This Guide is a blueprint of actionable strategies and recommendations that will allow
employers to create and implement a system of affordable, effective, and high-quality
behavioral health services. The recommendations featured in this Guide are based on the
best-available administrative and clinical practices; these practices have years of evidence to
support their immediate and widespread implementation.
The findings and recommendations presented in this Guide provide a process for
employers to examine their current behavioral health benefits and services and to develop
contracting requirements to guide their selection of future health plans, Managed Healthcare
Organizations (MCOs), Managed Behavioral Healthcare Organizations (MBHOs), disability
managers, Pharmacy Benefit Mangers (PBMs), and Employee Assistance Vendors (EAPs).
Specifically, this Guide provides information for employers to:
• Improve coordination among health management programs and vendors.
• Standardize the delivery of behavioral health services and programs, whether
developed in the general medical setting or the specialty behavioral health system.
• Include evidence-based treatment modalities in behavioral health benefit structures.
• Develop enhanced programs and measures of continuous quality improvement.
• Promote quality and accuracy in the practice of prescribing psychotropic drugs.
• Improve the efficacy of disease management programs for chronic medical conditions by including behavioral health screening and treatment.
The goal of the Guide is to help employers:
• Increase employee health status
• Manage employee productivity
• Control the cost of healthcare and disability
