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The Employee Assistance Program (EAP) is available for retirees and is more than counseling. It also includes a large library of information on topics such as caregiving and relationships. The EAP can also provide financial and legal guidance. For example, you can request legal assistance through the EAP in your area and receive a free consultation and discounted services (see below). All services are free to you, within the limitations of the plan.
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Click HereThe EAP is most known for being a confidential counseling and referral service.
The EAP provides:
- Face-to-face evaluations and counseling at an office convenient to your home. All calls and counseling sessions are confidential, except as specified by law (e.g., when a person’s emotional condition is a threat to themselves or others, or there is current, active abuse of a minor child, and, in some states, spousal or elder abuse). No one at the Exchange will know if you use the program. Teleconferences may be available.
- Easy access to services and crisis counseling 24 hours a day, seven days a week via a toll-free telephone number.
We are pleased to announce that Exchange retirees are now eligible to use the EAP program at no charge. You can turn to the EAP for help with anything that interferes with your personal life. Among other things, your EAP can help you with:
Parenting issues – Self-esteem – Alcohol, drug, substance abuse – Legal concerns – Marital / relationship problems – Anxiety / depression – Anger – Financial issues – Coping with change – Grief or bereavement
- Call the EAP whenever you need help sorting through what’s happening in your life.
- Call when you need a new perspective on things.
- Call when you need help identifying options and making an informed choice about what to do next
The EAP is always there for you – even if it’s in the middle of the night or on a holiday. You can call the toll-free number 24 hours a day, seven days a week for information about seeing a clinician nearest to you, or for crisis counseling. You and your dependents are eligible for up to three (3) in-person, counseling sessions at no charge. If further services are needed, you may be referred to additional resources for help. Charges for these additional services will be your responsibility, so be sure to check your benefits plan for coverage.
Legal Services
Almost every life event – the birth of a child, death of a loved one, marriage and divorce, loss of employment, moving to a new home, natural disaster, accidents and injuries, financial crises – may involve a legal question or problem. According to an American Bar Association survey, nearly 40% of American families each year encounter a problem that could be helped with legal advice, but only 12% hire a lawyer.
Magellan Health, the company that provides Exchange Employee Assistance Program (EAP) services, has enhanced its ability to provide access to legal services. You or your eligible dependents may call the dedicated EAP toll-free number and ask for legal assistance. When you do, you will be transferred to a LawPhone representative who will help you in one of two ways:
Telephone Consultation
If you would like to speak with a lawyer by phone, your call will be routed to one in your state. The lawyer will work with you to resolve your legal issue. There is no charge to you for this telephone consultation however there is only a 30 minute initial consultation per issue. If you need to call back on the same or a different issue, you may speak with the same lawyer if you wish to do so. Should the lawyer with whom you speak indicate that your issue needs a face-to-face meeting, you will be referred to another lawyer who provides the type of legal services you need, as described below.
Face to Face Consultation
If you need a face-to-face meeting with a lawyer, LawPhone will refer you to one who is part of its legal services network. LawPhone maintains a network of over 5,000 law firms, with more than 12,000 lawyers. Your referral will be made according to your location, language, and the nature of the legal issue. LawPhone will even search outside its network for an appropriate lawyer, if necessary. When you meet with this lawyer, your initial half-hour session is provided at no cost to you. Any additional services are discounted 25% of the usual fee.
Lawyers who provide either telephone or face-to-face consultations are prohibited from providing legal advice to you and your covered dependents on employment issues, personal business issues, second opinions on legal advice given by another lawyer who is handling your legal matters, or third party advice (e.g. “my mother’s landlord,” “my brother’s arrest”).