioritizing behavioral health access, integrating care, and bringing innovative solutions to the forefront, you can create a workplace culture that values mental health and well-being.