EAP 101: Putting Your EAP Benefit to Work

On any given day, approximately 25% of us are dealing with significant personal problems—and over the course of our lives 50% of us will have some kind of major emotional, substance-related or serious family problem.

So if you're facing a work or personal challenge, you are not alone. At VITAL WorkLife, our business is helping you. Of the people who've called us:

• More than 90% say we were able to help them address their concerns.
• More than 89% felt their work performance and attendance had improved.
• Almost 98% said they would recommend the use of our services to their family and co-workers.

Your EAP Solution: Free, Confidential Support Resources

Your Employee Assistance Program (EAP) solution includes free and confidential professional support services—24 hours a day, 365 days per year—to help you and your family members address a wide range of life challenges, including:

• Marital and relationship troubles
• Depression, stress and anxiety
• Parenting and child concerns
• Drug and alcohol abuse
• Addictive behaviors such as gambling, eating and shopping
• Anger, grief and loss
• Legal and financial problems
• Interpersonal conflict at home or work

In addition, we're here to help you enhance your life and achieve personal goals. Call or visit us online when you want information regarding:

• Setting and achieving educational goals
• Developing weight loss goals or fitness regimes
• Achieving work/life balance
• Developing skills needed to advance in your career
• Retirement and financial planning

Getting Started: Making the Call

Your EAP benefit includes the following services at absolutely no cost to you:

• Unlimited telephone consultation—simply give us a call at 1.800.383.1908 any time of the day or night that's convenient for you. Our master's- and doctorate-level counselors can help you tackle any challenge you face, large or small.
• Face-to-face counseling for you and your family members—all you have to do is ask. (If you don't know how many sessions your benefit covers, ask your HR professional or give us a call at 1.800.383.1908.)

When you call, you won't get voicemail. A person will answer the phone and connect you to whatever resources you require. From there it's up to you. You can ask for information and how to access resources. You can ask to be transferred to a professional for immediate counseling by phone.

"If you don't feel like discussing your problem over the phone, simply ask for a face- to-face counseling session," says Liz Ferron, senior consultant for VITAL WorkLife. "We'll even stay on the phone with you while the appointment is made. We're very user friendly, and we want to get you the help you need."

Our services are confidential. Unless you've been referred to us as part of a performance-related issue and have signed a release, your employer never knows that you or a member of your family has called.

Web-Based Work & Life and Legal & Financial Resources:

Free, Unlimited Access

Your EAP benefit also includes unlimited access to a wealth of web-based Work & Life Resources and online Legal & Financial Benefits at the VITAL WorkLife website.

"You'll find thousands of articles on everything from parenting, aging, living well and balancing your life to career development and working or living abroad," notes Ferron. "You'll also find a variety of tools for managing and enhancing your life."

Those tools include:

• A Learning Center with interactive e-learning sessions on workplace and interpersonal issues, and downloadable audio tips for listening on the go. You can also register for live monthly webinars, or access the archives of past webinars, on a wide variety of topics.
• A Corporate Perks/Savings Center that offers online discounts of up to 25% on hundreds of name brands.
• More than 45 different financial planning tools and, through tax season, free online filing of Federal tax forms with TaxACT.
• Tools for assessing your health, audio and video advice on health topics, and access to both WebMD and Medline Plus.
• A Relocation Center with extensive information on US communities.
• A searchable provider database where you can find everything from adoption agencies and child or eldercare providers to legal/medical providers, volunteer opportunities, wellness facilities and more.

To access those resources, follow these three easy steps.

1. Go to VITALWorkLife.com and click on member login
2. Enter your user name and password, and click submit
3. Once you're at the VITAL WorkLife' website, click on the green box at the left of the screen that says "Click Here to Go to Your Work & Life Resources"

The online legal and financial resources include articles, information and legal document templates to help you with many needs and situations, from eldercare to identity theft and much more. Just follow the same steps as above, but instead, click on the green box at the left of the screen that says "Click Here to Go to Your Online Legal & Financial Benefits"

Pathways to Well Being Call VITAL WorkLife at 800.383.1908 or access resources through your VITAL WorkLife App