CIGNA Behavioral Health Doubles Online Coaching Program

CIGNA Behavioral Health Doubles Online Coaching Program
New Services Include Help for Managing Pain and Strengthening Interpersonal
Relationships 


EDEN PRAIRIE, Minn., Dec. 16, 2004  /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- CIGNA Behavioral
Health (CBH) today announced that it has doubled the behavioral health issues
addressed by its online coaching series, Emotional Well Being (EWB).  This
value-added service for CBH customers and their employees has met with
overwhelming success, reaching more than 100,000 individuals in less than a
year, connecting individuals with 24/7 access to a licensed behavioral health
expert to help those suffering from stress, depression and/or substance abuse. 
In addition to these conditions, the expanded EWB program will now enable
participants to receive online coaching to improve their written and oral
skills, manage chronic pain and build stronger intimate relationships.

"We are pleased that so many of our customers have taken advantage of the EWB
program," states Jodi Aronson Prohofsky, Ph.D., LMFT, senior vice president of
clinical operations for CBH.  "The program's ability to loosely emulate the
kind of coaching relationship formed between a person and counselor in a
face-to-face environment has been key to EWB's success. We are excited to
expand the program to meet the needs of more of our members."

The new program additions were identified and selected based on employer and
employee feedback.  "Since the program has proven valuable to our customers, we
wanted to expand into areas that were most critical to improving workplace
productivity and reducing time away from work," Prohofsky adds.  In the past
year, EWB has shown to be extremely valuable for personnel who are in
travel-intensive positions or isolated geographically, or who are reluctant to
seek help for any reason as it offers confidential, self-paced, Internet-based
access to behavioral health assistance.

The coached series can contain up to nine interactive computer sessions that
each take approximately 20 to 30 minutes to complete.  An optional homework
assignment is also included that can be submitted by the member to the coach
for confidential and customized follow-up, complementing face-to- face
counseling and broadening the impact and reach of traditional diagnostic and
treatment tools.  Continued program evaluation and feedback may generate
additional online coaching sessions in the future.

CIGNA Behavioral Health (CBH), provides behavioral care benefit management,
EAPs, and work / life programs consumers through health plans offered by large
U.S. employers, national and regional HMOs, Taft-Hartley trusts and disability
insurers.  CBH, with headquarters in Eden Prairie, Minn., operates five care
management centers around the U.S. in support of a national network of more
than 47,000 Independent psychiatrists, psychologists and clinical social
workers and more than 4,000 facilities and clinics.  For more information,
visit http://www.cignabehavioral.com/. 

DATASOURCE: CIGNA Behavioral Health



Contact:  Gwyn Dilday of CIGNA Behavioral Health, [phone],





Web site:  http://www.cignabehavioral.com/ 



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