Take care of your emotional wellbeing
Mental health refers to our overall emotional, psychological, and social wellbeing. Mental health and substance use disorders are medical conditions and are often chronic conditions. Like any chronic condition, such as diabetes and heart disease, there are treatments and services available to help you feel better and live your best life.
BCBSRI and our network of providers can help you manage many mental health and substance use concerns, including:
- Mood disorders
- Anxiety disorders
- Attention deficit disorders
- Eating disorders
- Schizophrenia and other psychotic disorders
- Substance use disorder/addiction
- Medication, anger, and stress management
- Coping with grief and loss
Information and resources
Learn about the programs and services available to you: Find the right care
Want to talk to someone who can explain your options? Call the Lifespan Employee CARE Center at (401) 429-2102 or 1-866-987-3706.
Your primary care provider
We do not require our members to get a referral for outpatient counseling and medication services. However, if you or someone you care for may benefit from psychotherapy or another form of mental health and/or substance use disorder treatment, the best place to start is with a primary care provider. Discuss symptoms with your PCP and ask for a recommendation.
Find a provider
We cover a comprehensive list of services and benefits to meet the needs of our members with mental health and substance use disorder issues. A mental health or substance use disorder professional can recommend what treatment plan will work best for you.
Employee Assistance Program
NexGenEAP is your 24/7, confidential employee assistance program (EAP), provided at no cost to you. Your EAP can help connect you with a mental health professional for assistance with marital/family conflicts, substance abuse issues, stress, grief, and health anxieties. It's part of your Total Rewards for a Total You comprehensive suite of benefits. This service is provided by ENI.
Call the Lifespan Employee CARE Center at (401) 429-2102 or 1-866-987-3706.
What are the different types of services and providers?
The behavioral health system offers many programs and services that can help you feel better.
- Individual behavioral health providers
- Psychiatrist: A medical doctor who specializes in preventing, diagnosing, and treating mental illness. Psychiatrists can prescribe psychiatric medications.
- Psychologist: A licensed, mental health professional trained to work with mild or severe psychological issues. Psychologists do not prescribe medications.
- Counselor: A licensed, mental health professional, such as a social worker, mental health counselor, or marriage and family therapist, who evaluates and treats common life stressors, and mild to moderate mood disorders. Counselors do not prescribe medications.
- Intensive outpatient programs
- Typically, these programs are three days per week, three to four hours per day, for a period of four to six weeks. Most are structured so people can continue their normal daily routines.
- Combination of individual and group therapy (family therapy if appropriate); may include psychiatrist evaluation and medication management
- Recommended for people who are experiencing emotional and behavioral problems, and would benefit from learning how to manage their symptoms and issues in a structured environment, as well as people with similar issues.
- Partial day hospitalization programs
- Typically, five days a week, five hours a day
- Combination of individual and group therapy (family therapy if appropriate); often includes psychiatrist evaluation
- Recommended for people that require more intensive treatment than traditional outpatient care, are experiencing serious emotional and behavioral problems, are at risk for hospitalization, or as treatment following inpatient hospitalization
- Inpatient acute hospital care
- Round-the-clock care in a hospital setting; typically lasts a couple of days
- Daily visits by a team of professionals, including a psychiatrist and group therapy (if appropriate)
- Recommended to stabilize a crisis and/or severe symptoms
- Inpatient residential care
- Typically, a short-term placement in a residential setting close to a person’s home until they stabilize and can return to the community
- Combination of group, individual, and family therapy