Hamilton Baiden, CEO of Youturn Health, joined the America's Work Force Union Podcast to discuss innovative approaches to behavioral health treatment. Baiden shared his personal journey with addiction, explained Youturn Health's unique model for addressing mental health and substance use disorders and highlighted the importance of peer support in recovery.
Youturn Health provides assistance to members of the International Association of Heat and Frost Insulators and Allied Workers through its Member Assistance Program (IMAP).
Baiden's struggle with alcoholism until age 42 led him to recognize the limitations of traditional treatment models. He emphasized that while clinical treatment works for some, it fails to reach the majority of those struggling with behavioral health issues. Youturn Health aims to close this gap by providing accessible, personalized support through peer coaches with lived experience. This approach, he said, allows individuals to start their recovery journey without the intimidating all-or-nothing ultimatums often associated with traditional treatment.
The Youturn Health model focuses on engagement and long-term support. Baiden explained that their peer coaches are available 24/7 through various communication channels, providing real-time assistance during critical moments. This continuous support helps maintain engagement in positive change for six months or longer, which Baiden noted leads to better outcomes for 75 percent of participants. By taking responsibility for the individual's recovery journey, Youturn Health's coaches create a supportive environment that encourages sustained progress, he added.
Baiden then stressed the importance of tailoring treatment approaches to individual needs, particularly in high-risk industries like construction. He highlighted how Youturn Health's model can benefit union members by supporting not only those struggling with behavioral health issues but also their families. This comprehensive approach addresses the broader impact of mental health and substance use disorders on workplace safety and productivity, making it a valuable resource for unions and employers alike.
To hear more about Youturn Health's innovative approach to behavioral health treatment, listen to the full episode of the America's Work Force Union Podcast.
America’s Work Force is the only daily labor podcast in the US and has been on the air since 1993, supplying listeners with useful, relevant input into their daily lives through fact-finding features, in-depth interviews, informative news segments and practical consumer reports. America’s Work Force is committed to providing an accessible venue in which America's workers and their families can hear discussion on important, relevant topics such as employment, healthcare, legislative action, labor-management relations, corporate practices, finances, local and national politics, consumer reports and labor issues.
America’s Work Force Union Podcast is brought to you in part by our sponsors: AFL-CIO, American Federation of Government Employees, American Federation of Musicians Local 4, Alliance for American Manufacturing, Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield, Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way Employes-IBT, Boyd Watterson, Columbus/Central Ohio Building and Construction Trades Council, Communication Workers of America, Mechanical Insulators Labor Management Cooperative Trust, International Association of Heat and Frost Insulators and Allied Workers Local 50, International Federation of Professional and Technical Engineers, International Union of Bricklayers and Allied Crafts, International Union of Painters and Allied Trades District Council 6, Ironworkers Great Lakes District Council, Melwood, The Labor Citizen newspaper, Laborers International Union of North America, The National Labor Office of Blue Cross and Blue Shield, North Coast Area Labor Federation, Ohio Federation of Teachers, United Labor Agency, United Steelworkers.
