The DFW Business Group on Health, a coalition of 65 leading DFW area employers, is honored to partner with Meadows Mental Health Policy Institute (MMHPI) in its Lone Star Depression Challenge (LSDC)*, a collaborative initiative with UT Southwestern Center for Depression Research & Clinical Care, Harvard Medical School Department of Global Health & Social Medicine, and The Path Forward for Mental Health & Substance Use Disorders**. The goal is to improve access to high quality, timely and affordable mental and behavioral healthcare in North Texas and increase adoption of depression screening and treatment. DFWBGH’s role is to advance this goal within the DFW business community.
*Learn more about MMHPI’s Lone Star Depression Challenge (LSDC)
**DFWBGH is one of 8 coalitions participating as Regional Employer Stakeholder Engagement Teams in the National Alliance’s “Path Forward for Mental Health and Substance Use Disorders”. Our partnership with MMHPI is an integral part of the overall Path Forward initiative and a specific activity of our North Texas RESET function. Learn more about The Path Forward
National Alliance Behavioral Health Vendor Engagement Template – CLICK HERE
The U.S. Surgeon General’s 2022 Framework for Workplace Mental Health & Well-Being – CLICK HERE
Signs of Depression and What to Do: https://www.rightdirectionforme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/Signs-of-depression-and-what-to-do.pdf
Right Direction is a free initiative from the American Psychiatric Association Foundation’s Center for Workplace Mental Health and Employers Health: https://www.rightdirectionforme.com/
EARN Toolkit – Employer Assistance and Resource Network on Disability Inclusion: https://askearn.org/page/mental-health-toolkit
Workplace Mental Health Playbook – This Playbook was developed by the Health Action Alliance in partnership with the Ad Council, One Mind and Mental Health Action Day – CLICK HERE
Anti-Stigma Campaigns:
Teen Depression: More than just moodiness (Infographic)- This resource is provided by the National Institute of Mental Health.
https://www.nimh.nih.gov/sites/default/files/documents/health/publications/teen-depression/Teen_Depression_More_Than_Just_Moodiness_2022.pdf
StigmaFree (NAMI): https://nami.org/Get-Involved/Pledge-to-Be-StigmaFree/StigmaFree-Company
#IWILLLISTEN (NAMI): https://www.naminycmetro.org/iwilllisten/
Mental Health Training for Managers:
A Guide to Building a Mental Health Employee Resource Group developed by the Health Action Alliance in partnership with the American Psychological Association, Ad Council, One Mind and Mental Health Action Day. https://uploads-ssl.webflow.com/6010e149d9130a63e7b78adb/6363e94743a6e43e2d122761_AGuidetoBuildingaMentalHealthEmployeeResourceGroup.pdf
Mental Health FIRST AID
Mental Health First Aid is a skills-based training course that teaches participants about mental health and substance-use issues: https://www.mentalhealthfirstaid.org/
The Mental Health Coalition’s Roadmap to Addressing Mental Health in the Workplace – For Managers – CLICK HERE
Health Action Alliance/One Mind: Workplace Mental Health Conversation Guide for Managers – CLICK HERE
A Guide to Building a Mental Health Employee Resource Group – CLICK HERE
Access to Care:
Improving Access to Care by RightDirection. CLICK HERE to learn more.
Employer Case Studies:
Researched-backed Practices to Improve Mental Health in the Workplace – Kent State University – CLICK HERE
EY: Supporting Employee Mental Health and Ensuring a Disability-Inclusive Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic: https://askearn.org/employerprofile/ey-s-commitment-to-supporting-employee-mental-health
Lead The Way: Merck’s Inclusive Business Culture: https://production-askearn-org.s3.amazonaws.com/EARN_2020_Merck_Mind_Well_f8b7e89b58.pdf
Comorbidity: Substance Use and Other Mental Disorders
This infographic summarizes data on the comorbidity between substance use and mental disorders and the rates at which people get treatment for these conditions. https://nida.nih.gov/sites/default/files/infographic-comorbidity.pdf
Source: National Institute on Drug Abuse; National Institutes of Health; U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
Suicide Prevention:
New 988 Mental Health and Suicide Emergency Phone line is up and running in the US. CLICK HERE to learn more.
Warning Signs of Suicide. CLICK HERE to learn more.
Find Support Groups:
Easy-to-use website that has a mobile-friendly experience with the largest database of free resources for addiction and mental health recovery in the country: https://findsupportgroups.org/
The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated the ongoing mental health crisis in America with an estimated 4 in 10 adults experiencing symptoms of depression, up from 1 in 10 adults reporting symptoms in 2019.1 In Texas, 43.4% of adults reported symptoms of anxiety or depression in February 2021 and 26.4% were unable to obtain the counseling or therapy they needed.2 Depression causes an estimated 200 million lost workdays a year at a cost to employers of approximately $44 billion in lost productivity each year. Depression also contributes to the severity of costly chronic conditions like diabetes, heart disease, also stroke.3
DFWBGH will host a kick-off meeting with members in February 2022 to introduce and advance the Lone Star Depression Challenge within the DFW employer community. A Depression Advisory Group (DAG) will be formed to discuss how DFWBGH will support the LSDC project through the following employer-focused initiatives:
Employer Demonstration Projects:
- DFWBGH and MMHPI will work directly with selected DFWBGH employers on a Worksite Demonstration Project focusing on education, recognizing depression symptoms, reducing stigma, increasing depression screenings, accessing mental healthcare, and developing benefits strategies to support employees’ mental health needs. The project also will include depression-related data collection and analysis, and professional assistance to develop mental health benefits strategies and resources, employee communications, and mental health parity compliance.
Employer Depression Management Toolkit:
- DFWBGH will partner with the Depression Advisory Group, health plans, benefits consultants, mental health providers, and subject-matter experts in the development of an Employer Depression Management Toolkit to be distributed to employers locally, regionally, and nationally.
Employer Educational Programs:
- DFWBGH will conduct employer-focused education programs that address mental health challenges and solutions in the workplace. These programs will be presented in various venues, including worksites, Roundtable Discussions, General Membership Programs, and Depression Advisory Group meetings.
Strategic Communications:
- DFWBGH will develop a communications plan in partnership with MMHPI to raise mental health awareness among DFW employers, create forums (e.g., employee resource groups) to support employees with mental health conditions, and incorporate mental health in diversity, equality, and inclusion (DEI) strategies. The communications plan, as well as project updates and reports, will be shared through local, regional and national press and social media channels.
The pandemic has caused a shift in the way employers, employees, and society as a whole view mental health, and has forced companies to rethink their workplace culture. Through our collaborative initiatives with MMHPI, DFWBGH is leading change in the post-pandemic business world, helping employers become mental health champions by removing the stigma and developing culturally competent mental health benefits, resources, and policies.
Contact DFWBGH at 214.382.3036 or Jandis Price at jandis.price@dfwbgh.org if you are interested in participating in this innovative Employer Demonstration Project.
Notes:
- https://www.kff.org/coronavirus- covid-19/issue-brief/the-implications- of-covid-19-for-mental-health-and- substance-use/
- https://www.nami.org/NAMI/media/NAMI-Media/StateFactSheets/TexasStateFactSheet.pdf
- https://www.cdc.gov/ workplacehealthpromotion/health- strategies/depression/evaluation- measures/index.html
