York mental healthcare provider announces BrewDog neurodiversity partnership

York headquartered Onebright, the UK’s largest outpatient mental healthcare company, has launched a mental health referral service for BrewDog’s UK employees enabling them to voluntarily seek assessment and diagnosis for autism and ADHD.

The neurodiversity assessment is based on evidence-based best practice and meets the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidelines. BrewDog employees will receive a thorough assessment of symptoms, medical history, and family history to determine if they have autism or ADHD.

Employees that are diagnosed with one of these neurodiverse conditions will receive guidance and signposting on treatment pathways, including Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), which is helpful in treating autism and ADHD. 15 per cent of the UK population is neurodivergent, according to a survey by the UK government.

Whilst some individuals are assessed and diagnosed as a child, many do not receive a diagnosis until they are well into adulthood, or at all. However, getting an assessment and diagnosis as an adult is difficult with reports of some people waiting years to see a mental health professional.

Karen Bates, chief people officer at BrewDog, commented: “We are aware a proportion of our employees are likely to be neurodivergent and that some of these individuals will be without diagnosis. Only recently our CEO James Watt spoke out about his recent autism and ADHD diagnosis at the age of 40.

“This year, we have increased the mental health programmes that our employees can access, and we are really pleased to have partnered with Onebright to provide world leading clinical expertise and strategic guidance on our neurodivergent mental health provision.”

Tim Dunn, chief commercial officer at Onebright, added: “People and their health are the most important part of any business. By fostering inclusive and supportive working environments, we can help reduce stigma around neurodiversity and embrace different perspectives and ways of thinking.

“Mental health support forms part of wider wellbeing at work, but it can be difficult for employers to know what type of support they should provide and where to start.

“It has been great working with Karen and the team at BrewDog to understand their business needs and employee requirements, and to help them formulate a strategy to provide tailored mental health support to their workforce. We look forward to providing ongoing support.”

By Matthew Neville – Senior Correspondent, Bdaily

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