Counseling services available through Purdue’s Employee Assistance Program

The Employee Assistance Program at Purdue University offers confidential and professional counseling and referral services to benefits-eligible faculty, staff and dependents covered by a Purdue health plan. These services are available at the West Lafayette, Fort Wayne, Hammond and Westville campuses.

“It’s important that we address our employees’ overall well-being, including mental and emotional well-being,” said Candace Shaffer, senior director of benefits in Human Resources. “The Employee Assistance Program provides a local, convenient, hands-on, additional resource for members of our Purdue family who might need some extra support and guidance, regardless of where they are working.”

EAP RESOURCES AT EACH CAMPUS

Each campus offers assistance to help individuals work through a variety of concerns or issues regardless of whether they relate to an employee’s personal life, family or job -- including depression, grief and loss, stress, relationships and more. Information specific to each campus is outlined below:  

Purdue Fort Wayne

Purdue Fort Wayne’s Employee Assistance Program is available through the Bowen Center. Open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, the Bowen Center can be reached at 800-342-5653. For details on the Employee Assistance Program at Purdue Fort Wayne, visit the Assistance for You and Your Family webpage.

Purdue Northwest (Hammond and Westville)

New Avenues, Purdue Northwest’s employee assistance provider, offers face-to-face and online support services. In an emergency, a New Avenues care manager is on call 24 hours a day, seven days a week at 800-731-6501. For more information on the Employee Assistance Program at PNW, visit the Employee Assistance Program webpage.

Purdue West Lafayette

Employee assistance counseling on the West Lafayette campus is available through the Center for Healthy Living. For more information on available services, visit the counseling and referral services webpage or call 765-494-0111 to schedule an appointment. 

Appointments with CHL’s employee assistance counselors, Amanda Hathcock and Rachael See, are available both in-person and via telephone, making it possible for employees at all campuses or working remotely to use the services if needed.

“Stressors are unavoidable in life,” See says. “However, being able to evaluate, process and learn coping skills can help you manage stressful experiences. We all experience and cope with stress differently. It is important to know that if you are overwhelmed with daily stressors, EAP is an option for you. Together we can work on a custom plan that is specific to your needs.”

Note: In this time of need and uncertainty, CHL counselors are available for appointments outside of the normal six-visit limit, without charge. If it is determined by employee and their counselor that ongoing, long-term service or treatment is needed, they may be referred to a provider covered by their Purdue medical plan or to a local resource or agency. Behavioral health referral information for all campus locations (West Lafayette, Fort Wayne and Northwest -- Hammond and Westville) is also available via the Smarter Healthcare webpage.

Anthem EAP also available

Anthem, Purdue’s medical plan administrator, also offers an Employee Assistance Program. Visit AnthemEAP.com, login and enter “EAP Can Help” when asked for a code. Anthem's EAP includes COVID-19 resources and tools, which are featured on the Anthem EAP website.

Questions
Any questions regarding benefits coverage and/or mental health resources available to faculty, staff and dependents can be directed to Human Resources at hr@purdue.edu, HRHelp (secure email) or by phone at 765-494-2222 or toll-free at 877-725-0222.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION REGARDING MENTAL HEALTH

Faculty and staff resources

Behavioral health, one of the five pillars of the Healthy Boiler Program, plays a key role in overall employee well-being. Referred to by many names – behavioral health, mental health, emotional well-being and more -- one thing is certain, it’s important, and resources are available to faculty, staff and students at Purdue.

• A recent email, Mental Health Impacts Overall Health, provides a quick look at a variety of resources.
• The Mental Health Resources webpage offers a list of resources offered at Purdue and in the community.

To assist students

Faculty and staff who work with students or have a student at home can direct students to these resources for behavioral health assistance:  

Office of the Dean of Students

• Continuous Network of Support
• Services and information
• Presentations and trainings
• Student of Concern reporting link

 Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS)

• Therapy Services at CAPS
• Self-help resources
• Group therapy
• CAPS YouTube channel
• National Alliance on Mental Illness On Campus - Purdue: A free, virtual support group for Boilermakers.
• Thriving Campus: Search for mental health providers by location, insurance coverage, specialties and more.
• WellTrack: An app for interactive, self-help therapy.