Human Resources
Your Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
Call your Employee Assistance Program (EAP) toll-free, 24 hours a day, seven days a week for immediate, confidential help:
1.866.347.2061 TTY Service: 1.887.338.0275
online counselling at: www.shepellfgi.com/ecounselling
online resources at: www.workhealthlife.com
Immediate, confidential help for any concern.
Your Employee Assistance Program (EAP) is a confidential and
voluntary support service that can help you solve all kinds of
problems and challenges in your life.
You and your immediate family members (as defined in your
employee benefit plan) can receive support over the
telephone, in person, online, and through a variety of issuebased
health and wellness resources. For each concern you
are experiencing, you can receive a series of sessions. You
can also take advantage of online tools to help manage
personal well-being.
Your EAP Helps you:
Achieve Personal Well-Being:
• Personal stress • Depression • Grief and loss • Anxiety
• Aging/midlife issues • Life transitions • Manage anger
• Mental health and well-being • Crisis situations • Trauma
Manage Relationships and Family:
• Communication • Relationship conflict • Separation/divorce
• Parenting • Domestic abuse • Blended family issues
• Family relationships • Aging parent concerns
Address Workplace Challenges:
• Workplace conflict • Workplace performance • Career planning
• Violence • Harassment • Work-life balance • Work-related stress
Tackle Addictions:
• Alcohol • Drugs • Tobacco • Gambling • Other addictions
• Post-recovery support
Research Child and Elder Care Resources:
• Child care • Adoption • Maternity/parental leave • Schooling
• Adult day programs • Nursing/retirement homes
Get Legal Clarity:
• Family Law • Custody • Separation/divorce • Bankruptcy
• Summons/warrants/subpoenas • Consumer protection
Get Financial Clarity:
• Credit/debt management • Bankruptcy • Early retirement
• Financial aspects of separation/divorce • Financial emergencies
Understand Nutrition:
• Weight management • Boost your energy • Help with: high
cholesterol, high blood pressure, diabetes, heart disease
Focus on Your Health:
• Identify conditions • Prevent illness • Manage symptoms
• Discover natural healing strategies • Create an action plan
for better health
Frequently Asked Questions:
- What is an Employee Assistance Program?
- Is the service confidential?
- How much will it cost?
- What is the hotline, and how does it work?
- If I decide to use the EAP, will my manager or co-workers know about it?
- Can my employer make me use EAP services?
- What kinds of problems or concerns can the EAP help me with?
- What if I feel as though I have more than one issue, will this program help me with all of them?
- Do I have to make the initial contact for a family member?
- Will the EAP provide service to my minor children without my consent?
- What are the ways I can receive counselling from my EAP?
- Does the EAP only offer counselling services?
- Who pays for EAP services?
- Do I have to come to Shepell.fgi offices to use counselling services?
- How soon can an individual have an appointment with an EAP counsellor?
- How likely am I to run into a fellow employee at a counselling office?
- What are the counsellors' backgrounds?
- If the individual is referred to another resource, will he or she have contact with their original Shepell.fgi counsellor?
- I'm already seeing a professional counsellor (i.e. Psychologist, Social Worker, Psychiatrist) for treatment of emotional problems. Can I use the EAP as well?
What is an Employee Assistance Program?
An Employee Assistance Program (EAP) provides professional, confidential support services and programs, including counselling for employees and members of their immediate families in an effort to help with common life issues. It can also offer the information, tools and insights you need to deal with minor issues in the present so they don't grow into more serious problems in the future.
It is important to remember that no problem is too small or too large for the EAP and that accessing the EAP is the first step towards addressing a problem.
Is the service confidential?
Yes. The EAP’s strict confidentiality policy and safeguards ensure that no one will ever know you're using EAP services unless you choose to tell them. Complete confidentiality is the foundation of our services and our caring professionals work within a strict code of professional ethics, within the limits of the law.
To preserve confidentiality:
- Two people from the same organization will not have back-to-back appointments with the same counsellor, ensuring that they will not accidentally meet each other.
- Identifying telephone messages are never left at home or at work.
Personal information is only ever provided to authorities when certain conditions—including threat of violence to oneself or others, child abuse or a subpoena—require Shepell·fgi to release it by law.
How much will it cost?
There is no cost to use your EAP. If you need more specialized or longer-term support, your EAP will help you select an appropriate specialist or service that can provide assistance. While fees for these additional services are your responsibility, some may be covered by your provincial or organizational health plan.
What is the hotline, and how does it work?
