How Behavioral Health Benefits Can Build A Recovery-Friendly Workplace
Sep 05,2024
Read Time 3 Minutes
Employees with sensitive issues like substance abuse and mental health concerns are often not seeking or receiving the treatment they need. With the right resources, however, recovery from these conditions is possible.
As an employer, you have the unique opportunity to offer confidential, convenient behavioral health resources to your employees as part of their workplace benefits. From 24/7 clinical team availability to ongoing care coordination, you can make recovery and support more affordable and accessible.
View or download the infographic (PDF) below for more details on how you can help employees thrive.
Developing a recovery-friendly workplace
Substance use disorders among employees are common and often untreated
On average, about 66% of individuals with substance use disorders are active in the workforce.1
In the past year, only 11% of people who needed substance abuse treatment received it.2
Many employees are dealing with substance use disorders, mental health conditions, or both
1 in 4 adults
18 and older have experienced mental illness in the past year1
1 in 6 people
12 and older have a substance use disorder1
Over 1 in 8 people
between 18 to 25 have had both a substance use disorder and mental illness1
Untreated substance use disorders can cause severe illness or death, or worsen other existing health conditions.3
Untreated addictions drive higher employer costs.4
Alcohol misuse costs $249B and illicit drug costs $193B in yearly economic impact.5
Outpatient treatment for cocaine or heroin addiction costs about $3,100 per year per person.6
Untreated addictions cost approximately $43,200 per year per person.6
What keeps people from getting the treatment they need?
Stigma around substance use disorders and mental health
Lack of education about available treatment options
Worry about treatment costs or time commitment
Fear of missing work or being fired for their condition
Concerns about time away from family and friends
Employers can foster recovery by providing support for substance use disorders
Being a safe space for your employees and their families is critical to helping them recover from a substance use disorder or mental health condition.
As your trusted health partner, Anthem offers behavioral health support providing confidential resources for your employees, including:
Clinical teams available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days per year.
Rapid access to appropriate treatments, education, and recovery care coordination.
Specialists with substance use backgrounds ready to help as needed.
Ongoing care coordination follow-ups for six months.
Make sure your employees understand that help is available, and no one has to face an addiction or mental health concern alone. By investing in their long-term health, you are investing in a more productive, energized, and happier workforce — and at the same time, lowering costs of care.
Ready to see how we can help?
Contact your Anthem representative to discover how you can make substance use recovery and support more accessible for your employees.
1 SAMHSA: SAMHSA Announces National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) Results Detailing Mental Illness and Substance Use Levels in 2021 (January 4, 2023): hhs.gov.
2 JAMA Network Open: Comparison of Substance Use Disorder Diagnosis Rates From Electronic Health Record Data With Substance Use Disorder Prevalence Rates Reported in Surveys Across Sociodemographic Groups in the Veterans Health Administration (June 30, 2022): jamanetwork.com.
3 Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion: Healthy People 2030: Drug and Alcohol Use (accessed July 2024): health.gov.
4 The Lancet: Substance use and common contributors to morbidity: A genetics perspective (August 11, 2022): thelancet.com.
5 U.S. Department of Health and Human Services: Addiction and Substance Misuse Reports and Publications (accessed July 2024): hhs.gov.
6 Georgetown University Health Policy Institute: Substance Abuse: Facing the Costs (accessed July 2024): hpi.georgetown.edu.