We consistently see the helpline reduce the overall load leaders in unions and locals experience. 

Issue Tracking

16 +

We track scores across 16 mental health categories including high risk issues such as suicide and self harm. This allows us to give leaders an idea of what issues their members are facing in real time. This allows unions to confidently allocate funds and resources for the issues their members are actually facing.

Outcome measurements

82%

We track usage outcomes to ensure callers are effectively paired with the help they need. 82% of members were paired with therapists on their first attempts with Backline. This success rate helps mitigate the risk of our members “falling through the cracks.“ Additionally, we stick with members until they are effectively paired with therapists the second, third, or even fourth try. 

Confidence

97%

97% of members said Backline was “very helpful” for them in their mental health process.

A Preventative Resource, Not Just a Crisis Response

Without a helpline, many members only seek help once a situation has become urgent. That can lead to higher-cost interventions and more serious consequences for the member, family, employer, and fund.

A dedicated helpline creates a preventative pathway.

Members can call when they are stressed, grieving, worried about relapse, struggling with a family issue, or concerned about a coworker, not only when they are in immediate crisis.

That early access matters. It allows the fund to support members before circumstances become more severe.

Protects the Value of the Benefit Plan

A helpline can help strengthen the overall value of the fund’s benefit offerings by making them easier to access and understand.

Rather than simply offering benefits on paper, the fund can provide members with a human connection point that helps them actually use those benefits when they need them.

This can be especially important for members who are:

  • Unsure how mental health coverage works

  • Hesitant to seek therapy or treatment

  • Facing substance use or recovery concerns

  • In crisis but unsure what kind of help they need

  • Supporting a spouse, child, or family member

  • Returning to work after a difficult event

  • Navigating grief, injury, trauma, or burnout

Why Fund Administrators Should Consider a Dedicated Helpline

For fund administrators, a mental health helpline is not only a member support resource- it’s a smart, preventative investment in the long-term health and stability of the membership and leadership.

We consistently hear leaders mention that there are few, if any, centralized resources for members. Each local has a different EAP or MAP, each has different insurances or health funds. There are almost no resources for leaders to give their members that are a one size fits all approach. Backline fills that need. We are one number that connects members to a mental health resource on the first try.

A dedicated helpline gives your members a low-barrier way to get support before those challenges escalate, and reduces the workload you have by centralizing support.

Early Support Reduces Bigger Costs Later

Many members delay care because they are unsure where to start, worried about stigma, overwhelmed by the system, or unaware of the benefits already available to them.

A helpline helps close that gap.

By giving members an easy place to turn to, they can talk through concerns and identify next steps. This leaves room to help members access appropriate resources earlier — before a concern becomes a crisis, an emergency room visit, a leave from work, a relapse, or a long-term disability situation.

Helps Members Use Existing Benefits More Effectively

Funds often invest heavily in benefits that members may not fully understand or use. A helpline can act as a bridge between the member and the resources already available to them.

The helpline can help members:

  • Understand where to begin

  • Navigate available mental health or substance use benefits

  • Connect with an EAP, provider, treatment center, crisis resource, or community support

  • Identify whether their concern needs urgent attention

  • Follow through on next steps when they feel overwhelmed

  • Reduce confusion around care options

This makes the fund’s existing benefits more accessible, practical, and valuable to the people they were designed to serve.

Supports the Health of the Membership

A healthier membership is a stronger membership. When members receive support earlier, they are more likely to stay connected to work, family, treatment, recovery, and their union community.

Mental health access can support:

  • Better member stability

  • Earlier intervention for substance use concerns

  • Reduced isolation and stigma

  • Improved family functioning

  • Safer decision-making during crisis

  • Greater awareness of available benefits

  • More appropriate use of care

For fund administrators, this means the helpline can serve as a practical front door to support, helping members find the right level of care at the right time.

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