Posted by ceiu.net with the permission of Human Resources, BC/Yukon Region

Please note: all text in green has been added by ceiu.net for clarification or your convenience

Wellness and Employee Assistance

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The Wellness and Employee Assistance Program (EAP) is committed to providing
services that support both personal and workplace well-being.

How to Get in Touch with Us

You can contact either counsellor, directly:

Lawrence Feuchtwanger, RCC (Registered Clinical Counsellor)
(604) 666-8172
Toll Free number: 1-866-292-8353

Cheryl Grant Gamble, RCC, (Registered Clinical Counsellor) and CEAP (Certified Employee Assistance Professional)
(604) 666-6142
Toll Free number 1-866-292-6642


***Note: The Toll Free Numbers can be dialled from anywhere within North America.

Your call will either be answered by one of the counsellors or forwarded to our confidential voicemail. In either case, your call will be handled with confidentiality and a counsellor will respond to you as soon as possible. Because confidentiality of e-mail cannot be assured, we recommend that, when possible you contact us by phone rather than e-mail.


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Personal Counselling and Consultation

The Wellness & EAP provides free, confidential, short-term counselling to all Service Canada employees (staff and management) and eligible family members (spouses, partners and dependents up to age 21, or age 25 if attending school full-time). If you or a family member, are experiencing a problem that is impacting on your personal and/or work-life, a counsellor can assist you by:

• Providing short-term counselling in a safe, supportive environment
• Working with you to help you assess the nature of the problem and generate solutions
• Referring you to additional resources if you need them and
• Providing you with information on the issues you are dealing with

Our service provides counselling and/or referrals for individuals, couples and families, dealing with any of a wide variety of issues including (but not limited to):

• Personal issues (e.g. stress, depression, loss and grief)
• Relationship difficulties (e.g. marital stresses, parenting, caregiving)
• Work-related problems
• Coping with change
• Communications issues

Confidentiality is the cornerstone of our service. Within legal and ethical requirements, we adhere to a strict policy of confidentiality with respect to counselling.


For in-person counselling in the Greater Vancouver area:

You can make an appointment to see one of the counsellors at the Wellness & EAP office at Harbour Centre in downtown Vancouver, at Suite 3A-100, 555 West Hastings Street (corner of Seymour Street), within easy walking distance of the Waterfront Skytrain station and a number of bus routes (See www.translink.bc.ca ). Parking is available nearby, at a number of parking lots.

For in-person counselling outside the Greater Vancouver area, including Coquitlam, Surrey, Chilliwack, Abbotsford, and Langley:

If you live outside of the Greater Vancouver area (or in Coquitlam, Surrey, Chilliwack, Abbotsford or Langley) you can access free, short-term, Wellness & EAP counselling by calling us. We have contracts with an extensive network of counsellors in private practice throughout the region to whom we can refer you. There is no charge for this service. However, you must first access the service through the Wellness & EAP office where a counsellor will speak with you to determine your needs and make the referral, if appropriate.


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Referrals to Other Resources

Wellness & EAP offers short-term counselling and is not geared to long-term, intensive therapy. If it is determined that you could benefit from longer-term or specialized services, your counsellor will provide you with information regarding other counselling and/or support resources. Some issues which may require longer-term or specialized resources are:

• Substance misuse (e.g. alcohol, drugs, food)
• Survivors of sexual abuse
• Complex/multiple marital, family and individual issues
• Family violence

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Resource Materials

The Wellness & EAP maintains a library of resource materials on a wide range of mental health and wellness related topics. These books, videos, audio cassettes and information sheets are housed in the Wellness section of the library at the Learning Centre at Suite 3A-101, 555 West Hastings Street, Vancouver. Drop by or contact the centre to borrow library items.

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Telephone Counselling Service

A 24-hour, toll-free, confidential telephone counselling service is available for after hours' counselling, or when a Wellness & EAP counsellor is unavailable and you need immediate service.


Please call
1-800-524-9383 for service in English or
1-800-524-9384 for service in French.

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Crisis Intervention and Support

When a traumatic event occurs at work (e.g. violence in the work place, death or injury of a colleague) a Wellness & EAP counsellor can provide or arrange for support. Except for referrals of employees to personal counselling, this service requires that we work with management in order to organize logistical support as needed.

In addition, Wellness & EAP can also support offices by delivering (or helping arrange for) training in Critical Incident Stress Management (CISM) and by acting as consultants in developing Critical Incident Stress protocols and supports.

Comprehensive information on Critical Incident Stress Management is available for both Employees and Managers.

For Employees   /  For Managers

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Consultation to Offices

When an issue in the workplace impacts upon the well-being of employees, Wellness & EAP counsellors can work with management to assess the situation, suggest effective strategies and provide support as appropriate.

