More than ever, there’s a spotlight on an employer’s role in the mental health and emotional fitness of its employees. However, even with an optimal approach, it still takes a combination of courage, clarity and ongoing support to ensure positive outcomes for any employee who seeks care.

As employers consider their options for providing employees with truly effective mental health benefits, it’s crucial to select programs that bridge the gaps between the employee’s problem, the opportunity to deliver care and the ideal personalized solution — and employers have no shortage of alternatives, including employee assistance programs (EAPs) and digital-first programs that position themselves as EAP replacements. Unfortunately, the impersonal nature of the latter (digital-first programs) rewards the courage of taking that first step — and, even with reduced stigma, accessing mental health support still takes courage — with a user experience that’s transactional and inflexible, like an assembly line.

With over 120 million Americans living in mental health professional shortage areas – and with the demand for mental health support at an all-time high – accessibility has never been more important. While, on the surface, digital-first programs seem to allow users to control their own care path and schedule support within a few days, the devil really is in the details. Beyond the shiny packaging lies a user experience that limits choice and preference – and forces employees into a single-channel care journey, again, like an assembly line.

The process for using these programs is simple enough: register, complete a survey, receive a system-generated care plan with guidance to digital self-serve resources and an invitation to schedule coaching or counseling. This process works well if you don’t mind registering before accessing the program, and if you don’t need in-the-moment clinical care, and if the survey points you to the most appropriate resource, and if you prefer video to in-person support – a lot of ‘ifs’.   

• You want to speak to a licensed clinician live, right away? Sorry, but we can schedule a phone call for you tomorrow morning.

• You want to schedule in-person and not video therapy? Wait two weeks and drive 30 miles, or we can refer you to the benefit plan today.

• You’re in crisis? Here’s the number for the National Suicide Hotline (even if you’re not suicidal).

• Calling after hours or on Saturday? We don’t staff nights or weekends, so leave a message and we’ll call you back.

• You want to schedule care with a licensed counselor and not a ‘coach’? Go back into the system and request a change (although the results of our survey suggest that coaching is better for you).

Unlike digital-first programs, specialty EAP models provide live telephonic access to licensed mental health professionals, around the clock, who deliver immediate support, personalized assessments and custom care plans. Specialty EAPs also lean into choice and preference for ongoing treatment, allowing participants to select their preferred modality, discipline and type of provider – including mapping care to specific dimensions of diversity. Looking for measurable impact? EAPs are mental health specialists that use evidence-based practices to deliver positive health and wellbeing outcomes.

Anyone who has sought treatment to address anxiety or depression knows that mental health care isn’t transactional – it’s personal and delicate and tailored to the unique needs of each individual. An assembly line approach works for some people, but most employees suffering from anxiety or depression (or even those who just want to sleep a little better or be more mindful) deserve a highly-personalized experience that delivers the right type of support, at the right time.