201.14

Employee Assistance Programs – Faculty and Staff Counseling & Consultation Office & the Michigan Medicine Office of Counseling and Workplace Resilience

Applies to: All employees, retirees and benefit eligible dependents
  1. Policy

    The health and well-being of our faculty and staff is a top priority at the University of Michigan. The University recognizes that faculty and/or staff may experience challenges in work, health, and life that may affect their work and personal lives.  The University’s counseling and consultation services provides at no cost mental and emotional support, assessment, information, problem resolution and, if necessary, referral to other resources.

    These Employee Assistance Program (EAP) services are delivered by two U-M offices: the Faculty and Staff Counseling and Consultation Office for central and regional campuses, and the Office of Counseling and Workplace Resilience for Michigan Medicine faculty and staff.  Both provide support and assistance to University staff and faculty in resolving personal or work related concerns. By providing compassionate confidential and professional short-term counseling, coaching, stress, grief, and trauma debriefings, training and consultation services to staff, faculty, retirees, benefit-eligible adult dependents and departments, individuals can develop and foster strengths and resilience to enhance their personal and professional lives.

  2. Regulations

    1. Time Off

      Paid release time is available to all faculty and staff attending the initial assessment session when a mutually convenient time has been pre-arranged with a supervisor or department chair.  When additional sessions are desired or when an individual wishes to attend an assessment session without the knowledge of his or her department, the individual may schedule the meeting on his or her own time or may request the use of PTO and/or accrued vacation time (See SPGs 201.64-0 and 201.64-1).

    2. Confidentiality

      Counseling and consultation services are confidential. The release of information can only occur with the faculty or staff member’s written permission, except for the following reasons where it may be necessary to share information on a need-to-know basis:

      1. If a client threatens to harm him/herself or others or discloses that s/he has done serious physical harm to another individual.
      2. If a client tells the counselor about physical and/or sexual abuse of a child or vulnerable adult (an adult who is not able to make an informed choice, example: an adult with a developmental disability).
      3. If a Court orders release of the information.
    3. Record Maintenance

      All records are maintained solely by the EAP offices’ service provider(s)and are not part of a client’s medical or personnel record.

    4. Employment Status

      Seeking confidential resources is supported by the University of Michigan. Faculty and staff will not have their employment status jeopardized or be discriminated against because they seek or receive assistance.

For additional Information, please visit the following websites:

Notes

This SPG was updated on March 1, 2018 with the new names for the University’s Employee Assistance Programs:  the Faculty and Staff Counseling and Consultation Office and the Michigan Medicine Office of Counseling and Workplace Resilience.

This SPG was updated October 2023 with minor updates clarifying the scope of services.

SPG Number
201.14
Date Issued
Last Updated
Next Review Date
Applies To
All employees, retirees and benefit eligible dependents
Owner
University Human Resources
Primary Contact
University Human Resources