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Workplace Well-Being

The Wellness & EAP promotes individual and organizational well-being through consultation, and providing information and resources in support of workplace well-being initiatives, such as Workplace Well-Being committees and other wellness activities.

Workplace Well- Being

A Manager's Guide to Workplace Well-Being

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Extended Health Coverage for Registered Psychologists

This program is administered by Sun Life Insurance and is independent of the Wellness & EAP.

Coverage: As a member of the Public Service Health Care plan (PSHCP) you are entitled to coverage for services provided by a Registered Psychologist for 80% of up to $1,000 in one calendar year (January 1 to December 31). Because PSHCP is an optional employee benefit, it is important to ensure that you are, in fact, covered. Your Compensation & Benefits' advisor can tell you if you are a subscriber. Coverage is available for covered family members, with a separate referral for each person to be seen.

Deductible: A deductible applies against the first extended benefits' claim each calendar year: $60 for individuals, $100 for families.

Referral: PSHCP will reimburse 80% of the cost of a Registered Psychologist, up to a maximum of $150.00 per session. In order to meet the extended benefit provider's criteria for reimbursement, you will require a written referral from a doctor that pre-dates your first visit to the Psychologist. The doctor's referral note is good for 12 months from the date of issue.

At present, the services of counselling professionals other than Registered Psychologists are NOT reimbursable under the PSHCP. To find the name of a Registered Psychologist you can ask your physician and/or call the BC Psychological Association Referral Service at 1-800-730-0522 (604- 730-0522 in the Lower Mainland) or visit their website. A Wellness & EAP counsellor can also assist you in finding the names of Registered Psychologists in your area.

Rates: Registered Psychologists in B.C. generally charge between $100 - $150 for each one-hour session.

Groups: Coverage for attending a group run by a Registered Psychologist is available up to a maximum of $65.00/hr.

Payment Options: There are two ways in which you can make a claim:


1) The client pays directly to the Registered Psychologist the full amount (100%) for services received and submits a claim to the Plan. PSHCP will reimburse you 80% of the payments.

2) Pay the psychologist 20% of the fee (as required by the PSHCP) and obtain a receipt indicating partial payment of fee for your records. The plan will then reimburse the psychologist 80%. It is up to the psychologist to agree to this method of payment.

The claim must include:

• a completed PSHCP medical claim form
• a referral to a Registered Psychologist, signed by a physician
• a receipt of payment from the psychologist (if you are requesting direct payment to the Psychologist, submit a claim for the full amount including the 20% paid by you and a note requesting direct reimbursement to the Psychologist)

N.B.: Psychiatrists are not covered by PSHCP since fees are paid by the Medical Services Plan of BC.

If you have any questions about your PSHCP claims or benefits, please contact the Administrator, Sun Life Assurance Company of Canada, at: 1-888-757-7427 (toll-free in North America). Customer Service Representatives are available from 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. (EST), Monday through Friday.

Send ALL Claims To:

Sun Life of Canada, Health Insurance Claims
P.O. Box 9601 CSC-T
Ottawa, Ontario KIG 6A1

PSHCP Extended Coverage website





 

    OTTAWA, Nov. 13 /CNW Telbec/ - Canada Post Corporation (CPC) is trying to use the government's Employment Insurance program to reduce its own costs, according to the Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC) - the union that represents about 2,400 CPC employees. (More)

Bargaining Update:

Provided by our bargaining Team Member Megan Adams. Megan outlined some of the current challenges of bargaining and the items that are now off the table and the items that have not been resolved to any degree.

Negotiation of the Labour Market Development (LMDA) and Employee Transfer Agreements (ETA) and the intentional exclusion of union involvement

Deputy Minister's Welcome

I would like to welcome you to the BC Public Service and the Ministry of Housing and Social Development.

The key element for the successful implementation of the Labour Market Development Agreement is the experience and expertise of Service Canada staff. We recognise the key relationships you have developed with clients and stakeholders in your communities and appreciate the importance of these contributions. (More)

What happens to our negotiations if a federal election is called?

Thank you to all those members who took time out of their busy days to vote in the last regional election. To all those members who voted for me, my sincere thanks.  Your vote of confidence is deeply appreciated.  To have been re- elected to the position as Alternate NVP BC/YT region for a second term affords me the opportunity to continue on with the work of the union on your behalf.     

With gratitude,

Dianne Mitchell 

(By Email)

Dear Mr. Netzel:

Despite commitments from the federal employer to meaningful consultation with the union on the Employee Transfer Agreement (ETA) in BC, this process has been a disappointment and frustration.  I am bringing my concerns directly to you in the expectation that you will bring to bear your influence and authority to find positive solutions for my members.

