Coffee with CuraLinc: Recent Episodes
CuraLinc Healthcare
Coffee with CuraLinc is a short-form podcast series from CuraLinc Healthcare that examines the trends, key features and challenges associated with workforce, student and family mental health.
While the stigma surrounding mental health has lessened in recent years, open discussions about mental wellbeing are still uncommon, especially in the workplace. Most employers offer benefits to address mental health needs, but simply having a program in place is rarely enough to engage and care for employees.
Join us for this episode of Coffee with CuraLinc featuring special guest Kami Reuter, Well-Being Director at CNO Financial Group. We discuss how CNO Financial Group has built an award-winning healthy culture, recognized by Business Group on Health for excellence in health and wellbeing, named one of America's Healthiest Workplaces and awarded a Bell Seal Award for workplace mental health.
Learn how they’ve leveraged their workforce mental health program to meet employees where they are and guide them to the care they need. Tune in for:
- A discussion about eliminating mental health stigma in the workplace
- A behind-the-scenes look at CNO Financial Group’s award-winning wellbeing-driven culture
- Creative ways to communicate and deliver programming that caters to employees across the spectrum of mental health needs
- Actionable takeaways for employers to build a healthy workplace environment that empowers employees to thrive
While preventive measures for physical health are widely known and accepted, mental health tends to only receive attention when symptoms become more severe. In fact, 43% of people who access CuraLinc’s EAP already meet the criteria for clinical anxiety and 30% meet the benchmark for depression. What’s more, counselors are reportedly seeing more severe symptoms from patients along with longer treatment timelines, putting further strain on an already struggling system.
There’s clearly an urgent need for a shift in our approach to mental health care. The good news is, there are plenty of ways for employers to address mental health concerns more proactively – which is what we’re talking about on this episode of Coffee with CuraLinc.
Tune in for:
- A look at research surrounding preventing mental illness
- Actionable tips for promoting mental wellbeing and building resilience in the workplace
- Why workforce mental health programs must appeal to a wider population, not just those with a mental health concern
- A sneak peek at our new program feature, Mindstream™: A fitness studio for your mind
This episode will be hosted by Suzy Clausen, CuraLinc’s Director of Client Success and Kaushal Pethe, CuraLinc’s Director of Innovation.
The percentage of U.S. adults who’ve experienced a serious mental illness or substance use disorder in the past year has been strikingly high, according to the latest SAMHSA data. Unfortunately, 1 in 3 of those with a serious mental illness didn’t seek treatment, underscoring the significant hurdles involved in accessing care, such as cost, not knowing where to go and lack of openings or availability.
A workforce mental health or employee assistance program (EAP) is an invaluable resource for employees with mental health or substance use concerns, and when structured the right way, can help navigate participants with more acute issues to the most clinically appropriate care even beyond the EAP. That’s where personalized care planning and navigation for complex cases becomes crucial. By forming partnerships with top-tier treatment providers like Hazelden Betty Ford, an EAP can provide continued navigation to participants to, through and after more advanced levels of care.
Join us for our next Coffee with CuraLinc featuring esteemed guest Laura Adams, MSW, LCSW, Senior Outreach Manager for Hazelden Betty Ford, a non-profit mental health and substance use recovery center. Tune in for:
- The current and increasingly concerning state of mental health and substance use disorders
- Ways an EAP can (and should) offer navigation to higher levels of care via high-quality partnerships
- An inside look at the CuraLinc and Hazelden Betty Ford integration and care continuum, catering to those with complex or acute mental health or substance use needs
- An introduction to the cost savings and programming quality offered by Hazelden Betty Ford
Chronic pain impacts almost 30% of Americans, many under the age of 39 and up to half of whom also struggle with depression. This proven correlation between physical and emotional pain is often overlooked though, forcing those struggling to do so within disjointed support systems or alone in silence.
Without individualized, integrated care to treat the mental, emotional and physical aspects of chronic pain, people continue to suffer with more than the physical symptoms.
Join us for our next Coffee with CuraLinc as we unpack the overlap between chronic pain and mental health with expert Brad Lawson, former CEO of Fern Health and current advisory board member for The Institute for Chronic Pain and MedZero. Tune in to learn:
- The definition of chronic pain and how it impacts the daily life of those who experience it
- How chronic pain correlates with mental health and impacts employee wellbeing
- Why chronic pain often needs multiple layers of care, requiring coordination and integration between benefits and providers
- The importance of proactive support that caters to the mental and emotional health of those suffering from physical pain
With 1 in 5 youth aged 3-17 experiencing an emotional or mental health disorder each year, working parents are grappling with unique concerns more than ever before, underscoring the need for comprehensive mental health support for them and their family members.