The EAP toll-free hotline—available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, is a first point of contact should you require assistance with a problem. A Shepell·fgi Client Care Representative will answer your call and is on hand to understand your challenges, connect you to the support you need to discover solutions, and answer your questions about the EAP and the programs and services available.
Your EAP toll-free hotline is 1 800 347-2061 and service is available in English and French.
Prefer services in another language? Let us know at the time of your call and our language matching service will ensure you receive help in the language you’re most comfortable with.
If I decide to use the EAP, will my manager or co-workers know about it?
Not unless you tell them. EAP counsellors will deal only with you, not with your organizations management, your manager or your co-workers.
Can my employer make me use EAP services?
No. Your participation is always voluntary. Employers can privately remind you EAP services are available if you are noticeably experiencing difficulties, or if your work performance has been negatively impacted. The decision to access these services is entirely yours to make.
What kinds of problems or concerns can the EAP help me with?
Employees can bring any problem or issue to the EAP that they feel is affecting their physical, mental and emotional health or, their quality of life and work.
Common issues that the EAP can help you with include:
- Emotional and mental health
- Relationships and family
- Workplace concerns
- Work-life balance and stress
- Addictions
- Physical health
- Career questions
- Child and eldercare
What if I feel as though I have more than one issue, will this program help me with all of them?
If you want to discuss them together, you’re free to do so. You can talk over as many problems with your counsellor as you see fit.
Do I have to make the initial contact for a family member?
No. In fact, a family member must access the service independently as appointments from a third party are not accepted. The service is available for you and your family should they choose to use it. It is a voluntary program.
Will the EAP provide service to my minor children without my consent?
Laws vary from province-to-province. Children under the age of 16 require a signed parental consent form to use EAP services. Unless the law requires otherwise, EAP services provided to children between age 16 and the local age of majority remain confidential. Because the successful resolution of a minor's problem often depends on parental support, EAP counsellors usually encourage the minor to involve the parent(s).
What are the ways I can receive counselling from my EAP?
Our goal is to ensure that you are provided with the service that will best meet your needs – leading to efficient and effective problem resolution. Our unique model of service helps us to establish your needs and connect you to programs and services that will help you discover that resolution.
Once the Client Care Representative understands your needs they’ll connect you to one of the following counselling options:
- Professional counselling in person.
- Professional counselling over the telephone.
- Professional support online (via E-Counselling or an interactive support program).
- Self-directed resource packages and tools.
A combination of the above can help you resolve your specific issue.
Does the EAP only offer counselling services?
No. Your EAP also offers a wide variety of work/life-oriented services to help you balance your responsibilities at work with the obligations you have at home. You can access professional assistance in the form of information, resources and even resource referrals.
This range of services includes:
- Family Support Services
- Financial Support Services
- Health Information Services
- Legal Support Services
- Naturopathic Services
- Nutrition Support Services
Who pays for EAP services?
The cost of EAP services is paid by your employer as a health benefit.
If you need more specialized or longer-term support, your EAP will help you select an appropriate specialist or service that can provide assistance. While fees for these additional services are your responsibility, some may be covered by your provincial or organizational health plan.
Do I have to come to Shepell.fgi offices to use counselling services?
No. Shepell·fgi provides a variety of support options that don't require your in-person attendance at our counselling offices. The EAP offers access to programs and services over the telephone, online and/or through text-based tools. When you contact your EAP, a Client Care Representative will identify the solution that best fits your lifestyle and learning preferences.
How soon can an individual have an appointment with an EAP counsellor?
We are able to arrange an appointment within 3-5 working days from the time you call the hotline. In urgent situations, arrangements will be made to connect with you on the same day as the hotline call.
How likely am I to run into a fellow employee at a counselling office?
Shepell·fgi does not book any two individuals from the same organization back-to-back at the same counselling office.
What are the counsellors' backgrounds?
Shepell·fgi’s counsellors are all social workers, psychologists and addictions counsellors with a minimum of 5 years of experience.
If the individual is referred to another resource, will he or she have contact with their original Shepell.fgi counsellor?
Yes. If the counsellor feels that the problem is going to require further ongoing counselling or specialized care, he/she will make these recommendations known to the individual and will suggest several resources. Your counsellor will manage the referral process, including follow-up to ensure that your concern has been addressed effectively.
I'm already seeing a professional counsellor (i.e. Psychologist, Social Worker, Psychiatrist) for treatment of emotional problems. Can I use the EAP as well?
Yes, but it may depend on the situation. You should always tell the EAP counsellor about your current or previous medical or psychological treatments.
Resources
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