Help for Union Members When They Need It

Employee assistance services may be one of the benefits included within union dues which can offer union members efficient and confidential access to customized resources. These services can help union members resolve personal issues such as mental health and substance use disorders. Union members can access employee assistance services 24/7 through Union First and quickly get started on resolving their issues with the help of a team of experts.

Union First provides personalized referrals to behavioral health services during times of crisis to get union members the right type of help quickly. We also provide job protection services, which ensures their union job is protected when they seek mental health or substance abuse treatment. Job protection services can reduce the fear of losing their employment when struggling with behavioral health issues and encourage union members to get help more quickly, improving recovery outcomes.

Employee Assistance Services: Job Protection

Often, union members may avoid getting mental health or addiction treatment out of fear of losing their employment, causing them to suffer secretly. They may be unaware of federal and state laws protecting their union job, salary, benefits, and more when seeking treatment for addiction or mental health disorders. Employee assistance services at Union First includes a team of experts who know how to use labor laws like the Americans with Disabilities Act and the Family and Medical Leaves Act to ensure union members are not unfairly discriminated against because of their behavioral health issue. Our experts will help guide you through the necessary steps and paperwork needed to ensure these laws can protect you. Union members who use our job protection services can have greater peace of mind when taking time off for addiction or mental health treatment, allowing them to focus on themselves and their recovery fully.

Employee Assistance Services: Behavioral Health Services

Union members have access to personalized behavioral health services through Union First. Our initial assessment of your medical history, current problem, and treatment provider preferences, allows us to find the right treatment program for your unique case. Treatment placement services will match union members with mental health and substance abuse treatment options in their area which meets their needs. These services can help eliminate hours of searching online for treatment options and the risk of ending up in the wrong treatment center.

We also include a private telehealth network of 40 other providers, which allows us to quickly schedule an appointment with a counselor or therapist for our members. Telehealth appointments will be booked within 24 to 48 hours of calling us. Counselors will meet member needs, including insurance and specialties. Union First also works with a nationwide network of behavioral health treatment centers and with all levels of care including medical detox, residential inpatient treatment, partial hospitalization programs (PHPs), intensive outpatient programs (IOPs), virtual IOPs, and aftercare programs.

10 Benefits of Getting Help With Employee Assistance Services

1. Access to Multiple Types of Resources Can Be Time-Consuming. Employee assistance services can provide several types of help and resources including guidance on steps to handle a crisis, referrals to addiction and mental health treatment, job protection services, and telehealth services. Instead of spending hours researching online for help, job protection services are a call away to help you find the help needed.
2. Provides Confidential Support for Certain Challenges Union Members May Face. Union members are more likely to reach out for help when it is anonymous, especially when dealing with substance abuse, mental health, or workplace-related issues they would not feel comfortable discussing with coworkers, managers or union leaders.
3. Improves Mental Health and Overall Satisfaction with Life. Strong encouragement to seek help with mental health and other challenges reduces stigma related to those problems and get union members the help they need quickly. In turn, they may feel happier with their life and workplace.
4. Convenient Access to a 24/7 Helpline. Employee assistance services are available 24/7. Getting help in the moment of a crisis improves the likelihood that the person will reach out for help instead of putting it off for the next day.
5. Reduces Missed Workdays. Improved mental health from the ability to reach out to these services during the early stages of stress, anxiety, depression, or other issues, not only reduces the need for time off work for mental health days but also reduces the risk of other physical ailments which may lead to missed workdays.
6. Provides Customized Referrals. Employee assistance services base their mental health and substance abuse treatment referrals on an initial evaluation of the employee’s medical history and personal preferences for treatment.
7. Access to Telehealth Services Quickly. Union members can access a private network of telehealth services which can get them an appointment with counselors and therapists within 24 to 48 hours of calling employee assistance services.
8. Offers a Team of Experts on Your Side. These services’ focus is entirely on the employee and their well-being. Union members can trust and count on a team of experts to find them solutions for the problem they are currently facing.
9. Finds Solutions to Issues Quickly. Employee assistance services work quickly to get union members the help they need. Instead of spending hours researching, attempting to figure out the next steps to solve the issues at hand, employees can call a 24/7 helpline and get access to a network of specialized services.
10. Promotes Work-Life Balance. These services encourage employees to take care of their well-being first or take necessary time off work to get the help they need, which can improve work-life balance.

Other Ways Employee Assistance Services Help with Advocacy

With one in five adults in the U.S. experience mental illness, there is a significant portion of the population, including union members, who need help with treatment. These issues can significantly impact members’ overall well-being and their job. Union First wants to reduce stigma and discrimination related to mental health disorders through our advocacy services. We help raise union members’ awareness of the rights afforded to them by laws like the ADA and FMLA so they can reach out for help sooner, reducing the risk of worsening symptoms or losing their job. Our training modules help union leaders and their membership learn about the signs and symptoms of mental health or substance use disorders, their rights in the workplace, and our services at Union First so they can quickly get the help they need.

Union Members Can Call Union First for Employee Assistance Services

Union members, public service employees, and their family members can access our 24/7 helpline at Union First as part of their union dues. Our focus is to help union members find the right mental health or substance abuse treatment program while also protecting their job, so they can get back to work quickly and as their best selves. We encourage members to reach out to us any time day or night to discuss their issue at hand, so we can help guide them to quicker solutions.

If you are struggling with any mental health or substance use disorder, please call us today at (855) 215-2023. Your call is always 100% confidential.