Mental health and addiction care

Mental health and addiction issues can take a toll on co-workers and managers too, further negatively affecting an organization’s productivity and revenue in several ways:^[6]

• Time taken by co-workers and managers to help an employee
• Reduced co-worker morale and productivity when taking on extra work
• Burnout and turnover of co-workers who take on extra work
• Time and financial costs of finding replacement workers
• Reduced overall team productivity

However, with effective mental health treatment, employers can lower costs, boost engagement, and reduce absenteeism attributed to mental health issues. Employers who invest in mental health support see a $4 return for every $1 they spend.^[7] And employees benefit from this investment, feeling more psychologically safe, motivated, and engaged.

Unlike traditional models and fee-for-service options, we focus on delivering the right care. We offer a spectrum of mental health and addiction care services for adults, teenagers, and children. And by integrating mental health and addiction screenings throughout multiple care settings and touchpoints, we can catch problems earlier and direct employees to care and support sooner. Our approach is to help employees stay healthy and engaged by providing accessible, comprehensive care that has:

• 360-degree support of mental health and addiction care to address mind and body for better overall well-being
• Expanded access to effective, appropriate care through a variety of avenues, including self-referral to specialty care, assessments and care imbedded in primary care, clinician referral to specialty care, and a variety of self-care and wellness resources
• Member-centered care through a blend of evidence-based mental health and addiction care practices, and innovative solutions such as feedback-informed care, collaborative care, and digital therapeutics

Our collaborative care and feedback-informed care initiatives significantly enhance delivery of mental health services and increase their overall value by making sure we’re providing the right care.

Collaborative care improves treatment outcomes and reduces stigma by normalizing mental health care within our primary care setting. An integrated, multidisciplinary team — care managers, primary care doctors, and psychiatric consultants — uses this team-based approach to effectively treat depression and anxiety.

Feedback-informed care empowers patients to actively participate in their treatment by continuously providing self-reported progress. This ongoing feedback allows the multidisciplinary care team to tailor treatments to an individual’s needs, making sure the patient is genuinely improving rather than receiving indefinite care without progress. 

Together, these initiatives create a patient-centered, evidence-based framework that enhances the quality of care, reduces costs, and improves patient outcomes and satisfaction.

Given the prevalence of substance misuse and the toll it takes on employees and businesses alike, there’s an urgent need for employers to implement effective interventions and recovery-ready workplace policies. Building awareness, destigmatizing substance use, and encouraging treatment in the workplace can strengthen the workforce, increase worker well-being, decrease turnover, improve productivity, and reduce health care costs. 

Employers who invest in employee recovery avoid $8,175 in turnover and health care costs per employee per year. And employees in recovery tend to stay in their jobs longer, are less likely to be hospitalized, and have fewer primary care visits.^[13]

At Kaiser Permanente, we address substance use by promoting a culture of harm reduction, increasing access to lifesaving medications, and reducing stigma through ongoing provider training. We also implement initiatives to help prevent overdoses. Our Zero Overdose Dashboard and Best Practice Alert system track high-risk patients and prescribe naloxone to counteract opiate overdoses, while our clinician education program provides timely interventions. This comprehensive approach not only reduces overdose risks but also supports individuals in their journey to recovery, enhancing workforce well-being and engagement.

Half of the people in the U.S. live in areas with a shortage of mental health workers. Low-income areas and communities of color are most affected.^[14] Kaiser Permanente takes several steps to address the growing demand for mental health care by investing in our workforce:

• The Kaiser Permanente School of Allied Health Sciences provides education in mental health counseling, while providing direct clinical training at Kaiser Permanente medical centers.
  
• Our Mental Health Scholars Academy supports Kaiser Permanente employees transitioning into mental health careers, training hundreds of new professionals.

To improve access to care, particularly in vulnerable communities, Kaiser Permanente is also: 

• Offering associate and fellowship programs that provide standardized training, supervised clinical hours, and support for licensure 
• Contracting with an extended network of providers to support care and provide greater flexibility for our members

At Kaiser Permanente, we offer a range of digital mental health resources to help your employees navigate their challenges and keep their stressors from escalating and interfering with their lives. These digital resources include wellness guides on a variety of topics, online self-assessments, and a suite of self-care apps. Our clinicians can also guide employees to highly specialized digital tools used for specific diagnoses when appropriate.

Self-care apps available at no cost to members:^[15]