Investing in Employee Mental Health

Healthcare professionals and CorpCare Co-founders Ray Yue and Marline Aizouki discuss how their platform is a more accessible, innovative mental health support system for organizations and their employees.

If you’ve ever struggled with your mental health, you’ll know that nothing adds more stress than being told by your employer to “call the employee assistance number.” You call the number and are on hold for a long time, only to be told that the next available appointment is weeks away. The appointment is impersonal, with someone you’ve never met and likely won’t talk to again. You need ongoing therapy or counselling, but your insurance only covers a few sessions. What you really need is someone who you can connect with and someone who cares. 

How did the idea for CorpCare develop?

We are healthcare innovators who have owned and operated primary care centers, medical clinics, pharmacies, and other wellness facilities for many years. Over time, we realized that there are limits on how much you can do for the patient within the confines of a physical structure. A few years back we started looking into virtual-health. We heard about the frustrations employees and employers were experiencing around mental health concerns and access to quality mental health supports. Many of the programs available on the market are very reactive and inaccessible; they wait until it’s really difficult for the employee to get the help they need to be able to return to their ideal mental health state. We saw an opportunity to help organizations and their employees by utilizing our technology and healthcare experience to introduce a more proactive, preventative care model that they can access on their own time.

Who would benefit from using CorpCare?

Almost all organizations— public and private, small, medium, and large. This past year there has been an increased level of stress in the workplace, as well as at home. Company leaders recognize this and realize they need to offer their employees better mental health support. Using CorpCare will improve morale, recruitment, and retention, as well as lower absenteeism and disability costs. 

What does the CorpCare platform look like from a user’s perspective?

It’s important to us that the platform empowers the employee to access help when they need it.  They create a confidential profile and can book their own appointment for a convenient time. They can access resources and documents their clinician has shared with them, and they can track their moods, set goals, and journal. CorpCare is a holistic mental health experience that keeps the patient engaged. Patients are able to take control of their health in a way that isn’t intimidating or frustrating. It’s an integrated process, and if you need to talk to a physician or get a prescription you can set that up using the platform, too. Taking that first step to support your mental health is a big one, and so we want to make it as seamless as possible. 

What is the importance of virtual-health options in a remote work environment? 

Virtual-health is a really powerful way to give employees convenience and comfort. Mental health is a huge workplace concern and the pandemic has elevated the problem of presenteeism— when somebody is “at” work, but is dealing with stress and not able to concentrate. In Canada it’s estimated that half a million Canadians miss work due to mental health concerns every week. That number has increased because of the pandemic, and we’re only starting to see some of its consequences. With CorpCare, we’ve brought together the key elements of easy-to-use technology and clinicians with the proper experience and passion for mental health care. Our goal is to help organizations and their workforce facilitate a better mental health support experience that yields improved ROI and improves lives.