U of A Offers Support Services and Grief Counseling for Employees

The U of A is committed to ensuring that all employees experience a sense of well-being in both their personal and professional lives as part of the university's employer of choice strategic priorities. All faculty and staff are offered several services on campus to help cope with loss, hardship, and difficult situations. 

Resources for Employees 

Overall wellness is an important part of being a campus community where everyone feels valued and empowered to work toward a meaningful purpose. The Employee Assistance Program (EAP) provides support for faculty and staff adversely affected by a crisis or catastrophic emergency. EAP services are available at no cost to benefits-eligible faculty and staff. 

Many university benefits protect employees and their families during difficult times. In addition to basic life and disability insurance, which automatically covers all benefits-eligible employees, a number of other optional insurance benefits are available. The university also offers Catastrophic Leave Bank and Family Medical Leave Act programs. 

Faculty and staff looking to establish care with a psychiatrist can do so at the Pat Walker Health Center's (PWHC) Primary Care Clinic with Dr. Keith Berner. Patients must receive a direct referral from a PWHC medical provider to begin seeing Dr. Berner. Dr. Berner previously was on site once a week; however, to further support faculty and staff with their mental health, Dr. Berner will be on site an additional day to see faculty and staff patients (Wednesdays and Thursdays), beginning July 12. The health center can file claims with most insurance plans, and self-pay is available.  

While PWHC's Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) is primarily student-focused, they offer online workshops and webinars that are also available to faculty and staff. CAPS provides a referral database to search for community providers and a 24/7 phone line for faculty and staff going through a mental health crisis at (479) 575-5276.  

"Grief is a normal human response that follows loss, and our reaction to loss is involuntary," said Danette Horne, acting director of CAPS. "The type of loss may include loss of job, one's health, one's family, one's life, one's home, material possessions, friendships, intimate relationships, community, etc. It can be activated by both personal loss and something less personal (e.g., tragedy on the news). The good news is that there are resources to help individuals navigate their grieving process."  

For more resources available to faculty and staff, visit the CAPS Faculty and Staff Resources page.