Join us for our next Coffee with CuraLinc as we dive into the topic of youth mental health with esteemed guest Dr. Joel Axler, MD, FAPA, Partner and National Mental Health Leader at Brown & Brown.
We'll discuss the current state of youth mental health and the toll it can take on working parents as well as how workforce mental programs can support the entire family.
When it comes to their mental health care, employees need the freedom to choose the modality and provider they feel comfortable with. These choices help build the foundation for a strong bond, or therapeutic alliance, between the individual and their counselor or coach.
A high-quality therapeutic alliance is one of the strongest predictors of treatment success. That’s why it’s so critical for EAP providers to keep employees’ preferences at the forefront of the provider-mapping process – not only considering the individual’s clinical needs or preferred modality, but also their cultural background and lived experience.
In this episode, we discuss:
- What the therapeutic alliance is and how it impacts counseling success
- The importance of choice in one’s mental health journey
- A behind-the-scenes look at how CuraLinc helps employees find a provider that meets both their clinical needs and cultural preferences
- The tangible outcomes associated with a strong therapeutic alliance for employees and employers
Understanding, empathy and support are essential within a global workforce. Whether employees are located within a tension-ridden area or thousands of miles away, a centralized mental health program can address the entire spectrum of mental health concerns.
Join us with special guest, Andi Blaylock, Director of Wellbeing at Emerson Corporation, to learn:
– Why Emerson moved to a centralized workforce mental health strategy and how it’s benefited employees
– Strategies Emerson has implemented to support employees with all levels of mental health concerns, from individual stressors to global crises
– How CuraLinc is supporting Emerson’s global support strategy from the top down
Navigating the mental health care system can be daunting for individuals struggling to identify or access the appropriate level of care.
On this episode of Coffee with CuraLinc, Mary Beth Ryan, LCPC, CEAP, a behavioral health consultant and Principal at Mercer, and CuraLinc’s COO, David Pawlowski, LCPC, CEAP, explore the critical aspects of effective care navigation – from intake to follow-up – and its significance for employees and organizations.
Tune in to learn:
- Common gaps within the mental health care system and their impact
- Best practices regarding care navigation and ongoing care management for advanced levels of mental health and substance use treatment
- How personalized navigation gets individuals to the right type of care at the right time – regardless of the severity of their concerns
Studies show that substance use disorders have increased since the beginning of 2020, yet only 10% of those who may benefit from treatment actually seek support. In this episode of Coffee with CuraLinc, we discuss the data, stigma and risk factors surrounding substance use, clarify the role of an EAP and provide actionable takeaways for employers who want to build a recovery-supportive workplace.
Renowned for its dedication to a people-first culture, Pilot Company has embraced a strategic approach to holistic team member wellbeing by leveraging their employee assistance program as its foundation. In this episode, we’ll explore the highlights of our partnership with Pilot Company.
Administering disability and leave requests can be time-consuming and complex – but it's crucial to recognize that the leave experience is no walk in the park for your employees either. This eye-opening episode features the often-overlooked mental health needs of employees on leave. You’ll learn practical strategies to create a supportive environment for employees during these challenging times and get a sneak peek of our enhanced FMLA administration service, FMLALinc.
Managers and supervisors are the backbone of any organization, responsible for driving productivity and fostering a positive culture. As they encounter various challenges in today's dynamic work environments, it is crucial to provide managers with the necessary resources and support to thrive both personally and as leaders. This episode sheds light on how EAPs can help managers navigate difficult employee situations, enhance their leadership skills and boost employee performance. You'll learn best practices for utilizing management consultations and informal versus formal management referrals. Plus, we unveil new data from our recent peer-reviewed study, which examines how formal management referrals impact employee wellbeing and productivity.
Stigma acts as a powerful barrier, preventing individuals from asking for help. This episode explores how The Kraft Heinz Company has taken proactive steps to initiate conversations about mental health in the workplace, creating a supportive culture that reduces stigma and encourages dialogue and understanding. We’re joined by Allyson Maturo, Senior Manager of Leave, Disability, and Wellness Benefits at The Kraft Heinz Company, who shares key insights from their Mental Health First Aiders initiative, including the roles and responsibilities of mental health first aiders, actionable tips for building a mental health champion network, how to continue engaging employees after the first training and the impact a coordinated effort around mental health first aid can have on your workplace.
