Today is World Mental Health Day – a day to raise awareness about mental health, reduce stigma, and to remind everyone that mental health is an essential part of overall well-being.
Why Mental Health Matters
Your mental health affects how you think, feel, and act. It influences your ability to cope with stress, build relationships, perform at work, and enjoy life. Stress, burnout, anxiety, grief, relationship challenges, and life transitions are all experiences many of us face at some point.
You do not have to wait until things feel overwhelming to find support. Getting help early, even for mild or moderate symptoms, can make a big difference in your well-being and quality of life.
EFAP Services Available to You
Support is always within reach through the Employee and Family Assistance Program (EFAP). An EFAP is a confidential, personalized program that helps you and your family navigate life’s challenges and achieve your goals.
ASEBP covered members and their dependants can access professional support through phone, video, or in-person sessions through a third-party provider, GreenShield. Receive a free yearly service allotment that includes:
- Four hours each of individual counselling and couples or family counselling
- Four hours each of health, career, and life transition coaching
- Personalized nutrition support
- Unlimited financial and legal advice
GreenShield also provides access to wellness resources, self-guided tools, and specialized programs for nicotine and alcohol addiction, children’s mental health, Indigenous mental health, and more on their wellness platform, GreenShield+.
You can use EFAP in conjunction with your Extended Health Care (EHC), Health Spending Account (HSA), and Wellness Spending Account (WSA) to get the most out of your ASEBP benefits:
- Once all counselling hours are used, you can continue with your chosen mental health professional at a rate lower than the national average and submit your receipts to ASEBP for reimbursement through the psychology benefit under your EHC benefits.
- Once all hours are used for coaching and nutrition services, you can continue with your chosen provider and submit your receipts to ASEBP for reimbursement through your HSA, your WSA, or your EHC benefits, if applicable. Contact a Benefit Specialist at benefits@asebp.ca or 1-877-431-4786 to confirm coverage.
Take Action This World Mental Health Day
Here are some suggestions for things can do to support mental health awareness, connection, and access to care for you and your loved ones:
- Learn more about the EFAP services and resources available to you and your dependants.
- Create a GreenShield+ account to start using your EFAP benefits. To register, you’ll need:
- Your ASEBP ID number. Find it on your ID card on MyASEBP.
- Your employer’s organization code. If you don’t know the code, contact an ASEBP Benefits Specialist at 1-877-431-4786.
- Use your personal email address when setting up your account.
- Once you create a GreenShield+ account, you can use the Care Navigation tool to find the best services or resources based on your health needs. You can also book a free 15-minute consultation for individual counselling to ensure you find the right practitioner for you.
- Talk about mental health with colleagues, friends, and family to bring awareness and help reduce stigma.
- Identify positive coping strategies to build personal resilience with ASEBP’s Resilience Builder activity.
- Reflect on stressful situations and challenges using ASEBP’s Circle of Influence activity to untangle what you can and cannot control.