Employee Assistance Program
Foster a caring and supportive workplace by providing your employees with access to counselling and wellness services to help them overcome personal challenges affecting their overall well-being.
A healthy workplace equals:
- increased productivity
- decreased absenteeism
- reduced accidents and disability rates
- reduced health insurance claims
- enhanced job satisfaction
- improved company image
Program overview
Our renowned Employee Assistance Program provides direct access to professional, confidential counselling services to assist employees and their families with personal concerns affecting work performance, self-management and life.
Services
Comprehensive problem assessment and short-term counselling for a variety of concerns that encompass:
- family/parenting
- partner/couple
- personal/emotional/behavioural problems
- anxiety and depression
- work stress/adjustment
- addictions
- suicide risk
- domestic violence and abuse
- grief and loss
- trauma/critical incident
- conflict resolution/mediation
- health and wellness
- caregiver support
Counselling is structured and goal-oriented with an emphasis on restoring function. To accommodate work schedules and concerns about confidentiality, we provide flexible scheduling and virtual services.
Supplementary counselling for common life concerns, including topics related to:
- career/pre-retirement
- legal
- financial (budgeting and financial crisis)
- caregiver support
Online resources and tailored programs to promote health and well-being, including:
- personal wellness services (e.g. smoking cessation, nutritional counselling)
- Health Connected wellness platform
- workshops
Complete care for those who may require a medical component to their successful treatment and recovery with access to psychiatric consultation. We offer a team approach with the counsellor, in-house psychiatrist and family doctor working together to ensure optimal treatment plans are in place.
Assessment, treatment and follow-ups for alcohol, drug and other addictions via individual counselling and group treatment. We specialize in addictions complicated by depression, panic and anxiety, family dynamics, abuse and stress.
To educate and support your company, we provide consultation, assessment, facilitation and coaching to your people leaders, managers and HR consultants on a range of issues that can impact your workplace, including:
- trauma response/crisis management
- conflict resolution
- mental health strategic planning
- employee wellness
- specialized interventions related to respectful workplace
- morale/team building
- one-on-one consultation support line for leaders
- employee performance
- critical events consultation, such as pandemic disaster planning and work stoppage
- referrals for clinical services
- reintegration of employees
More about our Employee Assistance Program
Additional resources for clients and employees
- Comprehensive reporting: To provide you with insight and transparency into our program and to further support your organizational wellness objectives, we offer over 10 custom reports.
- Communication materials: We provide employee communication pieces, including posters and a quarterly newsletter, to reduce the stigma around seeking support and to remind your employees that we are there for them whenever they choose to reach out.
- Self-management materials: We offer self-help workbooks and online resources and programs to help your employees learn and apply the skills and knowledge necessary to manage their health concerns on a day-to-day basis. They can be coupled with counselling services for added support.
- Health Connected: We provide secure access to Health Connected, our wellness platform, where employees develop health and wellness skills on their own terms. Offering more than just resources and tools for improving overall physical health, it also provides comprehensive support for mental and emotional health.
Health Connected offers:
- Health risk and skill assessments, educating an individual on their current status and how they can improve.
- Personalized health coaching plans based on an individual’s unique health risks, tailored to focus on the physical and mental health areas that matter most to them.
- Personal or team challenges, keeping an individual’s health and wellness journey fun and engaging.
- Rewards for committing to healthier habits, with a chance to earn points, badges and medals.
What sets our Employee Assistance Program (EAP) apart?
We are the only EAP in Canada with:
- specialized clinical, work-life and wellness services included in our core package – as opposed to add-ons with additional costs.
- a group component for treatment of any type of addiction, with multi-disciplinary expertise in treating co-occurring addiction and mental health disorders.
- weekly, in-house psychiatric consultation included in our coverage as added professional oversight to ensure optimal treatment plans are in place for employees and their family members.
- a dedicated, fully-staffed treatment facility with 57 clinicians under one roof, allowing for rapid internal referrals amongst counsellors to meet a wide spectrum of clinical needs.
- a provider network that includes Indigenous counsellors, Elders and a dedicated Indigenous Resource Consultant.
- extensive experience delivering EAP services to a diverse range of organizations, making us intimately familiar with the culture of many businesses in our city and province, and the challenges they face.
Our program values
Our goal is to provide comprehensive, professional, diverse and accessible mental health supports.
Comprehensiveness
We offer an extensive scope of services and delivery methods. We have a diverse and vast provider network, a robust counsellor matching process and a holistic treatment philosophy.
Professionalism
Our program is serviced by an extensive network of professionals who bring a high level of expertise and credentials. We offer clinically managed intake and an extensive range of clinical services.
Diversity
We provide multicultural and culturally diverse counselling options and can offer translation services in 150 languages. Our offerings are strengthened by our community connections, including an Indigenous awareness program and LGBTQ+ supports.
Accessibility
We have providers located throughout rural and northern Manitoba. We offer access to support 24/7, 365 days a year. Appointments can be requested online and we offer a variety of alternate channels for counselling, including video, text-based and telephone options.
Why choose Manitoba Blue Cross?
Join Manitoba’s #1 health plan provider.
We are
- Manitoban's #1 choice for coverage — We cover half of all Manitobans. That's more than any other carrier.
- Not-for-profit — We serve stakeholders, not stockholders. That means every dollar made is reinvested back into our infrastructure, our people, and our province.
- Most recognized and trusted name in health coverage — We are part of a trusted network whose products are backed by a brand name recognized around the world.
Benefits for employers
- Made-in-Manitoba — Because we're Manitoban, we are keenly attuned to what's happening in the province and have insider knowledge about the people we serve.
- Aligned with Manitoba Pharmacare — We follow Manitoba's formulary which keeps drug costs low and promotes stable renewals.
- Cost-effective — We provide statistical reports to help analyze your plan, helping you make informed decisions.
- Easy-to-use — We provide businesses with access to an easy-to-use group administration site. Enroll, update, or terminate employees at any time. Request supplies. Print or download billing statements.
Benefits for employees
- Accessible — We have an award-winning call centre and walk-in customer service centre, located right here in Manitoba. Plus, our members have 24/7 access to claim and benefit information via mybluecross.
- Convenient — Our BlueNet card allows point-of-sale processing right at the pharmacy. Plus, we've made arrangements with many service providers to reimburse directly - from physiotherapists, dentists, and chiropractors to ambulance companies, vision providers, hospitals, and more. Assignment of Payment means members don't have to pay out-of-pocket and wait for reimbursement.
- Unique — We offer unique benefits - from foot care nurse and athletic therapy coverage to hostel care and treat no transport ambulance service. We're also one of the only carriers in the province to provide reimbursement for cardiac rehabilitation.
- Blue Advantage® — All members of Blue Cross get exclusive discounts on products and services offered by participating providers.