Helping employees thrive in a multi-generational workforce can be challenging since members of different generations all have wildly different stressors and expectations about management styles, employee benefits, workplace culture and work-life balance. This data-packed episode explores the mental health and management needs of different generations and provides practical strategies to address them based on our extensive experience working with diverse populations.
Burnout is an increasingly common but misunderstood workplace issue that impacts productivity, performance and retention. If you need help addressing it within your workforce, you’re certainly not alone!
In this podcast, Denise Heybrock, LCPC, Assistant Vice President of Aon’s Health Transformation Team, helps us separate fact from fiction and debunk common myths about burnout. You'll learn the causes of burnout, how it manifests in the workplace, the health and productivity consequences, and practical tips any employer can implement to reduce and prevent burnout.
Denise is a Licensed Mental Health Clinician and Assistant Vice President on the Health Transformation Team at Aon. She has over 35 years of experience working with both middle and large market employers. Her role is to partner with Aon’s clients in developing strategies and programs that supports overall wellbeing, impacts positive culture change, and creates a psychologically safe workplace. Denise has over 25 years of experience working in the mental health industry. Along with her tenure at Aon, she concurrently had owned and operated a clinical private practice and has vast working experience in various community-based social service agencies as a practitioner and developed community-based programs.
In the last few years, mental health coaching has emerged as a discipline to support employees who don’t have a clinically significant problem, such as depression or anxiety. Coaching improves access to care by extending the range of workforce mental health services and circumventing the stigma associated with therapy.
The impact of mental health coaching on employee wellbeing and productivity was reinforced in a recent peer-reviewed study that analyzed data from employees who received coaching through CuraLinc's employee assistance program.
As part of our ongoing ‘Coffee with CuraLinc’ series, join us for a 15-minute podcast to learn:
• What is evidence-based mental health coaching?
• What role should coaching play in an employer’s workplace mental health strategy?
• How does coaching impact employee depression and work performance?
Texting, Facetime, social media, video conferencing… there are so many ways to connect to other people across the globe without having to leave the office or even our homes.
With all these ways to stay connected, why are Americans still so lonely?
On this episode of Coffee with CuraLinc, Rick Hecht, LMFT, discusses social isolation, loneliness and how it affects employees and the workplace.
In this 15-minute podcast, we discuss the following:
• The difference between loneliness, social isolation and ‘aloneliness’
• How loneliness and social isolation impact mental health, physical health and workplace outcomes
• What employers can do to help employees feel more connected
Rick Hecht, LMFT, is a clinician, consultant and trainer with deep expertise in workforce mental health and over 25 years of distinguished strategy leadership in the healthcare industry.
Employees are an organization’s greatest asset. Their health, happiness, social connectedness and sense of purpose are the key pieces of the employee engagement and retention puzzle. In many ways, employees have the same essential needs as your customers – to feel cared for.
Tune into our upcoming Coffee with CuraLinc episode with Lisa Schwartzenburg, Gonzaga University’s AVP of HR Operations, as we discuss how employees and organizations can benefit from “cura personalis” – care for the whole person.
We’ll also review the benefit offerings Gonzaga employees value the most, and you’ll learn plenty of practical takeaways on how HR and leadership teams can create a culture of care from the top down.
Historically, treatment of mental health issues in the workplace has been viewed in a silo. Without a holistic view on the many contributors to mental health issues, employers may miss key opportunities to improve overall health and productivity. Addressing Social Determinants of Health (SDOH) can help improve health disparities and inequities that negatively impact our total wellbeing.
The demand for access to quality mental health support in colleges and universities is skyrocketing. According to a recent report from the Healthy Minds Study, nearly 60% of college students met the criteria for at least one mental health problem – and, from a study by the Education Data Initiative, 54% of students who drop out of school report that difficulty balancing life and studies is the primary factor. From adjustment problems to financial and coursework pressures to cultural diversity issues, students in post-secondary education programs face more challenges than ever before. Historically, student health centers have been the primary resource for students reaching out for help – but, unfortunately, many are now reporting their resources are being stretched far too thin to keep pace with the needs of their students. This is where a student assistance program can help.
As part of our ongoing ‘Coffee with CuraLinc’ series, please join us on Tuesday, November 15, 2022, at 11:00 am CT for a 15-minute webinar to learn more about the mental health issues impacting college students today, the challenges colleges and universities face in supporting them – and how student assistance programs can bridge the gap by providing additional resources to post-secondary educational institutions that help them improve access to meaningful care, strengthen support and prevent attrition.