HRDA Shorts: How Can Employers Support Workers’ Mental Health and Wellness Through Benefits Packages?

September is National Suicide Prevention and Awareness Month. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates more than 700,000 people die due to suicide each year, and more than 1 in 5 US adults live with mental illness. If you or a loved one are struggling, remember, you’re not alone. Call or text 988 for a trained crisis counselor.

This begs the question: how can employers support workers’ mental health and wellness through benefits packages?

Sony Jean-Michel Thornton, Senior HR Business Partner at Columbia University Irving Medical Center, and Josh Dunsby, PhD, VP of Client Advocacy and Consultant Relations at One Medical, weigh in on this question.