The University is pleased to offer both on- and off-campus resources for employee assistance. Through these services, employees can access confidential assistance covering a wide range of family, marital, work-life, and mental health issues. In the case of Deer Oaks EAP, employees and their household members can access these benefits.
On-campus Mental Health Resources
The University Counseling Center offers on-site counseling to employees. It is a confidential service available to all administration, faculty, and staff.
UCC provides short-term program to employees who are experiencing challenging work/life-related situations and might benefit from speaking to a counselor in an individual session. Common topics include stress related to work or home, interpersonal difficulties, or barriers to work productivity.
Four consultations are provided as follows:
- The first consultation is free.
- The remaining 3 consultations are charged at $30 per session.
- A fee of $30 is charged for cancellations and no-shows.
Sessions are paid through payroll deduction. Sessions are renewable each calendar year (January-December).
To schedule an appointment, contact the Counseling Center at 662-915-3784 or via email at counslg@olemiss.edu.
In collaboration with the Work-Life Resources office at HR, UCC also offers a Grief Support Group for employees. This small group offers employees the chance to process loss in a supportive environment. Led by a professional counselor from UCC, the group is casual and conversation-based, and no records are kept. The Grief Support Group for employees meets the 2nd and 4th Wednesdays of each month at 1:00, in the Harrison Room, located on the 3rd floor of the main library. Watch UM Today for any changes in schedule due to campus holidays.
Anytime-Anywhere Employee Assistance is Available from our Partner, Deer Oaks EAP
In addition to the existing on-site counseling options offered by the University Counseling Service, employees have supplemental options. UM’s comprehensive employee wellness program, Red, Blue & Well, offers counseling and other services to University of Mississippi employees and their families through our partnership with Deer Oaks EAP. All services are free and completely confidential for employees — and for anyone in the employee’s household. The program offered by Deer Oaks is designed to help employees and their family/household members achieve a balance of emotional, social, environmental, and cultural well-being.
What’s included in the services offered by our partner, Deer Oaks?
Mental health counseling: Receive up to six free, confidential counseling sessions per person, per issue, per year. You may request structured telephonic sessions, video telehealth sessions, or in-person sessions at a local provider’s office. Like all the services available through Deer Oaks EAP, the counseling benefit is available to the employee, anyone living in the household, and any other dependent children. When short-term services are not appropriate or sufficient, Deer Oaks will coordinate with our healthcare plan for referral assistance to a network provider through the medical benefit.
Some people may find that they don’t need counseling as much as some coaching toward a personal or professional goal. Deer Oaks also provides that: just call 1-888-993-7650 and the intake counselor will help you find the counseling, coaching, or other service that best meets your needs.
Mental health care providers who would like to be included in Deer Oaks’s referral network may call 1-888-993-7650 and request a Credentialing Packet, or request from Lynn Wilkins (lwilkins@olemiss.edu).
Work-Life Locators/Concierge Services: Work-life consultants are available to help connect you to a wide range of daily living resources. They can help locate pet sitters, event planners, or tutors. They can help you find the right home repair professional, moving services, or child/elder care site. They can even help with travel planning. Simply call the Helpline (1-888-993-7650) with your questions—or use the LiveChat feature on the website or the iConnectYou app—and let them do some of the research/information legwork on your next project!
Legal and financial counseling: Take advantage of a free 30-minute consultation with a licensed lawyer, then get 25% off their fees, if representation is required. If you need help with a financial matter, call for a free consultation with a licensed financial advisor. Begin the process by calling the Helpline.
Take the High Road Ride Reimbursement Program: Deer Oaks reimburses members for their cab, Lyft, and Uber fares. This service is available once per year per participant, with a maximum reimbursement of $45.00 (excludes tip). To get reimbursed, save your receipt and call the Helpline (1-888-993-7650) for instructions.
Wellness Resources: Find a library of on-demand webinars on a variety of wellness topics at DeerOaksEAP.com. Or join UM employees on monthly zoom webinars that focus on workplace wellness. (Download the schedule of Spring 2024 webinars here; for a reminder email before each webinar, register in the HR Training tab in MyOleMiss.)
Monthly Newsletters: Each month, Deer Oaks EAP publishes Employee Newsletters full of helpful and interesting information to support UM employees with both personal and workplace wellness. Supervisor Newsletters contain specific strategies and recommendations for employees with management duties.
To access current and archived newsletters, visit the website and click on the heading “newsletters,” just below the slideshow images on the homepage. Both general employee and supervisor newsletters for every month are there, and are also available in accessible versions.
How do I connect with the services offered by Deer Oaks?
Start taking advantage of the services today! Access the Employee Assistance Program services by calling the toll-free Helpline number, using the iConnectYou App for iPhone or Android, or instant messaging with a work-life consultant through the website’s LiveChat instant messaging system.
Toll-free Helpline: (888) 993-7650
Website: deeroakseap.com
(once on website, click “member login” and use “staywell” for both username and password, or click here)
Email: eap@deeroaks.com
iConnectYou App Registration Code: 231711
All services are free and completely confidential. Deer Oaks will tell UM the total number of users so we understand how many people are utilizing the services, but they will not divulge the name of—or any personal information about—the user or the service provided.
Click here for a PDF of the key services provided by Deer Oaks EAP
to UM employees and their families/households.
Questions? Reach out to Lynn Wilkins at lwilkins@olemiss.edu.
Want to learn more?
Watch the orientation webinar for employees, recorded on July 19th, 2022, for more information about the particular services offered by Deer Oaks EAP to UM employees and their families, and get details on how to access those services:
If you’re a supervisor or manager, click here to see an orientation webinar that includes general information for all employees plus specific ways the EAP supports managers and supervisors.