From canada.com

August 9th, 2008

In pursuit of work-life balance, Canadians are downing BlackBerries, declining overtime and daring to do less.  

"Work-life balance is a concern for our members, there's no question about that,'' says Patty Ducharme, national executive vice-president of the Public Service Alliance of Canada. (More here)

Few Canadians think Public Service is an 'honourable' place to work

The days of being drawn to the public service as a noble calling may be over. Twice as many Canadians believe it's more "honourable" to work in the private sector than for government, says a poll by Angus Reid Strategies.  (more here)

From the CEIU national site

August 5, 2008

CEIU has proposed that the new generic work descriptions at Service Canada be reviewed by joint union-management committees. The work descriptions are extremely broad in nature and members are understandably concerned that their work be fully reflected and valued in them.  (More here)

From the CEIU national site:

August 5, 2008

The ETA was a disappointment in many ways for programs staff in BC and the union is still debating the fallout with both employers. We would have hoped that on the federal side when Mr. Leonidas was negotiating the ETA, Ms. Jackson was managing this transition and Mr. Netzel was signing off the agreement that the practical issues the union was raising would resonate.  (More here)

MARY-ELLEN SAUNDERS
TELEGRAPH-JOURNAL ST. STEPHEN

Published/posted August 2nd, 2008

    The long line of vehicles snaking through the streets of St. Stephen on their way out of the province for the long weekend were greeted at the border crossing Friday by a large group of federal government workers waving their union flag and handing out brochures.  (More here)

IMPORTANT

LMDA – ETA Bulletin #6

Post-ETA in the BC Region 

Posted August 1st, 2008

The ETA was a disappointment in many ways for programs staff in BC and the union is still debating the fallout with both employers.  We would have hoped that on the federal side when Mr. Leonidas was negotiating the ETA, Ms. Jackson was managing this transition and Mr. Netzel was signing off the agreement that the practical issues the union was raising would resonate.  They had the clout to make the province reconsider and work towards the ETA that your management told you would be “equal to or better than Ontario”.

Posted July 30th, 2008

From the PSAC national site

Dear co-workers:

We are all federal government workers and we are also elected members of PSAC negotiating teams that bargain with our employer, Treasury Board. For over a year now we have been sitting through a great many bargaining sessions but so far we have made virtually no progress. This lack of progress is due to Treasury Board's refusal to address the major concerns that we've raised at the bargaining table.

PSAC wants say in how members' contributions are managed

The largest union representing federal public servants wants a voice in how its members' pension fund is run after government-appointed pension fund managers gave up on more than $900 million in investments rocked by the U.S. credit crisis.  (More here)

Posted July 18th, 2008

From the PSAC national site:

PSAC stands in solidarity with the Professional Institute of the Public Service of Canada (PIPSC) and their member Luc Pomerleau, who was fired from the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) for performing his responsibilities as a union steward. Pomerleau's firing came after he alerted  his union about upcoming changes that will significantly affect his workplace, the work of PSAC members, and potentially damage public safety.  (More here)

The Hill Times, June 30th, 2008
NEWS STORY
By Cynthia Münster

Simon Kennedy is new deputy secretary to Cabinet for plans and consultations in the Privy Council Office, effective Aug. 1.

June 23rd, 2008

From the CEIU national site

CEIU members responded to the PSAC’s call for a day of action on June 19 aimed at pushing the employer to bargain seriously. Members of the PA group have been without a contract for a year and recently received an insulting pay offer from the Treasury Board.  (More here)

Posted June 23rd, 2008

From CEIU national site

Understaffing sees older EI claims pushed to back burner

ST. JOHN’S – The federal government union representing employment insurance staff at Service Canada is accusing St. John’s managers of showing more interest in producing good statistics for their Ottawa bosses than for people in need in Newfoundland and Labrador.  (More here)

From the PSAC national site June 23rd, 2008

The PSAC would have liked nothing better than to take on Treasury Board’s insulting wage offer at the table in June. But we need to plan for what happens in the bargaining process after the talking is done if we can’t reach a settlement.  (More here)

 OTTAWA, June 19, 2008/CNW Telbec

Posted June 18th, 2008

From CEIU (national site)

Members transferring to the BC government as a result of the Labour Market Agreement now have updated pension information available to them.  (More here)

Posted June 18th, 2008

From CEIU National Site

Members will send the Treasury Board a message on June 19 to get serious about a fair agreement. After a year without a new contract and an insulting pay offer, members are fed up with the performance of the employer at the bargaining table.

By LAURA CZEKAJ, SUN MEDIA

Public service union officials say an internal memo issued by the Treasury Board Secretariat to its staff outlining possible disciplinary actions in anticipation of an upcoming rally is "overkill."