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This blog post was written by Christy Johnson, Counselor at Nivati. You can see more of their content on the Nivati platform and on the Nivati blog. If you want to learn more about Nivati, click here.
Data trends observed by the Health Resources and Services Administration describe mental health care worker supply and demand, and it’s not looking great. With everything that has been happening over the course of the past two years, the mental health field has seen a significant increase in the utilization of therapy services by the general public. This increase, coupled with barriers and challenges new clinicians face upon entering the field, has contributed to current therapy shortages.
Until the supply of qualified mental health providers increases beyond the need for mental health services, this mental health care shortage will persist, and clients will find it challenging to access the adequate care they need.
One of the most visible signs of America’s current therapy shortage is that the majority of therapy offices are operating with three to four week waitlists at minimum. In fact, many community-based agencies are not accepting new clients to their waitlists at all because of how long wait times have grown.
Companies are in a position to help. Here’s how.
How to Address the Therapy Shortage in Your Workplace
Forward-thinking and compassionate company leaders, HR professionals, and frontline managers are in a prime position to support their employees' mental wellbeing, regardless of current therapy shortages.
- Education and Awareness
Education and awareness are the first step in implementing a supportive mental health program in the workplace. Becoming educated on the topics of mental health, work-life balance, and employee wellbeing sets leaders up with the knowledge to recognize potential areas of concern as it pertains to their unique workforce.
- Open Communication
Open communication around mental health and wellbeing is a natural byproduct of increasing HR and leadership knowledge on these topics. As leaders become more aware of mental health concerns, the stigma associated with talking about mental health in the workplace diminishes for everyone.
Employees benefit from having access to mental health services such as therapy, support groups, and emergency and crisis mental health support. Company leaders and HR representatives should have an awareness of these services and be able to provide open communication for employees to understand what is available to them and how to access services when needed.
In this vein, creating a corporate policy is a valuable way to support the goal of destigmatizing mental health in the workplace. A mental health policy, which is defined by betterwork.org as, “an organized set of values, principles, and objectives for improving mental health…” sends a clear message about the company’s commitment to create a safe and supportive environment around mental health.
- A Custom Approach
As it is with any mental health service, keeping in mind specific goals and needs is a valuable way to make your program as effective as possible for your situation. Taking a custom approach is especially supportive when it accounts for the unique needs of your workforce.
For example, educational materials can include on-demand videos on mental health topics, workshops, training events, and more. These educational resources can be customized to suit the needs of the particular workforce and organizational culture. Similarly, employee mental health resources, ranging from emergency help to support groups and individual therapy, are services that can be tailored to be most effective and supportive for the situation and the needs of the individuals being served.
How a Program Like Nivati Can Help
Virtual mental health programs like Nivati are a wonderful way to help address the increasing demands of mental health support because employee wellbeing programs make mental health care accessible to a wider population. Many times, individuals would not have easily accessible means of therapy services without employee wellbeing programs like these.
The benefits of a virtual, holistic mental health program like Nivati include:
- Fewer barriers to care
- Support destigmatizing mental health in the workplace and positively transforming company culture
- Mental health coaching and life coaching in addition to therapy services
- On-demand and timely resources for all employees
Employee wellbeing programs help employees by eliminating the individual burden of locating therapy services and confirming insurance coverage for those services. With an employee wellbeing program like Nivati, participants are provided with more options and fewer barriers to accessing services.
Virtual mental health programs can also help destigmatize mental health care topics by creating open conversations around mental health in the workplace. For some people the idea of going to therapy can be intimidating; for those individuals, programs like Nivati can feel like a more accessible entry point since employee wellbeing programs are often based on short-term, solutions-focused therapy styles.
Similarly, programs like Nivati may offer mental health coaching services in addition to therapy, which is an excellent support for individuals who are motivated and insightful about their mental health goals. Nivati, in particular, is very effective at offering multiple kinds of tools for wellbeing across all areas of life, including therapy and mental health coaching, along with financial coaching, nutritional mentoring, massage, and yoga training services.
Nivati also provides timely and on-demand mental health and wellness tips for both employees and company leaders encouraging and supporting employee work-life balance, focus, and good mood. This includes tools that have the goal of creating tangible workplace benefits like improving mental focus, developing effective goal setting, and fostering productivity.
Disclaimer
By participating in/reading the service/website/blog/email series on this website, you acknowledge that this is a personal website/blog and is for informational purposes and should not be seen as mental health care advice. You should consult with a licensed professional before you rely on this website/blog’s information. All things written on this website should not be seen as therapy treatment and should not take the place of therapy or any other health care or mental health advice. Always seek the advice of a mental health care professional or physician. The content on this blog is not meant to and does not substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.
