iA Financial Group is launching a service for its group plan members to target major mental-health issues that contribute to absenteeism and disability claims.

The new mental-health coaching service, which will be managed by health services provider Novus Health, is set to launch on Aug. 1, 2020 and will be provided to plan members for 12 months free of charge.

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The service will help plan members deal with depression, stress and anxiety by targeting at-risk members with early interventions. Users will have access to online support tools, have the ability to connect with health professionals — such as nurses, social workers and psychologists — for personalized coaching over the phone and use the service to develop a personalized action plan.

“The new service . . . is intended to be a proactive disability prevention solution as it targets the major mental-health issues — depression, stress and anxiety — that affect plan members’ productivity and contribute to absenteeism,” said Alexandre Royer, strategic communications advisor with iA Financial Group’s group benefits and retirement solutions group, in an email to Benefits Canada.