7 best practices for implementing a successful mental well-being strategy

As the demand for employees mental health services grows, so does the multitude of corresponding platforms, services and providers. Unfortunately, HR is tasked with sorting through the jumble to figure out what’s best for your specific organization. That is only the first step.

Beyond examining mental health offerings, Human Resources must also integrate the final options with each other. Y with existing benefits, not to mention implement and promote each and every one. This process can quickly become a mystery or a complex challenge. Having a mental wellness strategy helps.

A proactive mental wellness strategy helps position an organization as one that values ​​mental health. A strong strategy will also spell out a detailed plan for implementing multiple behavioral or mental health solutions across a workforce, based on the resources the organization has purchased or will purchase. Partnering with a top-tier EAP throughout the process can be very beneficial, as EAPs have extensive experience operating wellness centers.

Read more: 6 ways employers can positively impact employee mental health in 2022

This experience is reflected in a new set of guidelines developed by the National Behavioral Consortium, a group of world-class EAP experts and managed behavioral health providers serving more than 30 million lives worldwide. Based on consolidated member input, NBC has outlined seven best practices for implementing a successful mental health strategy.

But first, a key question: what is welfare?

Workplace wellness involves a holistic approach to achieving emotional and physical wellness, which ultimately drives organizational prosperity.

Evidence of this includes employees who work productively and creatively, build positive relationships with each other, cope with stress, and make meaningful contributions. Additionally, employees who are physically and emotionally well are more likely to reach their potential and enjoy what they do.

A requirement of a wellness strategy is the provision of a level playing field where job demands are reasonable and people speak openly about mental health without fear of stigma or consequences. The organizational culture is key in this environment, since it will end up reinforcing or undermining the strategy.

Read more: Make self-care a priority: A look at Zendesk’s wellness benefits

Ensuring a successful implementation
For a wellness strategy to be successful, an organization must demonstrate support for individual employees, families, managers and leaders, and their various requirements. Coordination is also key, as all aspects of the business will be involved. As a result, people will receive the personal support they need, while the strategy will help the organization structure its teams, make decisions, shape its culture and adapt to the times.

If you’re an HR leader tasked with building and implementing a wellness strategy, the seven NBC practices below are worth considering.

1. Understand what it is Really involved

An effective wellness strategy must reflect the unique culture, needs, and resources of the organization it serves. Budget, of course, is also a factor. As with any emotional or physical health venture, there is no one-size-fits-all solution. However, most strategies start with an inventory of current workforce benefits and services, along with, of course, the fundamentals of any strategy (process, timeline, etc.)

Subsequent steps can include everything from an employee task force that modifies strategy to a reconfiguration of the health plan that minimizes barriers to care. But in general, an effective wellness strategy:

• is holistic and preventative

• respect privacy

• emphasizes diversity, equity, and inclusion

• take advantage of the latest technologies

• allows employees to access services in many different ways

• extends services to family members

• connects businesses with resources in their community

• evolves over time

2. Don’t do it alone

A major challenge with the deployment of mental health services, digital or otherwise, is managing the process from discovery to delivery. HR professionals essentially have four options: do it yourself, add the task to someone’s job description (assuming they have a background in behavioral or mental health), hire an outside vendor, or turn to your EAP.

As mentioned above, top-tier EAPs have proven experience as wellness centers in the workplace, researching, integrating, implementing, promoting and delivering multiple and diverse solutions. This extends beyond counseling to include integration with networks of health plans, child care, elder care, legal services, and a wide range of other stressors.

Equally essential, EAPs understand corporate culture and needs, and can provide training in leadership, crisis management, and other organizational wellness services. Most important of all, full-service EAPs combine technology platforms with a personal touch, which is crucial to helping employees in crisis.

3. Hold leaders and managers accountable

Leaders are ultimately responsible for ensuring the positive impact of a wellness strategy. Successful strategies have top-down support and identify champions for physical and mental wellness at all levels. These wellness apostles must work together to overcome obstacles and remove barriers to help.

In addition, leaders and managers must be visibly and enthusiastically involved and remain accountable for maintaining a mentally healthy workforce. Some of these skills may require training, but without them, your strategy is likely to fail and fade.

4. Involve employees

Involving employees in the development and deployment of a wellness strategy increases the chances of success. For example, having management collaborate with an employee wellness task force can help with overall buy-in. Employee engagement can also simplify data collection, analysis, and reporting on overall wellness program results. In short, the people most affected by the strategy should help shape it.

5. Create a technology roadmap

In the past, 80% of wellness strategies focused on the ability to deliver services in the workplace. That will not be the case tomorrow. It is estimated that only 20% of wellness services will be provided on-site in the future. Technology platforms are essential to maximizing engagement because they offer convenient, simple access and many gateways. While technology cannot replace the need for a human touch when mental health is at stake, it has become a critical adjunct to personal support.

Technology platforms are, of course, also key to integrating multiple services, as well as data analysis and reporting, all of which will only grow in importance as workplaces invest more money in employee well-being. employees. Beyond that, your roadmap needs to be open to new routes and future curves because technology evolves so quickly. That means your wellness strategy must continually adapt and change accordingly.

6. Develop a comprehensive communications plan

Most employees are unaware of the mental health resources that are offered over time. Constant reminders are essential. Many organizations have benefited from the participation of communication experts who define their wellness strategy. Regardless of whether an organization offers three wellness programs or 20, an ongoing professional communication strategy is the only way a wellness solution will remain prominent enough to make a difference.

7. Anticipate challenges (as best you can)

As organizations add wellness programs, each should be trained on all available services. That is a challenge. It is critical to avoid adding new programs without taking the time to evaluate everything of what is currently in place. That is challenge number two. You need to conduct a wellness inventory and data analysis, potentially encompassing recruitment and turnover data, health plan and EAP data, culture surveys, and more.

In addition, challenges related to leadership skills, employee resilience, technology gaps, and other organizational characteristics may arise. The deeper you go in the beginning when creating your strategy, the less likely you are to get out of a hole in the future.