December 15, 2020

Supporting member mental health and emotional wellness

Kaiser Permanente brings Calm app to members in Washington at no cost.

PRESS RELEASE
Contact: Melissa Putman
melissa.b.putman@kp.org
206-963-4449

SEATTLE — At a time when holiday stress can overwhelm us, and demand for mental health resources is at an all-time high, Kaiser Foundation Health Plan of Washington is adding Calm, a meditation and sleep app, to Kaiser Permanente's self-care resource portfolio.

A recent poll found nearly half of the adults surveyed said the pandemic has negatively affected their mental health and well-being. In response to these uncertain times, Kaiser Permanente members in Washington will have unlimited access to Calm content at no cost, including an ever-growing library of guided meditations, sleep stories for deeper and better sleep, and video lessons on mindful movement and gentle stretching.

Calm is a leading app focused on mindfulness, meditation, and improving sleep, and can help develop self-care skills. MyStrength, which was added in March 2020, is a digital behavioral health app that offers a personalized interactive program to help improve awareness and change behaviors. As 2 world-class digital self-care apps, these tools provide simple and convenient ways for members to check in with themselves, track emotional vital signs for issues ahead, and manage mild symptoms when they happen — even while on the move. 

“Everyone can benefit from caring for and increasing awareness of their emotional well-being,” said Ashok Shimoji-Krishnan, MD, lead physician of child and adolescent mental health at Kaiser Permanente. “By having access to the Calm and myStrength apps, we are adding to the large range of options people have at Kaiser Permanente to manage their self-care.”

Research shows that practicing self-care can help improve sleep and focus, strengthen relationships, and manage daily stressors. Self-care has also been shown to be effective in helping build resilience to navigating life’s changes and challenges and bouncing back after tough times.

The confidential, evidence-based apps were hand-picked by Kaiser Permanente physicians to help provide mental health and emotional well-being. Kaiser Permanente members with active kp.org accounts can access the 2 new apps on their desktop, tablet, or smartphone at no cost. To start the registration process for Calm and myStrength, or explore all the ways to make self-care part of a daily routine, please visit kp.org/wa/mhw.

While digital self-care tools are designed to support emotional well-being anytime and anywhere, they’re not meant to take the place of clinical care. If you need help for something more serious that’s interfering with your daily life, please visit kp.org/wa/mhw. You can also talk to your personal doctor, who can help you connect with the right care for you.

About Calm

Calm is the number one app for mental fitness, designed to help you manage stress, sleep better, and live a happier, healthier life. With hundreds of hours of original audio content available in 6 languages, Calm supports users in more than 190 countries. Apple’s 2017 iPhone App of the Year and one of Fast Company’s Most Innovative Companies of 2020, Calm boasts over 80 million downloads to date, averaging 100,000 new users daily. For more information, please visit us at www.calm.com.

About Kaiser Permanente

For 75 years, Kaiser Permanente has been committed to shaping the future of health and health care — and helping our members, patients, and communities experience more healthy years. We are recognized as one of America’s leading health care providers and not-for-profit health plans. Since July 21, 1945, Kaiser Permanente’s mission has been to provide high-quality, affordable health care services and to improve the health of our members and the communities we serve. We currently serve 12.4 million members in 8 states and the District of Columbia. Care for members and patients is focused on their total health and guided by their personal Permanente Medical Group physicians, specialists, and team of caregivers. Our expert and caring medical teams are empowered and supported by industry-leading technology advances and tools for health promotion, disease prevention, state-of-the-art care delivery, and world-class chronic disease management. Kaiser Permanente is dedicated to care innovations, clinical research, health education, and the support of community health.