As part of a new initiative to raise awareness of mental health resources for employers and their workforces, NJBIA, the RWJBarnabas Behavioral Health Network and Horizon Behavioral Health will present a free online seminar, “Mental Health 101: Normalizing the Conversation.”
Registration is now open for the event at 9 a.m. March 24 featuring Frank A. Ghinassi, Ph.D., president and CEO for Rutgers Health University Behavioral Health Care (UBHC), and Suzanne Kunis, vice president of Behavioral Health Solutions at Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey. Both speakers will answer viewers’ questions after their presentations.
“Finding the right mental health balance is especially important now as more people are transitioning from remote-work arrangements to traditional workplaces after two years of COVID-19 stress,” said NJBIA President & CEO Michele Siekerka.
“NJBIA is proud to partner with RWJBarnabas Health Behavioral Health Network and Horizon Behavorial Health to bring more in-depth resources to employers and their workforces to address mental health challenges,” Siekerka said.
A McKinsey & Company survey of approximately 1,000 employers nationwide during the height of the pandemic found that 90% reported the COVID-19 crisis was affecting the behavioral health, and often the productivity, of their workforce. Yet eight of every 10 workers say they believe there is a stigma associated with seeking mental health or addiction treatment.
The challenge for employers is to create a more inclusive workplace environment that reduces stigmas and prioritizes building and sustaining good mental health.
RWJBarnabas Health Behavioral Health and Addiction currently offers an extensive array of high-quality, clinically focused treatment programs, including a 100-bed acute care psychiatric facility which provides inpatient and outpatient programs. In addition, there are over 200 psychiatric beds in RWJBarnabas Health acute care hospitals.
In 2018, RWJBH partnered with Rutgers University, which operates two medical schools, to launch one of the largest academic integrated healthcare delivery systems in the country. Ghinassi serves as president & CEO of Rutgers Health University Behavorial Health Care (UBHC), in addition to his leadership role at RWJBarnabas Health’s Behavorial Health and Addictions Service Line to streamline direction and operations across both organizations.
Horizon Behavioral Health, part of Horizon Blue Cross Bue Shield of New Jersey, helps connect Horizon subscribers with the doctors, therapists and facilities needed to treat mental health disorders and addiction. These include individual and group counseling, crisis intervention and mental health treatment, autism care management services, online wellness and self-directed therapy tools and treatment programs for substance abuse.
To learn more about how NJBIA is working with Horizon Behavorial Health and the Behavioral Healthcare Network at RWJ Barnabas Health, go to NJBIA’s Mental Health Resources page at www.njbia.org/peace-of-mind.
To register for the free March 24 online seminar, go here.
