CUSTOMER CASE STUDY
Genentech delivered a best-in-class mental health solution for the top minds in biotech
Genentech, a member of the Roche Group, is a world-renowned biotechnology company known for groundbreaking scientific research that improves patients’ lives. The company is committed to offering best-in-class, value-driven benefits to support the top talent in biotech and has been recognized as an outstanding place to work.
But, in recent years, Genentech benefits leaders became increasingly aware that one element their benefits package was missing—a comprehensive offering to support employee mental health.
“[Our previous EAP] couldn’t tell us if our employees were even progressing in care. For all we knew, someone could attend five sessions and get absolutely no benefit.”
The challenges
Genentech relies on data to evaluate how their population is engaging with their benefits. Yet, when it came to the mental health counseling available through their previous employee assistance program (EAP), they were in the dark.
The company couldn’t measure how many employees were using the mental health service through the EAP. The same “utilization” metric was used whether someone completed a counseling session or only dialed the EAP’s call center. For those who did receive counseling, there was no way to know whether it had helped them, or how they would rate their experience, since the EAP didn’t effectively measure outcomes or satisfaction.
“We had no way of knowing if this service was of benefit to our employees, and there was no bar set for provider quality,” said said Deborah Olson, principal benefits manager for U.S. Roche & Genentech. “[Our EAP] couldn’t tell us if our employees were even progressing in care. For all we knew, someone could attend five sessions and get absolutely no benefit from them.”
Deborah Olson
Principal Benefits Manager
Genentech
“Employees didn’t want to call me and complain about a mental health provider so instead, they continued struggling and didn’t get the help they needed.”
The solution
Genentech’s benefits team knew it needed a better way to support workforce mental health with a frictionless path to effective care and the transparency to know whether the program was working. Partnering with Lyra not only made these goals achievable—it was simply “the right thing to do,” said Olson.
Genentech replaced their traditional EAP with Lyra and offered 25 sessions annually to employees and dependents–including children. The expanded benefit included a 24/7 care team, work-life benefits, self-care apps, and workshops for managers and employees.
Partnering with Lyra not only made these goals achievable-it was simply “the right thing to do,” said Olson.
An easy digital platform and numerous case options unlock access
Instead of calling a 1-800 number to get a list of providers, members looking for care used Lyra’s intuitive online platform. In minutes, they were matched with available nearby providers with experience treating their unique needs. The average wait time for their first appointment with a Lyra provider was 7 days, compared to the national average of 27 days.
99%
of Roche and Genentech members searching for care with Lyra are instantly matched with a recommended provider
7
days: the median wait time for a first appointment with a Lyra provider
11%
of Roche and Genentech members who have a first appointment with a Lyra provider within 24 hours of searching
Top providers and evidence-based treatments raise the bar
The therapists and mental health coaches in Lyra’s network are committed to practicing evidence-based therapies (EBTs). These are treatments that have been rigorously tested in multiple randomized controlled trials and proven to reduce symptoms in people with mental health conditions. The focus on evidence-supported treatments means employees are getting the best care and recovering quickly.
The results
Today, Genentech has full visibility into how its mental health benefit works for members, thanks to data-filled quarterly reports that include the number of members who seek care with Lyra, overall clinical outcomes, and client satisfaction ratings.
88%
of Genentech and Roche members in care with Lyra who experience reliable clinical improvement or recovery from a mental health condition
93%
of Genentech and Roche members who say they are are “satisfied” or “very satisfied” with Lyra
The impact of this benefit change has exceeded expectations. As of late 2019, 88 percent of Roche and Genentech members in care with Lyra showed significant clinical improvement or recovery, and a 93 percent satisfaction rate reveals that the vast majority of Genentech and Roche members are happy with the care they’re getting.
“What’s significant for me is the calls and emails I get from employees saying, ‘Thank you, this is a big step toward saving my family,’ or, ‘Thank you for implementing this new benefit’; it’s profoundly better than what we had before,” said Olson.
Want to learn more about how Genentech reimagined its mental health benefits?