NYC Announces Mental Health, Social Services for Dept. of Ed. Employees

“The employees who help over one million public school kids reach their full potential every day deserve the City’s support,” said Mayor de Blasio.

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Staten Island Advance

By Annalise Knudson

STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- About 170,000 New York City Department of Education (DOE) employees and their families will have more access to mental health and social services.

Mayor Bill de Blasio, Schools Chancellor Richard A. Carranza and Office of Labor Relations Commissioner Renee Campion announced on Friday the expanded access of New York City Employee Assistance Program (NYC EAP) services to DOE employees and their families.

“The employees who help over one million public school kids reach their full potential every day deserve the City’s support,” said de Blasio in a news release.

Expanding the Employee Assistance Program to Department of Education employees and their families will ensure that we are taking care of the health and well-being of everyone that makes our public schools great.”

The program delivers comprehensive services to all employees to help overcome problems that affect the quality of life and interfere with effectiveness on the job. It provides education, information, counseling, and individualized referrals to assist with a wide range of personal and social problems.

Services include:

  • Confidential interviews to assess and evaluate the nature and scope of challenges; employees and/or their families may be facing.
  • Clinical counseling, where appropriate.
  • Referrals to treatment and/or other problem-solving resources in the community.
  • Support with alcohol and chemical dependency.
  • Assistance with finding financial and housing supports.
  • Worksite visits to support employees who have been affected by a traumatic loss or event at work.
  • Help with such issues as child care, elder care, domestic violence, sleep, abuse, suicide ideations, sexual assault, bullying, teen issues, anxiety, depression, PTSD and stress.

“Our employees give so much to the students, staff and families of New York City’s public schools, and this expansion allows us to increase the ways in which the City gives back,” said Carranza in the news release.

Thanks to the leadership of Mayor de Blasio and our labor partners, 170,000 employees and their families will have access to mental health and quality of life services, and I encourage everyone to take advantage of this incredible program.”

All NYC EAP services are free, confidential, and voluntary to all employees and their families. Services are delivered by a fully credentialed staff of licensed mental health providers.

This expansion will add 26 new employees to service DOE employees and their families. The NYC EAP can be reached by calling 212-306-7660 or emailing eap@olr.nyc.gov.

United Federation of Teachers (UFT) President Michael Mulgrew said the union’s own Member Assistance Program (MAP) will continue to provide the same variety of services to UFT members, while also having access now to the NYC EAP.

“We are pleased that all DOE employees will now have access to the NYC Employee Assistance Program,” said UFT President Michael Mulgrew. “We recognized the importance of mental health counseling services when the UFT began the union’s own Member Assistance Program (MAP) in 2009.”

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