Carelon Behavioral Health on Modern EAPs and Workforce Mental Health

One in five Americans lives with a mental health condition. Employee assistance programs have existed since the 1940s. And the field is now entering a third wave — one that asks not just how to help workers after they are struggling, but how to build workplaces where fewer people reach that point. On today's episode of America's Work Force Union Podcast, Carelon Behavioral Health Medical Director Brian Keefe traces the full history of EAPs from their origins in labor-management alcoholism programs to today's proactive whole-person model. He also addresses the fast-growing behavioral addiction crisis around legalized sports gambling and introduces Carelon's Workforce Mental Health Complete — a partnership with Lyra Health that uses AI-assisted matching to connect employees with a compatible licensed provider within a day or two, while also addressing social determinants of health, financial counseling, caregiver support and critical incident response under a single integrated platform. If you or someone you know is in crisis, call or text 988. Visit carelonbehavioralhealth.com to learn more.