CVS Health is moving up and discussing the escalating mental health emergency that has emerged from the continuing COVID-19 pandemic.
To improve address America’s growing mental and emotional well-being needs, the group has announced it is improving its nationwide mental health programming works with new charitable ventures that are centered on health care workers, required workers, and seniors.
“The wrath of COVID-19 is not just physical. Mental trauma is the inevitably flow of the pandemic’s first wave,” Karen Lynch, EVP of CVS Health and president of the Aetna business unit, told. “The result of isolation, fear, doubt, and loss can be just as harmful as the virus itself.
CVS Health Access Improvement
It is quiet and can’t be seen, but we are all influenced by it. We are dedicated to helping our nation rise above this second wave by first giving support for those who require it most, including heroes on the frontlines and seniors.”
Since March 1, CVS Health has seen a 200% increase in virtual mental health visits as compared to the same period last year, as well as large increases in calls for help with psychological pain, including anxiety, grief and loss, and trauma.
Health care workers are under severe stress and anxiety fighting to save lives, while in many cases, separating themselves after changes to keep their own family safe. Self-isolation also concerns older adults whose only social connections are outside of their homes.
Aetna’s Resources For Living Program
Those who don’t have close family or friends living within their own “safe-zones” and who rely on outside ideas through social programs and area activities can be placed at heightened risk of mental health difficulties.
CVS Health will improve access to the following support through targeted business support:
- Supporting Americares COVID-19 Mental Health and Psychosocial Support Project with a $500,000 grant from the Aetna Foundation to help frontline health care workers, especially those who serve low-income communities, enhance their mental health awareness, knowledge, and resiliency, and get the mental health concerns impacting their sufferers.
- Skillful crisis care for frontline health care and basic workers through the Crisis Text Line via a $300,000 grant from the Aetna Foundation. For the Frontlines is a dedicated application to providing 24/7 private direct mental health care for those on the frontlines, including health care workers dealing with the stress, anxiety, fear, depression linked with COVID-19. Health care and basic workers can text FRONTLINE to 741741 from anywhere in the United States to interact with a trained volunteer crisis counselor at no cost.
Outpatient Counseling
CVS Health also is making Aetna’s Resources for Living program accessible to everyone, which involves:
- Access to informational content, association referrals, and administration meeting for companies (even those who do not partner with Aetna).
- Support for basic requirements, including family meals, access to childcare, and business guidance.
- They are partnering with merchants to give immediate access to essential requirements for seniors.
- Access to Aetna’s RFL Toolkit online, which combines live webinars, targeted studies, and expert support on critical topics like handling stress, helping young children cope, and procedures for medical staff.
- Additionally, outpatient counseling for hospital-based representatives will be given through Give An Hour via a $220,000 grant from CVS Health. Give An Hour will offer no-cost advice both during and after the pandemic to help health care employee achieve trauma responses such as depression, anxiety and post-traumatic stress in some of the most heavily affected states, including New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut.
Online Platform
The company also is giving expanded support for its representatives through different sources that help build mental health flexibility, cope with change, reduce stress, and stay relevant.
These services will be delivered with 7 Cups, an online platform that connects people to a caring, emotionally supportive volunteer listener to prevent depression and anxiety.
