6 New Mental Health Benefits and Resources for Amazon Employees
Amazon is introducing new mental health benefits for employees, their families and their households as part of its comprehensive benefits package, reflecting the company’s ongoing commitment to supporting employee mental health. Employees in the US will have access to additional mental health resources and benefits scheduled to launch fully in early 2023, scaling globally in the coming months.
Among the new benefits, which add to Amazon’s existing suite of mental health training and resources, employees are now eligible to receive five free counseling sessions, per topic per year. Employees can also now access 24/7 mental health care through a new partnership with the Twill app. Amazon employees who sign up for a health plan will also see expanded tools through Brightline to help their children and teens overcome daily challenges.
“Mental health is important to everyone and affects each of us differently. We are inventing and building every day on behalf of employees to make sure everyone has access to mental health resources that work for them,” said Dr. Chris DeCou, a licensed clinical psychologist and director of global behavioral health at Amazon. “With our size and scale, we are compelled to help solve the global mental health crisis. Our expanded benefits underscore Amazon’s ongoing commitment to provide world-class mental health resources for all employees and their families.”
The perks of being an Amazon employee aren’t limited to collaborating with great people or delivering smiles to our customers every day. Amazon continues to make the mental health of its employees a top priority, highlighted by the following offerings:
More free counseling sessions through the Global Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
Employees are now eligible to receive five free counseling sessions, per edition each year, through Amazon’s Global EAP beginning in January 2023. The Global EAP was introduced in 2022 and ensures that Amazon employees and their families have access to mental health resources, including self-directed ones. programs, mental health training and virtual counseling, plus long-lasting benefits like free counseling and work-life support.
24/7 access to care through the Twill Therapeutics program
Employees can also now access 24/7 mental health care through a new partnership with the app. Twill—A self-directed digital mental health program. Twill also provides mood tracking, science-backed games, and activities designed to help employees and their families overcome negative thoughts, build confidence, and manage stress. Twill allows you to address mental health issues as they arise and can be used as a supplement to your daily wellness routine. It’s free to Amazon employees and their family or household members, and it’s completely confidential.
Enhanced resources to support children’s mental health
It can be challenging to get the right mental health care for your children. In fact, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that one in five children have a diagnosed behavioral health need and 80% do not receive adequate care. To help address this need, Amazon has partnered with bright line, a leading provider of virtual mental health support for children and adolescents. Amazon employees in the US who are enrolled with Premera Blue Cross or Aetna covered dependents now have additional support for the everyday mental health challenges experienced by many children and adolescents.
Partnership with the National Alliance for Mental Illness (NAMI)
As part of our efforts to connect employees with local mental health resources, Amazon is launching a new partnership with NAMI, the nation’s largest grassroots mental health organization dedicated to building better lives for the millions of Americans affected by mental illness. The partnership will focus on creating improved access to family and community support services for Amazon employees, and is the result of a collaboration between Amazon’s Benefits team and its Mental Health and Wellness affinity group.
Updated Mental Health Awareness Trainings
In addition to ongoing live training sessions for managers, HR teams, and employees, Amazon is launching a self-guided education module to ensure every employee knows what to do and where to turn when a mental health issue arises. Studies show that more than half of the people with a diagnosable mental health condition in the US do not receive treatment. These numbers are higher for Black, Latino, and Asian Americans. Amazon is taking note and launching training that leaders can use to cascade mental health awareness sessions throughout their organizations using standardized content that aligns with best practices and Amazon’s full set of mental health resources.
Enhanced Global Employee Assistance Program
Amazon employees and their families outside the US now have access to additional mental health resources, including self-paced programs, mental health coaching, and virtual counseling, plus lasting benefits like free counseling and work-life support. in association with Workplace Options. . This new program was introduced in 2022 for 54 countries outside of the US and ensures that all employees have access to the same basic mental health support, regardless of location.
These mental health and wellness benefits are part of a wide range of benefits that Amazon provides to all employees. Those benefits include health insurance, financial benefits, paid time off, and more. Learn more about Amazon employee benefits.