The Employee Assistance Program (EAP) is provided for all ministry staff who are members of the Canadian Baptist Ministries Pension Plan residing in Atlantic Canada.

The EAP provides professional assistance for a wide range of issues, including:

• Personal and work-related stress
• Couple and marital relationships
• Childcare and parenting issues
• Eldercare concerns
• Depression and anxiety
• Alcohol and drug misuse
• Family matters
• Bereavement
• Legal issues
• Financial concerns
• Career issues
• Crisis counseling/Trauma
• Other concerns

These services are provided by FGI, Canada’s largest and most respected behavioural health service provider.

Professional Counselling

Your EAP is voluntary, confidential, short-term counseling and advisory service that connects you and your eligible family members to a network of dedicated professionals who are available to give you assistance 24 hours a day.

This network is made up of experienced counselors, psychologists, social workers and specialists. Their experts are ready and waiting to assist you with your special concern, anytime you need help.

Worklife Solutions

It can be difficult to find the time and resources you need to make decision about your day-to-day concerns. WorkLife Solutions can help. It’s a confidential advisory service that assists you and your family in balancing work/life issues.

Professional WorkLife Specialists provide telephone assessment consultation, resources, and advice. They can also send you a package of information, educational material, website listings and books to give you the tools you need to get things done.

WorkLife Solutions is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to answer your questions, offer advice, and refer you to helpful resources.

WorkLife Online is a website that provides you and your family with easy access to relevant and timely information on a wide array of work/life topics, including reference materials, articles, books and links. You can also access counseling or information via an on-line appointment request form. Visit www.shepellfgi.com/ecounselling.

How much does all this cost?

There is no cost to you or your family. Your employer pays for the EAP services provided by FGI.

If long-term or specialized care is required, your professional advisor will help you with a referral to an affordable community resource.

At this point, you would be responsible for any fees that your benefits plan or provincial health insurance would not cover.

Is the service really confidential?

Yes. Absolutely! They never share information with anyone outside of FGI without an individual’s informed, voluntary and written consent, with the exceptions listed below.* Unless you tell them, no one at your workplace will even know that you have contacted the EAP.

*Understandably, certain exceptions apply when information must be provided to others, whether or not consent is given – such as when a person appears to pose a threat of serious injury to themselves or others. Also, FGI’s Professionals are legally required to report suspicion of child abuse or to disclose information required by law (e.g. a court order).

Care you can count on.

If you have a concern, they want to help. So they’ve made sure that getting help from your EAP couldn’t be easier. Day or night, 365 days a year, just pick up the phone and call the toll-free line listed on your enrolment card.

When you call they will discuss your needs confidentially and then match you with an expert trained to help with your specific type of question or concern. This may be a FGI counselor in your community, a specially trained telephone counselor, or a specialist in the area in which you require assistance. In critical situations where immediate help is required, crisis counseling can be provided.

FGI’s professionals can help you find new approaches to troublesome personal or work-related concerns. Their goal is to help you and your family develop a practical plan – one that can have a positive impact on your emotional health and your general well-being.

They want your feedback.

They are committed to providing quality service that meets your needs, so they want your feedback. They’ll ask you to complete a short, confidential questionnaire about your experience with FGI.