Employee & Family Assistance Plan
The Employee and Family Assistance Program (EFAP) is provided by Homewood Health and is available to all benefits-eligible employees. The EFAP is in place to support our employees and their families to navigate challenging situations and life events, as well as to generally help improve overall health and well-being.
You and your eligible dependents can each receive up to twelve hours of counseling services per benefit year provided through the EFAP. Counselling services are provided either in person, over the phone, or through a secure Internet site. While the program can be used for crisis intervention, the ideal time to use the program is early on, before the problems become so difficult that they put you at serious risk. The EFAP is a pro-active option for helping you manage your personal health and happiness.
The EFAP offers confidential, professional counseling (and referrals, when required) for you or your family’s personal difficulties such as:
- Alcohol or drug dependencies
- Bereavement
- Emotional or physical problems
- Financial and legal difficulties
- Gambling
- Marital or family problems
- Pre-retirement Planning
- Sexual harassment or abuse
- Stress
- Work-related problems
If you require assistance, you can simply call Homewood Health anytime of the day or week. You will be asked, confidentially, for some basic registration information to establish your eligibility for this benefit. Then the assistance needed will be arranged. If counseling is required, an experienced psychologist or counselor will help assess your concerns and aid you in developing practical solutions. If other assistance is recommended, the counselor will connect you to the appropriate resource.
Homewood Health is contracted to provide and coordinate all services. If counseling is required, a registered psychologist or counselor in the Homewood Health network will provide it. All Homewood Health counselors have extensive experience helping individuals with their problems. If longer-term counseling, hospital treatment or specialized services (such as medical, legal or financial help) are required, your counselor will arrange an appropriate referral and follow-up with you. Counsellors are required by law to maintain the strictest confidentiality. No one who inquires about – or receives services – under this plan will be identified to anyone without your written approval. You won’t be identified to anybody – including your employer.
Virtual Resources
Homewood also maintains a virtual database of helpful articles, webinars, and virtual courses to help you navigate a wide variety of situations and challenges, from quitting smoking to planning for retirement. These resources are available to all eligible employees via the Homewood Health website (see the HR Hub for more information on how to access virtual resources).
