Canadian HR Reporter

CANADIAN HR REPORTER OCTOBER 2018 46 FEATURES CAREpath is the only Canadian Health Care navigation program of its kind offered in Canada. We have extensive experience in navigating Canadians through the health care system. Cancer Assistance Seniors' Care Assistance HealthCare Assist Your Wellness Partner MENTAL HEALTH Using technology to improve care Patients increasingly appreciate access to online psychotherapy, virtual visits By Marc Avaria F or the many Canadians di- agnosed with a mental ill- ness, help may be right at their fingertips with online psy- chotherapy. It's just one of the ways the health-care industry is leveraging technology to treat psychological disorders. In today's digital world, smart- phone apps, computer bots, in- ternet portals, web-based sup- port groups and telehealth can all help people connect with mental health specialists, cope with their symptoms, access self-care tools and manage their medications. Leading cause of disability e need to start thinking differ- ently about mental illness has nev- er been greater. It's now the lead- ing cause of long-term disability in Canada, accounting for almost 30 per cent of all claims in 2017, according to the RGA Group's Disability Claims Management Benchmarks survey. That's having a growing im- pact on Canadian workplaces, with many employees calling in sick each week because of stress, anxiety or depression. Left un- managed, these issues can lead to even higher levels of absenteeism, lower employee engagement, and reduced productivity rates — not to mention increased spends for drugs, psychological counselling and disability management. Absenteeism and presentee- ism cost the economy $56 billion in lost productivity, according to the Mental Health Commission of Canada. In fact, the Medaca Health Group estimates the asso- ciated costs of mental illness can consume up to 14 per cent of an organization's net annual profits. The health-care and health benefit industries are ready to help with novel solutions that take a holistic, collaborative approach to prevention and treatment. A great example is a pilot proj- ect by Medavie Blue Cross, in partnership with Medaca, to de- liver online cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT). rough this proj- ect, disability case managers as- sess whether the existing supports are appropriate for the employee's condition and circumstances. e employee can then access the ser- vices of Medaca's network of on- line CBT resources. "ink of it as Skype on ste- roids," says Travis Kelly, director of group disability management operations at Medavie in Toronto. The technology is compliant with strict privacy obligations and connections are encrypted, while also being readily accessible from the comfort of the employee's home. "Whether they are rural or urban, they can get this technol- ogy and the support they need," he says. Importantly, the service inte- grates drug and psychological therapies to ensure the best treat- ment possible for the patient. With this fully integrated early- intervention service, "a psychia- trist is taking the lead and inte- grating the pharmacy treatment with the behavioural therapy," says Travis. Removing barriers The service reflects the expec- tations of today's employees: Among young adults aged 18 to 34, 47 per cent would opt for at least half of their medical visits to be virtual, according to a Cana- dian Medical Association survey released in August. Overall, seven in 10 respon- dents said they would take ad- vantage of virtual physician visits, with many believing these visits would lead to more timely and better care. Roughly 70 per cent of respondents agreed that incor- porating more technology into personal health care could pre- vent illnesses. Digital innovations, together with AI, have the potential to transform the mental health land- scape. Consider pharmacogenet- ics, the study of how genes affect a person's response to drugs. is relatively new field combines pharmacology and genomics to develop effective and safe medica- tion dosages that are specific to an individual's DNA makeup. e broad implications of phar- macogenetics are significant for all patients, including those with mental illness. e laser-sharp accuracy of in- formation gleaned from genetic testing can help with the selec- tion of current and future drug therapies and drug doses that will achieve the desired therapeutic ef- fect, while reducing the likelihood of adverse side effects. In short, employees will receive the right treatment at the right time — and at the right price for employers. Marc Avaria is vice-president of life and disability management at Me- davie Blue Cross in Toronto. For more information, visit www.medaviebc.ca. ger opportunity to reorient him- self to employment routines. Similarly, re-establishing im- portant personal and professional relationships between the person returning and his peers at a low- key team meal puts the empha- sis on support and recovery, and avoids a "get-to-work" tone. Supervisors, managers and hu- man resources teams may not be trained or naturally prepared to manage a return-to-work situa- tion. ey may not know what to say to the person because mental health leaves can carry misunder- standing and stigma. Organizations would do well to provide support to the team to en- sure both employee and employer success. This includes training leaders on how to avoid request- ing too much information from the returning employee or pro- viding too much information to others. By focusing communica- tion on roles and responsibilities, rather than limitations, managers are less likely to overshare or over- explain. Team communication should focus on an employee's re- sponsibilities now that she's back at work, rather than why she was absent. As an employee begins to perform her duties, modified or otherwise, managers should watch closely but unobtrusively for performance indicators that signal struggles or success with the return-to-work plan. Manag- ers should avoid speculation or diagnosis; instead, their observa- tions should be limited to the roles and responsibilities laid out in the plan. Some challenges will be obvi- ous, and major red flags such as unexplained absenteeism or fail- ure to perform basic tasks should prompt immediate conversations between the manager and em- ployee — always in a non-adver- sarial and professional manner. As an outcome of these conversa- tions, employers should consider modifying the plan to better meet the employee's needs. Performance is possible Organizations should ensure they are not withholding opportunities from the employee because of bias or past history, both for the employee's sake and for the good of the organization. Employees returning from a mental health- related absence can perform at a high level, and employers should avoid the assumption that a men- tal health issue permanently im- pacts the person's ability to cope with stress or advance his career. Many people who have sought treatment for mental health is- sues may have improved coping skills because they have learned to manage stressful challenges through therapy and recovery. ere remains a significant lack of understanding about mental health issues. It is worthwhile for employers, as they acknowl- edge the diversity of abilities and competencies that define all workplaces, to remember that this includes those who are dealing, or have dealt, with a mental health is- sue. While the employee may be limited in one context, this doesn't mean he is limited in all. At the same time, symptoms may reoccur or increase if the em- ployee feels she is being stigma- tized for her condition. Violations of confidentiality, subtle discrimi- nation or social tension can lead to poor employment performance or even relapse. It is in everyone's best interest — the employee for her recovery and the employer for organizational performance — to look beyond a return-to-work plan towards career development and growth. Professionals need professionals Fortunately, employers aren't alone in working through the complex challenges of mental health leaves. By working with treatment teams and disability management professionals, em- ployers can help to create plans, strategies and situations that allow employees to return to work and open up avenues for improved performance. Working together with em- ployers, these resources can move employers past integration to a place where employees suf- fering from mental health chal- lenges are supported, engaged and empowered. Matt Hendrick is the Vancouver-based president of the Disability Manage- ment Institute. For more information, visit www.disabilityinstitute.com. Managers shouldn't speculate or diagnose LEAVES < pg. 45

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