The ROI of Prioritizing Workplace Mental Health

At a time when burnout, quiet quitting, and fierce competition for talent are reshaping the workforce, Sarah Adler, PsyD, founder and CEO of Wave, is pioneering a bold new approach to mental health. 

With a background in clinical psychology and a professorship at Stanford, Adler is not just an innovator in behavioral healthcare, she’s a reformer determined to reshape how we think about well-being at work. She shared her thoughts this week on America Back to Work. 

Changing Perceptions Around Workplace Mental Health

“We are in an access to care crisis,” Adler declared. 

With only 550,000 licensed mental health providers in the U.S. and a rapidly growing need for care, she recognized that traditional therapy models couldn’t scale to meet demand. But something equally significant is unfolding: a cultural shift, particularly among Gen Z and millennials.

“These younger generations aren’t seeing mental health as something stigmatized anymore,” Adler explained. “They’re approaching it the way we think about physical health—part of everyday well-being.”

This generational pivot isn’t just philosophical, it’s market-driven. As Gen Z enters the workforce in record numbers, they’re demanding mental health support as a standard benefit, not a bonus.

Future Trends 

Adler’s company, Wave, is built on the belief that technology can bridge the mental health access gap. But she’s quick to distinguish Wave from the crowded app store.

“There are over 20,000 mental health apps,” Adler said. “What’s missing is evidence-based integration with real behavioral science.”

Wave’s approach includes personalized content, predictive analytics, and a step-care model that scales from high-quality social media content to in-app coaching and, when necessary, one-on-one support with a human coach. 

“We’re meeting users where they are,” she noted, “on their phones, but with substance.”

The result? A tech-enabled care delivery model that’s fast, cost-effective, and rooted in clinical best practices.

Employer Responsibilities 

Why should companies care? “Because it’s good business,” Adler answered without hesitation. 

The cost of churn, disengagement, and burnout is steep and preventable.

“When employers invest in mental health, they’re not just doing the right thing morally,” she said. “They’re increasing retention, boosting engagement, and creating workplaces people actually want to be part of.”

Wave’s clients are already seeing the benefits. 

Offering Wave as a benefit “makes potential hires feel seen, heard, and valued,” Adler said. “It’s helping with recruitment, not just retention.”

HR’s Role in Workplace Mental Health 

Adler challenged HR teams to start with one fundamental principle: understand your people. 

“Who is my employee base? What do they need? More importantly, what do they think they need?” she asked.

She advocates for personalized benefits and a transparent culture, comparing the hiring process to dating. 

“Is this job a good fit for me? Is this culture something I can thrive in?”

HR leaders, she emphasized, must curate offerings that reflect employee values, and management must create clarity around expectations and support systems.

The Impact of Technology 

While Adler champions technology, she’s adamant it’s not a cure-all. 

“Tech is a lever,” she said. “It’s an adjunct to in-person or telehealth care, not a replacement.”

Still, the impact of the right technology is profound. Wave’s platform is designed to improve balance, decision-making, and executive functioning with real-life tools, down to how to manage your calendar or organize tasks. 

“People don’t always need therapy,” Adler said. “Sometimes, they just need skills.”

Quiet Quitting and Employee Burnout 

Quiet quitting, Adler explained, is often misread. 

“It’s not about laziness. It’s about misalignment,” she said. “Gen Z wants their work to match their values. When it doesn’t, they disengage.”

She warns that burnout and quiet quitting are costly symptoms of a deeper disconnect. To reverse them, employers must create environments where employees feel connected to purpose and seen as whole people.

Bridging the Gap

Adler’s own journey underscores her mission. 

“I was a wild child,” she shared candidly. “I didn’t come from a stable background. But I did the work. That’s why I care so deeply about access and outcomes.”

Her story, and Wave’s, offers a blueprint for where mental health at work must go: upstream, preventative, and deeply human, powered by science and empathy.

Why Workplace Mental Health is a Strategic Advantage

As Sarah puts it, “Mental health is not just a crisis to be managed—it’s a cornerstone of culture, performance, and loyalty.” 

Companies that embrace this philosophy are not just safeguarding well-being. They’re positioning themselves for long-term, people-powered success.