CIS Benefits Members Invited to Free Wellness Academy: May 17-18

May 10, 2023 | AOC Business Partner

The CIS Benefits team is hosting a free Wellness Academy at the Embassy Suites in Tigard (near Washington Square), May 17-18. The Academy is designed for HR and wellness committee members considering refreshing their worksite wellness programs. The event is offered exclusively for members with CIS Benefits’ medical coverage. Breakfast and lunch are provided on Wednesday and Thursday. Attendees are on their own for dinner Wednesday evening.

The Wellness Academy features Andrea Herron as keynote speaker. She serves as the “head of people” for WebMD Health Services and is also a published author of There’s an Elephant in Your Office. During her keynote, Herron shares how poor mental health doesn’t disappear when an employee clocks in for work. 

“Mental health is something we all have, yet we don’t always know how to best support ourselves or those around us,” said CIS Executive Director Patrick Priest. “We encourage member counties to join us for Herron’s unique perspective on mental health in both physical and virtual workplaces.” 

In addition to Herron’s keynote address, the two-day event features a variety of topics, including:

Why Connection is So Important for Mental Health

“You are Not Alone” is the campaign launched by the National Alliance on Mental Illnesses. In this session CIS members will learn more about the nationwide campaign and discover some helpful digital tools.

The Food of Your Dreams

What one eats and how one sleeps has a direct impact on mental health. This session features the Dos and Don’ts for good mental health. 

CIS Wellness Resources and Updated Grants

During this panel discussion, CIS members will share wellness ideas that have worked (and some that didn’t). 

The Go-Game

Secret Agent is a fun puzzle game where teams receive spy training, think on their feet, and collaborate to save the world from nefarious hackers.  

Resilience: A Different Perspective 

Rest and recovery in environments of constant change and pressure is critical to good mental health. Resilience — the ability to successfully cope, adjust or recover from stress — is a skill one can learn over time, resulting in many health benefits. This session shows how one can develop skills for self-care and live with purpose. 

Solutions vs. Stigma — The How, What and Why of Mental Health and Addiction Medicine

During this session, Kaiser Permanente experts share why employees need help now more than ever before. They’ll bring to light how a county’s workforce can flourish when mental health and addiction is destigmatized. Kaiser has many mental health and addiction medicine services and resources available to members — and can connect member-county employees to the help they need.

We are in this TOGETHER –– HERO Scorecard 

Discover how the HERO Scorecard helps organizations learn about well-being-related best practices and how counties can improve them over time. 

Wellness Programs Best Practices

So, how does an organization improve employee wellness? CIS reveals the six key questions one needs to ask to achieve better results. Employers, consultants, and vendors are under pressure from regulators and customers to supply more information about their benefits projects and other employee advantages. In this session, counties discover strategies for aligning their wellness initiatives with organizational goals, resulting in a stronger company culture.

Mini Grants/Shark Tank Winners 

CIS Benefits is offering mini “Shark Tank” grants to select attendees for their commitment to wellness over the years. Learn more about this opportunity at cisoregon.org/sharktank.

Seating is limited for the May 17-18 Wellness Academy, so CIS members should register today, HERE.

Note: Registration for this event is processed through the CIS Learning Center and will require a login to the site. If you have questions, please email learn@cisoregon.org.

Contributed by: Bill LaMarche | CIS Public and Member Relations Manager

*Sponsored content provided by AOC Business Partner.

Mental health is for everyone: Regence celebrates Mental Health Awareness Month

May 10, 2023 | AOC Business Partner

Every snowflake is one of a kind. That’s because each one takes a different path as it moves through the sky, picking up water vapor along the way and ultimately forming a shape all its own.

You can say the same thing about people. We all travel different paths through life and each experience touches us and uniquely shapes our personalities.

And, as we face inevitable ups and downs, many of us also may need help to make sense of things and be our best at work and at home.

Mental Health Awareness Month gives us an opportunity to shine a light on the importance of caring for our mental health.

One in five adults lives with a mental illness according to the National Institute of Mental Health. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports more than four in 10 students in grades 9-12 felt persistently sad or hopeless and nearly one-third experienced poor mental health. The CDC further reports children as young as age two have been diagnosed with a mental, behavioral, or developmental disorder.

Behavioral health issues – encompassing mental health and substance use disorders – do not discriminate by age, gender, race, income, geography or other distinguishing factors.

The good news is that most mental health and substance use conditions are common and treatable.

Because each person faces their own unique challenges, there is also no one-size-fits-all approach to treatment. That’s why Regence members have access to a wide range of tools and resources to live life to the fullest.

We’re here to help.

If you or your loved one needs emotional support or mental health care, we can help you find the behavioral health care option that fits your needs. Most of our health plans offer virtual mental health treatment options from providers such as AbleTo Therapy+, Doctor on Demand, Talkspace, Charlie Health and more. No referral is needed – you can visit the provider website and fill out their intake form for an appointment. 

In addition to the broad range of traditional and virtual mental health providers, most Regence members have access to specialized behavioral health care for those seeking help for eating disorders (Equip) and obsessive-compulsive disorders (nOCD). 

Regence also offers access to traditional and virtual substance use disorder treatment providers such as Boulder Care, Eleanor Health (WA only) and Hazelden Betty Ford. If your employer has an employee assistance program (EAP), your use of the program is confidential and at low or no cost. 

We encourage you to visit these providers’ websites or call our customer service team at the number listed on your member ID card to verify which virtual care and traditional behavioral health options are available through your health plan.

Remember 988 – the new National Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. When people call, text, or chat 988, they will be connected to trained counselors who will listen, understand how their problems are affecting them, provide support, and connect them to resources if needed.

Contributed by: Regence BlueCross BlueShield of Oregon

*Sponsored content provided by AOC Business Partner.