Homelife Counselling Processes Available to FSA Members

November 18, 2020

In this difficult pandemic season, you may have been reminded several times that as a UFV employee, you are able to access counselling sources through Homewood Health. Accessing counselling and mental health care have an added burden of anxiety in a time that is already time-pressured and financially demanding. What you may not know is that you can call and request a referral to a local counsellor in your area who you can see for free. Homewood Health will connect you or a family member to a counsellor on the EFAP (Employee and Family Assistance Program) list who you can see for 4 visits, with an option to extend up to 8 sessions. The process is completely confidential by law and the employer will not know about your access.

How the process works:

  1. Call 1-800-663-1142 (24 hours a day, 7 days a week) and request a referral to a counsellor in your area with any criteria you would prefer (i.e. a female counsellor who offers cognitive behavioural therapy). Be prepared with a few notes as you would when calling in to your general practitioner’s office as the office assistant will ask for the nature of your call. (ie. depression, anxiety, grief/bereavement. You can refer to a list of potential challenges in the brochure link below).

    Note: While it might be good to make a few notes prior to your first call, know that they are trained to ask the right questions to bring out the issues and concerns. You do not have to come into the session ready to present on what the problem is. Let them do the work of asking caring and professional questions to best assist you.

  2. Wait for the call from the counsellor to set up an appointment with them. You will want to set up/make a space available where you can talk privately online prior to your online session.
  3. At the end of each session, have a calendar ready so you can book your follow up session. Once the initial session is underway, you will see what a relief it is to talk with a professional about how you are feeling and the challenges you are experiencing.

View the program overview at https://www.ufv.ca/hr/compensation-benefits/employee-family-assistance/

And the program brochure at https://www.ufv.ca/media/assets/human-resources/benefits/employee-and-family-assistance-program-/EFAP-brochure.PDF

Other helpful Homewood Health resources (you will need to create an account with your email address to log in and access them):

Webinar: The Second Wave & Your Mental Health (speaks to burnout and prevention) https://homeweb.ca/videos/5fa02a163e88679374b6aa74?lang=en

Ivolve Online Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (self-directed resource) https://homeweb.ca/services/5a99891ac96a2540124c202a?lang=en