New EAP to offer improved access and expanded resources
Beginning this month, UF employees have access to vastly expanded resources to support both their own as well as their household members’ wellbeing. On Aug. 1, the University of Florida announced an expansion of the Employee Assistance Program (EAP) that provides UF employees in Gainesville, throughout Florida and worldwide with improved access to mental health counselors as well as enhanced worklife, financial and legal resources and services.
“These expanded offerings reflect the University of Florida’s care and commitment to ensuring our growing number of employees and their families are supported, regardless of where they work,” said Jodi Gentry, vice president for Human Resources.
Through an agreement with ComPsych, the world’s largest provider of EAP services, UF employees will now have access to a significantly expanded network of providers not only in Alachua County but also statewide and throughout the world. Those eligible to receive services include all faculty, staff, graduate assistants, non-student OPS employees, house staff and residents, and postdoc associates. Employees and each member of their household may request up to six free counseling visits per person, per event, per calendar year.
To access services, individuals may call a toll-free number (833-306-0103) to speak to a licensed counselor at any time—24 hours a day, seven days a week—and to be referred to a counselor in their geographic area. Please note that employees who work for the UF College of Medicine in Jacksonville, who already are served by ComPsych’s network, will continue to call a separate toll-free number to access services.
The new contract also provides more robust critical incident response in the event of an emergency on the Gainesville campus or at any UF location throughout the state.
Supplementing these mental health services, the new UF EAP will provide expanded worklife services as well. Employees may call the toll-free number or log into the UF EAP portal to research for themselves or to ask an expert for personal responses to questions in the following areas:
Worklife Solutions
Specialists provide qualified referrals and resources for just about anything on your to-do list, such as:
- Finding child and elder care
- Hiring movers or home-repair contractors
- Planning events
- Locating pet care
Legal Guidance
Talk to an attorney for practical assistance with your most pressing legal issues, including:
- Divorce, adoption, family law, wills, trusts and more
- A free 30-minute consultation and a 25% reduction in fees if you need representation
Financial Resources
Financial experts can assist with a wide range of issues, including:
- Retirement planning and taxes
- Relocation, mortgages and insurance
- Budgeting, debt, bankruptcy and more
If you are logging into the portal for the first time, you will need to click the Register tab and enter “UFEAP” in the Organization Web ID field. Do not use your GatorLink username and password.
You will need to create a unique user ID and password, which will ensure confidentiality. Although UF Human Resources will manage the contract with ComPsych, individuals who seek out services can rest assured that any information they share with network providers will be kept in confidence and will not be shared with the university.
To learn more about the expanded UF EAP, visit http://eap.ufl.edu. If you have questions, please contact UFHR Communications and Worklife at (352) 392-2477 or eap-help@ufl.edu.