Modern Health's new FlexEAP aims to meet employees' mental health needs

Employees everywhere rely on their organization's employee assistance program (EAP) to support a variety of personal and professional well-being needs, yet there are still areas where they're falling short. 

Only 36% of employees believe their current workplace benefits provide adequate mental health support, according to data from digital mental health provider Modern Health, and 38% say a lack of mental health resources makes them less likely to stay at their job. In an effort to address a persisting gap in care, the platform launched their new FlexEAP for employers looking to offer a more comprehensive solution. 

"EAPs have been around for a long time and they've always been focused on crisis management — they're focused on compliance and risk and they've traditionally done that very well," says Alison Borland, chief people and strategy officer at Modern Health. "But the world has changed and they're not working the way we need them to now that there are greater needs in the mental health space." 

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Modern Health's FlexEAP is intended to replace an organization's existing EAP and offers services to over 200 countries and in up to 27 languages to be as inclusive as possible. Unlike traditional EAPs, where employees largely have to go through the selection process manually, employees enrolled in Modern Health's FlexEAP have access to a provider matching process where they can see in-network professionals' availability and schedule an appointment within 24 hours on average. 

Employees will still have access to the same management services as a traditional EAP, except these teams are equipped with therapy support, specialized coaches and digital self-guided tools. Every employee enrolled in the FlexEAP can also join the platform's community circles where they can engage with other members for best practices, advice or moral support. On the administrative side, leaders will have access to a dashboard where they can track usage and progress. 

"Many of these services organizations may not think of as mental health support," Borland says. "But they're all designed to help address the needs that are already there while preventing any future needs that could arise." 

The benefit of more more extensive care

The FlexEAP doesn't just help employees, it helps organizations stay on top of some of their biggest workforce challenges: Healthcare costs and engagement. Untreated mental health conditions can cost organizations 3.5 times more than average in healthcare spending, according to Modern Health. At the same time, organizations are losing 12 billion working days a year due to mental health issues, according to data from the World Health Organization, which costs the global economy an estimated $1 trillion annually in lost productivity.    

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"Incoming talent is also more likely to expect mental health support from their employers," Borland says. "So as a benefit and HR leader, it impacts attraction and retention efforts, as well as overall productivity and effectiveness in the office." 

 Modern Health has already received a significant amount of positive feedback from clients that have rolled out the FlexEAP, specifically from smaller organizations who may not have the budget to customize their benefits as much as they may need. But before restructuring their EAP, the first step  is for leadership to come together and learn about their population's needs and whether they're meeting them. 

"It can't just come from people teams," Borland says. "These efforts are much more effective when they are integrated into the culture and the messaging and the solutions leaders are investing in and supporting."