Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
Employees in the contemporary workplace struggle with increased demands to do more with less at home and at work. Everyone faces challenges in balancing their work, home and personal life.
The UHS EAP is designed to help employees respond constructively to such demands and challenges. UHS EAP offers a unique three fold approach in helping you Achieve Balance through total Well-Being.
EAP offers many benefits to companies, their employees. The Employee Assistance Program is designed to help your employees and their family members deal effectively with everyday personal problems that impair health and productivity. These problems may include, but are not limited to: marital and family discord, financial hardship, legal difficulties, physical illness, mental and emotional upset, compulsive gambling, and substance abuse or addiction.
By selecting an EAP, you as the employer demonstrate your commitment to your employee, and take a big step toward reducing lost work time, absenteeism, accidents and loss of efficiency in your workforce. The EAP benefits your individual workers by giving them the opportunity for early identification of problems, professional and confidential help and someone to talk with outside the home and workplace.
UHS
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Speak to an EAP Counselor |
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Click HERE to login or register using Company ID 9822*Please note this link is not compatible with Internet Explorer. |
Call 800-445-3569 |
The Employee Assistance Program is a multi-faceted service, featuring brief therapy that focuses on solutions, as well as referrals for long-term psychotherapy, education and management support. Employees are made aware of the benefit provided by their employer through a promotional campaign designed to encourage use of the EAP. Employees can access counseling services through one of the following methods:
- The employee recognizes a need and calls the EAP directly
- The supervisor or a co-worker recognizes a problem and suggests that the employee contact the program
- The supervisor has determined that there is a need because of the employee's performance problems, and requires that the employee get assistance within a specific time frame as a condition of continued employment
No matter how the EAP is accessed, the program is equally available to all employees and their family members (those residing in the employee's home). An employee or a family member will be provided with one to eight sessions with a personal counselor, and may contact the EAP for help with subsequent issues should the need arise.
Supervisors often find that an employee's performance issues have a root cause in, or are accentuated by, personal issues. As an employer, you will find that contracting with our EAP will enable you to better support your supervisors as they assist their employees in dealing with personal issues. When there is access to the EAP, no worker - or supervisor - has to "go it alone."
UHS EAP's counseling services are foremost in your EAP and are unmatched in the market place. Designed to assist your emotional and mental well-being, this resource provides the solutions to many of the problems you and your family may encounter. The service is private, confidential and with masters level certified professionals.
For counseling services call 607-763-6474 or 800-445-3569 24hrs/7 days a week.
UHS realizes that outstanding people are the essential component of an outstanding system. As part of the Total Rewards Program we offer a first-rate Employees Assistance Program (EAP) to support the UHS work force and their families.
This benefit is free of charge and confidential, so call or log in today for assistance.
EAP for UHS Employees
UHS realizes that outstanding people are the essential component of an outstanding system. As part of the Total Rewards Program we offer a first-rate Employees Assistance Program (EAP) to support the UHS work force and their families.
This benefit is free of charge and confidential, so call or log in today for assistance.
Counselor Qualifications & Care Management
All of the EAP Counselor's have completed the advanced degree of MSW, are licensed by N.Y. State and have completed the six year of post graduate clinical supervision to obtain their RLCSW.
The mental health professionals at the EAP also have a special understanding of the problems faced by employees today, and how those problems can affect personal satisfaction and productivity at home and at work.
Each Counselor has specialized training in solution focused, brief therapy, and can develop a treatment or service plan that is tailored to that client's specific needs and issues. This treatment plan serves as a basis for tracking the client's use of the services and monitors progress for best outcomes.
Critical Incident Stress Management (CISM)
What if a catastrophic event were to happen at your place of business - an assault, a serious accident, the sudden death of an employee? No one wants to think about such traumatic events, but they can and do happen, and they can be very hard on everyone in the workplace.
Our EAP offers critical-incident stress management, a method of intervening in such situations that has proven successful in helping people around the country deal with traumatic events. CISM provides defusing, debriefing and structured support to employees who have been exposed to a traumatic situation, and can greatly help them in coping and coming to terms with the severely stressful event.
Please call the EAP at (607) 763-6474 for dispatch to your organization.
Employee FAQ
What kinds of problems can the EAP help with?
Employees and their family members call with a wide variety of personal, work or family issues. Examples include job burnout, co-worker conflict, substance abuse, depression, marital stress, anxiety, parent-child conflict, life transitions, unresolved grief, single parenting, domestic violence/abuse, situational conflict, relationship issues, dependent care issues, and issues with a legal, financial or medical basis.
What is the EAP's definition of an eligible family member?
Eligibility includes all family members living in the same household, regardless of age, including domestic partners and children away at college.
When I call the EAP, will I be able to talk to a person, or will I just get voice mail?
