Watch Sessions From BHT2024

Substance use permeates every industry and level of staff. Employers nationwide report rising incidence of employees struggling with addiction—from high‑performing “functioning” users to those clearly spiraling. Yet the window for effective intervention is razor‑thin: catch someone early, and you restore productivity and lives; miss it, and they plunge further, compounding human and financial costs. Employers must arm managers and HR teams with the skills to spot warning signs—changes in behavior, attendance patterns, performance dips—and engage in urgent, compassionate conversations. This panel will share proven strategies and protocols designed to connect employees to help before they hit bottom, since every moment counts. On the front end, learning to identify and partner with value-based treatment centers will streamline referrals and guarantee that members receive the right level of care at the right time. We’ll share the example of an airline’s manager training program at its hubs, which equipped the managers with insights and information to guide affected employees into treatment, dramatically reducing relapse rates and operational downtime. On the back end, value‑based care is a game‑changer for cost containment. By steering members away from predatory treatment centers that charge arbitrary fees and have poor outcomes to in‑network, high‑quality providers with evidence-based treatments, employers slash runaway out‑of‑network claims drastically. We’ll outline longitudinal strategies to prevent recidivism among high‑cost claimants, aligning clinical outcomes with employer ROI and preserving benefits budgets. Stigma remains a major barrier. Unlike more accepted mental health issues, addiction still carries fear and shame. This panel will demonstrate how to reframe substance use as a chronic disease—no different than cancer or diabetes—so employees feel safe seeking help and organizations feel equipped to support them through tailored training modules.