As UC Irvine's coordinator of Faculty & Staff Mental Health Care and Respondent Services, Negar Shekarabi often meets with people who know they need help, but aren't sure where to start.
“Figuring out what kind of help you need and how to get it can feel overwhelming, especially when you're in the middle of a difficult time,” Shekarabi said. “I listen, I answer questions and I help people navigate the many resources that are available to UC faculty and staff.”
To help others this Mental Health Awareness Month, Shekarabi shared answers to a few common questions.
Should I start with my location's Employee Assistance Program or my behavioral health plan?
You'll find support from either resource. Here's how they work.
Your Faculty and Staff Assistance Program (also known as an Employee or Academic and Staff Assistance Program) offers free, confidential assessment, intervention, consultation and referral services to all faculty and staff (and their immediate families) at your location. Many programs even offer convenient onsite consultations.
Regardless of your insurance coverage, you can go to your assistance program for no-cost individual counseling for a wide range of personal and work-related problems, with referrals to behavioral health plan and community resources when needed.
If you prefer, you may choose to go directly to your behavioral health plan for support. All of UC's behavioral health plans other than Core and UC Health Savings Plan cover initial outpatient visits without a copay or deductible.
Behavioral health and substance abuse coverage are provided by Anthem Blue Cross for employees and retirees enrolled in:
Behavioral health and substance abuse coverage are provided by Optum for employees and retirees enrolled in:
Kaiser members may also choose to receive behavioral health care through Kaiser.
How should I choose a provider?
Your assistance program counselor is a great resource if you need a referral to a provider in your health plan's network. He or she is familiar with providers in the area, and can talk with you about your preferences and needs.
Your behavioral health plan offers a choice between an online provider search (with options to narrow your search by gender, specialty and languages spoken) or assistance by phone from specially trained representatives.
Either way, once you've narrowed down your search, online research can help you make a decision. Many providers have websites where they explain their background and philosophy. Psychology Today offers an extensive online database with similar information.
If the first few providers you call aren't available or don't respond within a few days, call your plan for assistance. Optum, Anthem and Kaiser are committed to ensuring you receive timely support.
If I get help from UC, will my privacy be protected?
Your privacy is protected by law – whether you visit your location's assistance program or a provider through your health plan. Unless there's a clear legal need (for example, if someone's life or safety is at risk), information about your participation is never released to anyone without your written consent, and it will never appear in any departmental, central or personnel file.
“I want people to know that help is available – and it can make a big difference,” said Shekarabi. “Visit your assistance program, call your behavioral health plan, talk to your doctor – however you start, the most important thing is that you reach out for the help you need.”
RELATED LINKS
- Author: Jodi Azulai
When: April 9-12, 2018
Where: Ontario, California DoubleTree Inn
All ANR academics and staff are invited. Non-academic employees need to discuss and obtain approval from their supervisors, county directors or program managers before registering or making travel arrangements.
See and hear what your colleagues (staff and academics) across UC ANR are doing and share your own work during this multi-day event. Discover what's new in Extension and Agriculture Experiment Station research. Engage with leaders of the University of California and interact with invited leaders of peer organizations across the state. Network with colleagues and cultivate new partnerships and new ideas.
ANR pays for your attendance. You will provide an estimate for your travel and lodging when you register and will get an approval or a resubmit from Program Support.
To register or to get more information, visit http://ucanr.edu/sites/statewideconference2018.
ADMINISTRATIVE ORIENTATION FOR NEW ACADEMICS AND STAFF
When: May 23, 2018, 9 a.m.-3 p.m.
Where: ANR Building Davis, 2801 Second Street, Davis, CA 95618
Who should attend: New Academics and Staff
Registration: Will open in March
More information can be found at http://ucanr.edu/sites/orientations/Administrative_Orientations.
UC PEOPLE CONFERENCE
When: Aug. 7-9, 2018
Where: UCLA Luskin Center
Who: ANR People Managers who have completed the UC Performance Management Series Certificate (UC Learning Center). (Browse course titles and codes here).
Cost: ANR will be sponsoring fees, travel, and lodging for several ANR People Managers. Managers must complete the Series by June 26, 2018 and can apply for funds here.
The UC People Management Conference brings together leaders from across the UC network to learn about current management topics, exchange best practices, collaborate with their peers, and continue their development and growth as UC people managers and leaders. This year's conference will explore the importance of cultural change. After an unforgettable two days of learning, inspiration and fun, participants will walk away re-energized with knowledge, connections, and tools to help them achieve their goals and maximize their teams' full potential.
NEW! ANR ONBOARDING BUDDY GUIDE
People Managers: Could you use some help onboarding your new hire? Do you have a star employee that could introduce your new employee to the rest of your team and others at your location? How about someone to share the workplace culture, safety plans, ANR Collaborative Tools, ANR processes and procedures...and more.?
If yes, read the ANR Onboarding Buddy Guide and think of sharing this guide with your next onboarding buddy.
Leading and Working in Teams
Organizations thrive or fail to thrive based on how well the teams within those organizations work. If you want to know what it takes to create a high-performing team, complete the course “Leading and Working in Teams”.
Harvard Business School professor Amy Edmonson reveals how high performance arises when teams are encouraged to take risks, fail, and learn from those failures, a process she calls “teaming.” Learn more here.
