Behavioral health services for Blue KC members

With Mindful by Blue KC members have access to myStrength, a broad range of evidence-based modules with the most contemporary user design to offer a unique member experience.

The online self-guided tools, free and available 24/7, offer a daily destination for improving and maintaining overall well-being and resilience. These interactive, individually tailored modules will empower members to address conditions like depression, anxiety, stress, substance use, chronic pain and sleep challenges, while also supporting their physical and spiritual needs.

To Get Started
A member can visit MyBlueKC.com and click on behavioral health or call a Mindful Advocate at 833-302-MIND (6463) or by calling the behavioral health number on the back of your member ID card.

Educational training sessions for Mental Health First Aid at Work and Building Emotionally Health Workplaces.

Mental Health First Aid at Work
Mental Health First Aid at Work is a workplace training program that teaches participants how to notice and support an individual who may be experiencing a mental health or substance use concern or crisis and connect them with the appropriate employee resources. Mental Health First Aid at work is a skills-based, experiential and evidence-based practice offered in partnership with the National Council for Behavioral Health and Johnson County Mental Health.

Building An Emotionally Healthy Workplace
The emotional well-being of your employees impacts how they cope with daily stress to stay productive. Building an emotionally healthy workplace increases productivity, reduces absenteeism and lowers overall turnover. This workshop will focus on simple practices you can do to build an emotionally healthy workplace to support your team’s overall behavioral health, well-being and performance.

To Inquire About a Workshop
Contact Emily Snow, LMSW, MHSA, Director of Behavioral Health Initiatives at Blue KC.

We will help members identify in-network providers that best fit their needs by type and specialty.

Behavioral health is part of a Blue KC member’s medical benefits. Just like they have access to in-network providers like family practice and internal medicine physicians, members also have access to providers like therapists and psychiatrists for their behavioral healthcare needs. A Mindful Advocate can help members find behavioral healthcare providers that suits their specific needs. Just like any medical visit, a member will pay for these services as outlined in their plan benefits. Normal cost-sharing and out-of-pocket maximum limits apply.

Access a List of In-network Providers
A member can visit MyBlueKC.com and click on behavioral health or call a Mindful Advocate at 833-302-MIND (6463) or by calling the behavioral health number on the back of your member ID card.

The Expedited Access Network provides support to find a behavioral health appointment in the earliest window possible for a Blue KC member in crisis.

If you, or a loved one, are in crisis you are not alone. Please reach out to a Mindful Advocate for in-the-moment support and assistance with finding timely treatment. A Mindful Advocate is available to help 24/7.

To Get Started
A member can visit MyBlueKC.com and click on behavioral health or call a Mindful Advocate at 833-302-MIND (6463) or by calling the behavioral health number on the back of your member ID card.

With therapists trained and licensed in Virtual Care therapy techniques, the Blue KC Virtual Care app can support a variety of behavioral healthcare needs.

Blue KC members can use the virtual care app to treat conditions like anxiety, bereavement/grief, bipolar disorder, depression, OCD, PTSD/trauma and panic attacks. Psychologists and counselors are available for scheduled sessions and visits start at $85 but vary by provider type and may be less, based on your plan’s cost share. Therapy services are provided by a network of doctoral level psychologists and master’s degree level therapists trained and licensed in virtual care prevention and therapy techniques.

To Get Started
View and download the Blue KC Virtual Care app or visit BlueKCVirtualCare.com. If you have questions or need help registering, you can call a Mindful Advocate at 833-302-MIND (6463) or by calling the behavioral health number on the back of your member ID card.

Blue KC invites primary care providers interested in building an integrated primary/behavioral health practice model to join us in better addressing the unmet behavioral health needs of our membership.

Mindful by Blue KC is a commitment to covering the whole person. That includes expanding our support to primary care providers in identifying and treating the underlying behavioral health conditions that often accompany medical conditions. To that end, Blue KC is committed to offering providers new opportunities for delivering whole-person integrated care.

Behavioral health conditions, like mood and anxiety disorders, often go unrecognized and/or under-treated in primary care or other settings for a variety of reasons. Studies show only a small percentage of adults with major depression are diagnosed. Of those adults, only half receive the treatment they need; an even a smaller population of those adults show substantial improvement in the year following their diagnosis. This has a significant impact on clinical and cost outcomes for members, employers and the society at large.

To that end, Blue KC invites primary care providers interested in building an integrated primary/behavioral health practice to join us in better addressing the unmet behavioral health needs of our members with work around the Collaborative Care Model (CoCM).

The CoCM is a specific type of integrated care arrangement where behavioral health conditions are treated in primary care settings (instead of referring out) with the addition of a behavioral health care manager and a psychiatric consultant who functions as a psychopharmacology consultant for the primary care provider. The CoCM has the most robust evidence for effective integration of behavioral health into primary care.

To Learn More
Contact Becky Gernon, M.D., M.P.H., Medical Director at Blue KC.

Blue KC invites primary care providers interested in building an integrated primary/behavioral health practice model to join us in better addressing the unmet behavioral health needs of our membership.

Mindful by Blue KC is a behavioral health offering designed to target access challenges, stigma, and costs associated with seeking behavioral healthcare. One of our primary goals is to support primary care and other providers in identifying and treating the underlying behavioral health conditions that often accompany medical conditions. To that end, we are committed to offering providers opportunities to deliver whole-person integrated care.

Substance Use Disorders (SUDs) often go unrecognized in primary care and other settings for a variety of complicated reasons. Less than 20 percent of individuals with SUDs receive any kind of treatment, and these unmet needs lead to potentially avoidable clinical and cost outcomes.

SBIRT (Screening, Brief Intervention, Referral to Treatment) is an evidence-based approach to identifying individuals at risk for Substance Use Disorders. It was developed specifically for Alcohol Use Disorders but is being successfully used for Substance Use Disorders of all kinds, with a return on investment measured in improved clinical and cost outcomes.

Blue KC invites primary care providers interested in building an integrated primary/behavioral health practice model to join us in better addressing the unmet behavioral health needs of our membership through implementation of SBIRT.

To Learn More
Contact Becky Gernon, M.D., M.P.H., Medical Director at Blue KC.