The University Libraries Staff Development Committee and MULAC Wellness and Professional Development Committee will be sharing information about resources available on campus and in the local community. Our first Resource Pick is the UM System Employee Assistance Program and here is more information provided by James Hunter, Director of the UM System EAP office. If you have suggestions for future resource picks, please contact either SDC or WPD.

The UM System EAP offers up to five sessions of counseling for employees, members of their immediate families and retirees. Services are provided at no-cost and are confidential. The counseling service also includes referral to or linkage with a wide variety of community resources based upon assessment and intervention planning. Our counseling service is an avenue to assist employees in effectively coping with stressors in their lives away from the organization such as parenting, caring for a relative in need, maintaining a healthy marriage and family, developing positive social connections, and managing economic stressors. Employees also utilize the counseling service to manage a multitude of work-related stressors.

Often, employees seek the consultation of our EAP to address the complex intersection of personal or life stressors with adjoining work demands. Our counseling interventions aim to promote effective employee role functioning within and external to the workplace as well as address the context in which their stressors are embedded. Effective workplace counseling provided by an EAP may reduce absenteeism, turnover and health care utilization, and may improve work role performance, enhance employee engagement and serves to moderate existing health conditions such as anxiety, depression, alcohol or other substance use.

EAP Work – Life Resources are located here: https://www.umsystem.edu/totalrewards/benefits/eap/eap_training_programs

EAP Occupational Stress Programs are summarized here: https://www.umsystem.edu/totalrewards/benefits/eap/eap_occupational_stress

EAP Services for administrators are reviewed here: https://www.umsystem.edu/totalrewards/benefits/eap/eap_administrator_services  and https://www.umsystem.edu/totalrewards/benefits/eap/eap_org_consultation