PERFORMANCE APPRAISAL WEBINARS
The annual performance appraisal is an opportunity for staff and supervisors to recognize accomplishments, identify opportunities to build skills, and align individual efforts to high-level unit and division goals. Take time in the next month to review and reflect on the past year, and plan your future work with your supervisor.
The staff performance review period runs from April 1, 2017, through March 31, 2018. An annual appraisal should be completed for all ANR staff employees, including represented and non-represented, career and contract employees with at least six months of service as of March 31, 2018.
The recommended first step for the process is for employees to complete a Summary of Accomplishments. This year ANR supervisors have the option to have their staff prepare a self-appraisal in lieu of the summary of accomplishments using the 2017-18 Employee Performance Appraisal Form.
Upcoming webinars
ANR Human Resources will host Zoom webinars for staff and supervisors during the month of March. Please hold one of these dates/times on your calendar. (Zoom meeting details will be sent prior to the first session.)
Employee Role: March 1, Thursday, 10 a.m.–11 a.m.
Employee Role: March 14, Wednesday, 3 p.m.–4 p.m.
Supervisor Role: March 23, Friday, 10 a.m.–11:30 a.m.
Supervisor Role: March 28, Wednesday, 1 p.m.–2:30 p.m.
If you are a supervisor, you only need to participate in a supervisor session.
For those unable to join a live session, the sessions will be recorded and posted on the ANR HR website http://ucanr.edu/sites/ANRSPU/Supervisor_Resources/Performance_Management.
More information about the annual process, including timelines, guidelines and Performance Appraisal Tools are available on the ANR Human Resources website http://ucanr.edu/sites/ANRSPU/Supervisor_Resources/Performance_Management.
Note: ANR staff based at the Office of the President will follow the UCOP-HR performance process with separate trainings, timelines and forms.
If you have questions regarding the appraisal process, please contact Mary Vlandis at maroberts@ucanr.edu or Jodi Rosenbaum at jrosenbaum@ucanr.edu.
Administrative Orientation for new employees will be held Nov. 14, 2017, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., at the UC ANR building at 2801 Second Street in Davis. Register now at http://ucanr.edu/sites/orientations.
The orientation is for UC ANR employees – academics and staff – who have not participated in an administrative orientation in the past. Priority will be given to those hired by ANR within the past year.
Participants will have opportunities to:
- Learn about the ANR's vision and mission.
- Learn about ANR structure and individual programs and units.
- Interact with ANR leadership and directors.
- Meet and network with new colleagues from around the state.
- Get answers to burning questions about health benefits, AggieTravel and more.
The Administrative Orientation differs from the Programmatic Orientation, so academics should attend both orientations. The Programmatic Orientation is designed to help academics jump start their programs by focusing on program design and showcasing successful projects of other ANR academics. Although the Administrative Orientation introduces statewide programs, it focuses on administrative units and services and provides an overview of ANR structure, vision and mission.
Schedules and materials from past orientations can be viewed online at http://ucanr.edu/sites/orientations/Past_Orientations.
If you have questions or would like further information, feel free to email ANR Program Support or call (530) 750-1260.
ANR's 2016 Call for CE Positions has entered the program area/unit review phase, May 5 – Aug. 1, 2016. During this time, the program teams, the ANR-affiliated colleges and professional school, and the regional groups of county/multi-county directors and Research and Extension Center directors will conduct reviews. For the proposals under their purview, the reviewers will 1) rate (high, medium or “this can wait”); 2) prioritize their highly rated positions (up to five) and 3) provide concise rationale.
The public comment period remains open until July 11, 2016.
Submitted CE position proposals can be viewed on the call web page http://ucanr.edu/2016callforpositions. To see the position description, click the proposal title link. In addition, the full call, including the updated position proposal template as well as the process flowchart timeline and criteria documents are posted as well.
Filling critical academic positions remains a top priority for ANR. Over the past several years, more than 90 CE advisors and CE specialists have been hired, and there are 45 more recruitments approved. New 2016 position proposals should identify additional crucial positions.
As part of the university's commitment to being transparent and publicly accountable for its conduct, including the way it compensates its faculty and staff, UC is conducting its annual disclosure of systemwide employee compensation for calendar year 2014. This disclosure parallels last year's payroll disclosure and is consistent with similar practices at many other public institutions.
The 2014 payroll data, along with a summary analysis, is available online at http://compensation.universityofcalifornia.edu/payroll2014/ The data will also be available to news media upon request.
Because UC is a public institution, employee compensation is considered a public record under the California Public Records Act and is reflected in the staff personnel policy in Personnel Policies for Staff Members (PPSM 80(C):
“Information which is public information and which should be released upon request includes name, date of hire, current position title, current salary, organizational unit assignment, date of separation, office address and office telephone number, current job description, full-time or part-time, and appointment type.”
Academic personnel policy, Academic Personnel Manual (APM) 160-20(b)(4) also states that any “non-personal” information “is public information and is available upon request to any person or entity without limitation.” It defines “non-personal” academic personnel information as including name, date of hire or separation, current position title, and current rate of pay.
Questions about access to the payroll data may be directed to local Information Practices/Public Records Offices.
Sincerely,
UCOP Office of Public Records
pra@ucop.edu