EAP (Employee Assistance Programme) schemes are becoming more and more mainstream. But there’s a problem.
One-size-fits-all solutions have concerningly low utilisation rates. One report says the average uptake is just 4.5%. However, digital wellbeing platforms like Clearhead are much more effective, with an adoption rate more than 10 times that number.
Why?
Because we can personalise support for individuals, based on the specific challenges they’re facing at the time of need.
Traditional platforms
Most EAP services are based around funding counselling when people need it. Staff that are going through challenges, whether it’s work-related or not, can contact their HR departments and be connected with a therapist.
Once that happens, they’re sent a time for a therapy appointment. It essentially becomes the ambulance at the bottom of the cliff
Nothing is anonymous and the current system relies on the value of trust within an organisation that anonymity will be protected.
They have a set number of funded sessions - usually three - to help them to deal with whatever they’re facing at the time, then the provider reports back to the workplace with the number of sessions provided in a set period.
Clearhead
A digital EAP scheme like Clearhead goes much further to provide targeted support for an individual’s needs.
We work proactively to help staff build resilience before hitting rock bottom. It’s the fence at the top of the cliff.
Through our platform, we provide a range of tools and techniques that staff can utilise. Coping techniques help to prevent reaching burnout, nutrition advice boosts physical and mental health, and it even has qualified financial support and advice.
Tools are available through Clearhead’s online dashboard, or through a 24/7 wellbeing chatbot.
The digital wellbeing chatbot is programmed by experienced therapists and AI experts to be conversational and engaging. It can recognise key phrases and respond accordingly - for example, if the user mentions being stressed, it can recommend relaxation tools or specific techniques to cope with stress.
It can also recognise when to escalate support to a real person, such as to recommend crisis helplines if the user is displaying concerning signs.
Like other EAP services, Clearhead makes therapy available to staff who need it. However, its uptake and approval rating is much higher than traditional platforms due to the way it works.
Firstly, users self-select their own therapist using the Clearhead platform. They can search from our network of more than 400 therapists based on factors such as location or specialisation, and book an appointment directly into the counsellor’s calendar at a time that suits them. All of our therapists in our network go through a rigorous vetting process to ensure they’re equipped to support our clients.
Once someone has had three appointments, if they need more, the therapist can request more from the workplace, stating why and what the extra sessions will achieve. It gears therapy towards positive outcomes, rather than an arbitrary number of sessions only.
Finally, we collate reports from therapists into aggregated, anonymous data insights that are sent to the workplace every quarter. Reports are 20 pages long and are compiled by our organisational psychologist who provides actionable insights based on the prevalent issues identified.
This allows workplaces to recognise trends and concerns, and take steps to improve company culture, preventing people from reaching crisis points.
The advantages of digital
Plainly, Clearhead’s digital service is much more comprehensive than alternative schemes. Being online creates a wide range of advantages that flow through to improved workplace wellbeing including:
- Crisis prevention. By proactively building resilience, digital solutions prevent staff from getting to crisis point, which takes longer to recover from.
- Around the clock support. Mental health concerns don’t have office hours. Clearhead makes support available 24/7/365.
- User-friendly access. Staff are in total control of their own wellbeing assistance, which ensures anonymity. They don’t have to contact HR staff, which can be a significant barrier to getting help.
- Personalised tools and resources. Clearhead’s premium self-help library is regularly updated with the latest resources, which the digital wellbeing assistant can recommend to those who need them.
- Self-selected therapy. Users select their own therapist based on their own criteria, giving them much more chance of success and a feeling of ownership and control.
- Quicker counselling. It can take weeks to see a therapist through traditional services, but with Clearhead, staff can get an appointment within a few days. Considering people don’t tend to seek therapy until they’re in crisis, this is a significant difference.
- The right amount of assistance. Rather than mandating a set number of therapy sessions, Clearhead makes it easier to provide the amount of therapy that’s needed.
- Address workplace issues. Anonymous data reports allow workplaces to recognise systemic cultural issues that impact staff wellbeing and make the required changes.
Wellbeing is personal
While there may be common themes within workplace wellbeing, every person is on their own unique wellbeing journey. So too is every workplace.
It’s crucial that any company wellbeing initiative can cater to the specific needs of each person. This is extremely difficult to do with a traditional wellbeing service that’s not user friendly and is based around cost, not outcomes.
Clearhead captures the best in both worlds, with personalised support and a better holistic overview of the wellbeing issues that exist within each workplace.
Being able to provide a customised service while also getting company-wide insights dramatically increases your ability to improve workplace wellbeing.
For more information, request a free Clearhead demo to see how it works today.
