Concordia Plans unveils new mental health resource

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On May 1, Concordia Plan Services (CPS) — the comprehensive benefits provider of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod (LCMS) — unveiled a new resource designed to further support and enhance the mental health care of the church’s workers.

The resource, a nationwide mental health care network from Evernorth Health Services, is called Confide Behavioral Health Navigator. It will:

Offer expanded mental health solutions with an enhanced Employee Assistance Program (EAP) that provides up to eight free sessions per year per mental health topic (up from six sessions previously);

Provide personal support designed to help workers overcome the most common barriers to getting mental health care;

Offer access to a digital portal with additional resources for assessment and care recommendations for members who want to self-serve;

Enable members to work with a care navigator who will assist them in making the most effective use of the services offered;

Provide 24/7 access to clinical help; and

Offer resources not only to the Concordia Health Plan member but to the member’s entire household, even those who are not considered dependents, because, as explained by Dave Kuschel, CPS assistant vice-president for strategic communications, “The mental health of each member of the household affects everyone else in the household, so it is crucial that we serve them all.”

Kevin Herweck, CPS vice-president and chief product officer, said that LCMS workers have historically accessed the current EAP at twice the industry average — not because of greater need but because it “meets people where they are with easy-to-access solutions.” Nevertheless, Herweck said, “We want to make that access rate even better. This enhanced EAP will guarantee the ability of a worker to connect with a counselor within three days, whether virtually or in-person.”

The Evernorth Confide network has 120,000 counselors. Not all of those are Christian, but the search engine allows filtering so that the user may limit the search to Christian counselors. There is also a separate list with only Lutheran counselors. Depending on the worker’s situation and the counselor’s availability, services may be accessed by phone, in person or online.

Herweck notes that the ability to receive care online has the additional benefit of reducing any uneasiness associated with physically showing up for counseling. Even as mental health has received increased societal attention in recent years, the stigma associated with seeking treatment remains, and some people wait 10–12 years (a period known as the “silent decade”) before they do so. The month of May, which has historically been dubbed Mental Health Awareness Month, is an opportune time to roll out the new resource and to work on reducing that stigma by encouraging conversations that can too often get neglected.

Hope for a weary world

Kuschel said that the enhanced EAP is the product of a concerted effort to connect with multiple stakeholders across the Synod to get their thoughts on how best to serve workers. An advisory committee — consisting of pastors trained in mental health, mental health professionals and a geographically diverse group of ministry leaders — also provided guidance. It is a given that healthy church workers are better church workers who can more effectively carry out the church’s mission. But Herweck says CPS wants to care for workers not only for the church’s sake but for the workers’ sake.

“Ever since the COVID-19 pandemic,” Herweck notes, “the world has seen increasing levels of anxiety, depression and substance abuse. These trends are across the board, in all walks of life.”

Church workers are subject to the same stressors as everyone else, perhaps even more so because of the burdens they carry as workers.

“CPS is committed to providing the most comprehensive program possible to support the overall well-being of LCMS church workers and their families. We do this because we care for our workers as individuals. But we also want them to be well so that they can focus on proclaiming the Good News of Jesus Christ to a hurting world,” Herweck said.

For more information about all the resources CPS offers to serve the mental health of church workers, visit concordiaplans.org/mentalhealth. There, Concordia Health Plan members and their household can access Evernorth Confide to register through well.evernorth.com, by downloading the Evernorth mobile app, or by calling 866-726-5267. A list of Lutheran counselors is available at concordiaplans.org/lutherancounselors.

Posted May 3, 2024