Walgreens and Mental Health America collaborate
to address youth mental health, bringing much-needed resources to
local schools
As part of Walgreens’ commitment to the health and wellbeing of
the communities it serves, as well as to fostering a healthy and
inclusive workplace, the company is expanding its efforts to meet
the growing need for access to mental health resources. The
announcement comes in conjunction with Mental Health Awareness
Month, which runs throughout May in the U.S.
As the prevalence of mental health conditions has continued to
grow exponentially over the past several years, the population that
has been most impacted is our next generation – youth and
adolescents. The National Institute of Mental Health estimates
almost 50% of adolescents have had a mental health disorder at some
point in their lives1, and just last year alone, nearly 40% of
those who took an online mental health screening in 2022 were under
age 182.
Walgreens and Mental Health America Expand Partnership with
Youth Initiative
To help bring much-needed screening tools and other educational
materials to more schools nationwide, Walgreens is collaborating
with longtime partner Mental Health America (MHA) on its
Back-to-School campaign, which will include a comprehensive set of
new resources that will be available at no cost this coming August.
Last year, the campaign reached more than 15 million people.
“We’re proud to work with MHA to support this critically
important work for the staggering numbers of teens and adolescents
who are struggling, and for the teachers and administrators who
play such a vital role during these pivotal years,” said Holly May,
global chief human resources officer, Walgreens Boots Alliance. “As
an employer, we’re committed to supporting the health and wellbeing
of our team members. And as part of our purpose, more joyful lives
through better health, we’re also focused on addressing the most
pressing needs in healthcare and our communities today.”
The Back-to-School campaign will include materials for students,
parents, caregivers and school personnel. To further expand its
reach, Walgreens will leverage a network of more than 800 schools
it works with as part of the Walgreens Expressions Challenge, a
platform to educate, empower and equip young people and their
community with insights and resources on issues impacting
teens.
“Our nation’s youth are in crisis. At Mental Health America, we
work to elevate their voices and to provide them with reliable
information and resources to support their mental wellbeing as they
navigate an increasingly volatile world,” said Schroeder Stribling,
president and CEO of MHA. “Our Back-to-School campaign speaks
directly to students who may be struggling or want to learn how to
have a mentally healthy school year. It also educates adults on
starting tough conversations, where to turn to get help and how to
recognize when a child needs compassionate intervention. We thank
Walgreens for continuing to support our mission to increase
messages of hope and healing to a broader audience.”
Last Fall, Walgreens also partnered with MHA on the development
of its first-ever Workplace Mental Health toolkit.
Improving Workplace Mental Health and Fostering a Culture of
Wellbeing
Walgreens continues to build on its commitment to workplace
mental health and is proud to be recognized for its programs and
benefits for team members across its corporate offices,
distribution centers and nearly 9,000 retail locations across the
U.S. The company recently received MHA’s Bell Seal for Workplace
Mental Health, a national program which recognizes exemplary
employers for their commitment to creating mentally healthy
workplaces.
Walgreens is also expanding its Be Well Connected mental health
and wellbeing program, which launched last May and was developed to
support “whole person” health for employees and their family
members. It includes a range of free services and resources
available through the company’s employee assistance program and
other platforms.
To date, nearly 60% of Walgreens’ approximately 240,000 team
members have downloaded or engaged with the Journey LIVE health and
wellness app, one of the new offerings made available through the
program, and more than 80% of these team members are active users
on the platform today. Walgreens and Journey have also partnered to
further expand the content, last month launching a wellness series
tailored for pharmacists, as well as a new series for caregivers of
children with special needs.
“We’re continually listening to our team members to understand
how we can best support their health and wellbeing, and strive to
create an environment where they feel supported, respected and
celebrated for being their authentic selves,” May added.
Walgreens Pharmacists Playing an Important Role in Improving
Health Equity and Access
In 2019, Walgreens spearheaded efforts to provide mental health
first-aid training for certain team members within human resources,
as well as a specialized training that is now available for all of
the company’s approximately 25,000 pharmacists.
Walgreens pharmacists are also playing a focused role through a
pilot program aimed at improving health equity in underserved
communities. As part of the program, pharmacists are helping to
support patients new to medication therapies for a range of mental
health conditions, including anxiety, depression, bipolar disorder
and others, with a series of check-ins aimed at improving outcomes
by ensuring patients remain adherent to medications and aren’t
experiencing any problems or side effects.
1 NIMH » Mental Illness (nih.gov) 2 Mental Health America online
screening https://screening.mhanational.org/screening-tools/
About Walgreens
Walgreens (www.walgreens.com) is included in the U.S. Retail
Pharmacy and U.S. Healthcare segments of Walgreens Boots Alliance,
Inc. (Nasdaq: WBA), an integrated healthcare, pharmacy and retail
leader with a 170-year heritage of caring for communities. WBA’s
purpose is to create more joyful lives through better health.
Operating nearly 9,000 retail locations across America, Puerto Rico
and the U.S. Virgin Islands, Walgreens is proud to be a
neighborhood health destination serving nearly 10 million customers
each day. Walgreens pharmacists play a critical role in the U.S.
healthcare system by providing a wide range of pharmacy and
healthcare services, including those that drive equitable access to
care for the nation’s medically underserved populations. To best
meet the needs of customers and patients, Walgreens offers a true
omnichannel experience, with fully integrated physical and digital
platforms supported by the latest technology to deliver
high-quality products and services in communities nationwide.
About Mental Health America
Mental Health America (MHA) is the nation’s leading
community-based nonprofit dedicated to addressing the needs of
those living with mental illness and promoting the overall mental
health of all. MHA’s work is driven by its commitment to promote
mental health as a critical part of overall wellness, including
prevention services for all; early identification and intervention
for those at risk; integrated care, services, and supports for
those who need them; with recovery as the goal. Learn more at
MHAnational.org.
View source
version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230502005295/en/
Jim Cohn Walgreens Boots Alliance Media Relations
Jim.cohn@wba.com (224) 813-9057
Walgreens Boots Alliance (NASDAQ:WBA)
Gráfico Histórico do Ativo
De Set 2023 até Out 2023
Walgreens Boots Alliance (NASDAQ:WBA)
Gráfico Histórico do Ativo
De Out 2022 até Out 2023
