Meet Robert Hoskins, LMSW, and Jamie Wright, LMSW, both Employee Assistance Program (EAP) clinicians, who are walking the hospital hallways, offering employees a sweet treat, a friendly face and on-the-spot support and well-being strategies.
The initiative, My Wellness Connection rounding, offers support to those who may not need or want to seek out traditional EAP or mental health counseling.
Together they provide a human connection that empowers employees to get the support they need at work, even if it is just within the scope of a brief check-in, said Debbie Hillard, Psy.D., director of EAP.
“They open doors for employees to talk about how they feel and to learn about wellness strategies, right then and there, right at work, and it’s also an opportunity for them to learn about the variety of support services, including EAP, WorkLife and other Be Healthy programs,” Hilliard said. “The goal is to meet employees right where they are, both physically and emotionally and to reduce the stigma associated with asking for help.”
Jenny Doss, vice president, Total Health and Rewards, said the program grew out of a recognized need to support employees in new ways through the emotional and physical hardships of COVID-19.
“We are always looking for ways to support employees with a listening ear and spread the word about available resources, and COVID-19 was a catalyst to spur growth in our EAP program,” Doss said.
MyWellness Connection rounding has been well-received since it started in January 2022. Hoskins noted that during more than 125 hospital visits since January they’ve interacted with close to 5,000 day and night shift employees. Plans are in the works to expand the service to clinics in the coming months.
“We’ve learned how to read a room,” Wright said. “And we know if we are needed or if we need to move on.”
Hoskins added, “We’ve had several instances where managers have told us that we have perfect timing.”
Other MyWellness Connection services include virtual Self-Care Check-In and traditional Critical Incident Stress Management (CISM) services following a difficult unit-based event.
Published September 20, 2022
