Spring Health Launches Community Care to Advance Mental Health Equity

Spring Health, the leading global mental health solution for employers and health plans, has announced its groundbreaking Community Care solution. This initiative furthers the organization’s mission to advance mental health equity by addressing the social determinants of health (SDOH) that impact mental health, such as food insecurity, unsafe living conditions, childcare challenges and more.

The Spring Health platform integrates over 500,000 verified community resources across all 50 states—including food banks, government programs, and non-profit organizations. By screening and connecting individuals to local resources and experts, Spring Health’s Community Care solution provides whole-person support tackling the social and economic factors that influence health outcomes. 

Today, 45% of adults face unmet social needs such as secure access to food, housing, transportation and education. Working individuals, particularly women of color, LGBTQ+ individuals and lower-wage earners, are among those impacted.  Despite available resources, many struggle to find appropriate support, determine eligibility, or overcome the stigma of seeking assistance.

Members start their Community Care journey with a dynamic mental health assessment that screens for essential, social needs. Based on the results, members may receive a recommendation in their personalized care plan to connect with relevant local resources. Members can receive personalized assistance through Spring Health’s team of experienced Community Care Advocates or access self-service options.

Employers and partners receive comprehensive aggregated reporting, including utilization data and confirmation of members’ engagement with community-based organizations. Trend data will also analyze the impact of addressing unmet social needs on productivity, absenteeism, and clinical outcomes.

“For nearly a decade, we’ve provided precise, culturally-responsive access to care, localized support, and prioritized affordability and cost transparency,” says Robin Lloyd, Chief Product Officer at Spring Health. “Our Community Care solution addresses the social determinants of health (SDOH) and continues our investment in mental health equity, ensuring everyone has fair and equal access to mental health support.”

Spring Health's digital solutions deliver a 4.1x net positive ROI. 89% of patients achieve reliable improvement in or recovery from depression or anxiety across various demographics. The Community Care solution will deepen and expand this progress even further.

Elisha Engelen, Aon’s Vice President of Health Transformation emphasized the importance of addressing social determinants of health to improve overall well-being: “Spring Health has a pulse on the market by looking upstream at the mental health crisis. It’s critical to have the ability to explore what is hindering an individual's ability to achieve and maintain well-being. Something as basic as a person's ZIP code can impact their mental health outcomes and that’s an equity concern."

The interconnection of social, physical and mental health is clear. Individuals with unmet social needs have a higher prevalence of mental and physical health conditions, increased emergency department visits, and higher overall healthcare costs. Barriers such as access, funding, cultural stigma and discrimination contribute to mental health inequities across the U.S., leading to nearly half a trillion dollars in avoidable costs through 2024.

“We are always looking for better ways to support our community of team members so they can take care of patients and their families,” says Daniel Abad, VP of Total Rewards & Chief Engagement Officer from Wellstar. “Since partnering with Spring Health, we have seen increased awareness of mental health importance and higher engagement with the resources we provide. Spring Health’s new Community Care Solution is incredibly needed, and I look forward to seeing how it helps us cater to the diverse needs across our organization and further our community’s well-being.”

Spring Health now offers centralized access to high-quality mental health care and confidential connections to local resources for individuals and families. By expanding access to community resources, Spring Health continues to drive positive outcomes for its partners.

Go even deeper into how forward-thinking workplaces can transform lives by addressing the social determinants of health.