LifeWorks has launched a worldwide social support network and community which is monitored by trained professionals.
The service is available in Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom and Australia, and aims to give people access to a supportive peer network for emotional and wellbeing support.
LifeWorks Community enables employers to provide a peer-driven support community, creating a greater sense of belonging and acceptance at work by connecting people from various organisations and industries in 30 languages around the world for emotional support, it said.
Using online posts, people anonymously give and receive support from one another while trained professionals monitor posts and escalate crisis situations.
Employers can add network to their existing benefit plans to complement traditional clinical care support like employee assistance programmes (EAP).
LifeWorks is also offering a companion product for post-secondary institutions. My SSP Community is built on the same foundation as LifeWorks Community, with forums specifically designed to engage students.
Neil King, president of integrated health solutions and executive vice president of LifeWorks, said: “We know one of the most powerful ways to improve mental health is by reducing isolation.
“With LifeWorks Community, people realise they are not alone and become part of a peer network where they can give and receive emotional support.
“LifeWorks Community reinforces growth achieved in EAP counselling sessions by adding a sense of belonging – the feeling that people aren’t alone with their mental health challenges – which can help people feel their best.”