You will get a live person - a member of the EAP staff - who can answer your questions or guide you in setting up an appointment. Someone is available to take your call any time of the day or night. The EAP's normal business hours are from 8:00am to 5:00pm, Monday through Friday, and it's best to make non-emergency calls during these times. A licensed counselor is available for emergencies, around the clock, but may require a call back.
Who are the counselors who provide in-person counseling services?
The EAP staff are master's-prepared counselors, with a minimum of five years of clinical experience. UHS Hospitals maintains its own network panel, which consists of pre-screened, highly professional clinicians. We administer a rigorous admission process before we invite a clinician to join our panel.
How long does it take to get an appointment?
If you have an urgent need, you be will be offered a same-day appointment or be referred to Emergency Mental Health Services at Binghamton General Hospital. All other appointments will be scheduled within three business days.
Is my involvement with the EAP confidential?
Yes, this service is confidential. All employees and their family members are afforded the maximum confidentiality permitted under state and federal laws. The only exceptions to confidentiality include child/elder abuse, danger to self/others and releases signed by the employee/family member allowing EAP to communicate with the employer or other persons. (Normally, employees/family members sign a release only under special circumstances - for example, if there is a work performance problem and attending counseling is a condition of continued employment).
What if I am referred to a therapist I don't like?
If you are not happy with your assigned counselor, please contact the Clinical Coordinator at (607) 763-6474
What happens if I need more than the number of visits allowed by my company's plan?
The EAP counselors are trained in short-term treatment, up to eight sessions, and often the sessions provided are enough to stabilize and resolve the issue. If more than eight sessions are necessary, you may be advised to access the mental health benefits under you company's behavioral health plan.
How much does this service cost?
The EAP is a benefit provided at no charge to you by your employer.
What other types of services does the EAP provide?
In addition to the counseling service, has many benefits through their Work-Life Resource & Referral Program. You will find some of these services outlined under the Life Enhancement section of this website. They include resources for Childcare, Eldercare, Legal and Financial resources, Pet Care, Parenting tips, and many Daily Living resources.
Functions and Services (EAP)
| Assessment: The first one to three sessions of the counseling program focus on assessment, in which the employee describes his or her concerns. The counselor takes a complete history and offers feedback and recommendations. During this initial phase, a risk assessment and a chemical dependency evaluation, if indicated, are completed. At this time, if the client and counselor agree that the concern may be effectively addressed by EAP counseling alone, they will schedule a series of one-to-one appointments to address the concern. |
Solution-focused, Brief Therapy: Following assessment, therapy focuses on what the employee feels are his or her key needs, and supports his or her progress toward a realistic resolution of the problems. The EAP provides each employee or family member with one to eight sessions, each of which is 50 minutes long. When family group sessions are appropriate, each member of the group is counted as a client for utilization reporting purposes, and a family group is entitled to up to eight counseling sessions. | Referrals: Sometimes, a problem will require more attention over a longer period of time than can typically be addressed in the brief therapy sessions. Our EAP professionals have the training, knowledge and connections to provide the employee with a referral to an appropriate psychologist, psychiatrist, chemical dependency program or other type of counseling program in the community or region. Referrals are made based on the employee's issues and his or her mental health benefit coverage, as well as considerations such as location and accessibility of the community-based counselor. |
| Crisis Intervention: If an employee's situation is so intense that there is the possibility the person may harm himself or herself or someone else, the counselor can arrange for a crisis intervention. This is an emergency mental health response designed to deal with the immediate crisis and stabilize the individual. | Critical Incident Stress Management (CISM): What if a catastrophic event were to happen at your place of business - an assault, a serious accident, the sudden death of an employee? No one wants to think about such traumatic events, but they can and do happen, and they can be very hard on everyone in the workplace. Our EAP offers critical-incident stress management, a method of intervening in such situations that has proven successful in helping people around the country deal with traumatic events. CISM provides defusing, debriefing and structured support to employees who have been exposed to a traumatic situation, and can greatly help them in coping and coming to terms with the severely stressful event. | We Respect Client Confidentiality: Confidentiality is essential to the success of any employee assistance service. The employee must feel fully confident that his or her privacy will be respected by the counselors and other EAP staff at all times. We take steps to ensure confidentiality of employee client counseling sessions and records, and these confidentiality procedures are thoroughly explained to your employees during the orientation sessions. |
| Financial/Legal Consultation: Financial consultation and referral services for debt, budget and financial planning; as well as a free, 1/2 hour Legal Consultation with 25% discount for additional legal services. | Convenient Access: Client companies and their employees can contact the Employee Assistance Program by calling the main office during normal business hours at 607-763-6474 or 1-800-445-3569. An employee client also can call a counselor anytime, 24 hours a day. The number is answered by EAP staff during business hours and by a master's-prepared counselor after hours. |