Employee Well-being Programme

It is well understood that pressures on and off the job have an impact on the employer and employee's productivity and their families as well; these programs have the potential to decrease absenteeism, reduce medical claims costs, and improve employee productivity, recruitment, and retention.

The Employee Well-being Programme is a programme developed to help organizations manage workplace related issues due to mental health, substance abuse, personal problems, and work-life challenges. The Synapse EWP services are strictly confidential and are designed to be accessible to all employees (including Management).

The overall aim of the EWP is to improve employee and organizational performance by identifying and helping employees deal with work-life challenges in relation to organization's policy and EWP package.

The EWP provides intervention through individual/group counselling, psychotherapy, training and support to employees to address issues that impact the work environment directly or indirectly through:
* Risk assessment
* Counselling, psychotherapy and support
* Stress and Anger Management Training
* Mental Health Intervention
* Alcohol and Substance Intervention
* Family and Personal support
* Management Assistance Programs
* Training and general assessment
* Lifestyle modification plans
* Crisis Management and Intervention

The EWP service comes with a lot of advantages such as strict confidentiality, accessibility to every employee (including management) and their immediate family depending on the packaged agreed upon by the company. An EWP service also provides education for the employer and employee on how to cope with common workplace and family challenges.

EWPs have been reported to have a positive impact on organization's training and productivity and not only offers short term benefits to the employee, employer and the organization but also provides long-term benefits to all parties involved, some of the benefits of the EWP are:

* Improving productivity and employee engagement
* Improving employees' and dependents' abilities to successfully respond to challenges
* Developing employee and manager competencies in managing workplace stress
* Reducing workplace absenteeism and unplanned absences
* Supporting employees and managers during workforce restructuring, reduction-in-forces, or other workforce change events
* Reducing workplace accidents
* Reducing the likelihood of workplace violence or other safety risks
* Supporting disaster and emergency preparedness
* Managing the effect of disruptive incidents, such as workplace, injury, or other crises
* Facilitating safe, timely, and effective return-to-work for employees short-term and extended absences
* Reducing healthcare costs associated with stress, depression, and other mental health issues
* Reducing employee turnover and related replacement costs.

We rely heavily on patient and family feedback. In line with St Andrews strategy, we have subsequently introduced opportunities for patients and families to get involved in what we do. These include:

You will have a programme of special treatment focused on your needs. We use a recovery strategy.

While you are a patient at Synapse there are lots of opportunities to learn new skills, gain confidence and take part in valuable experiences. These include:
* Interviewing staff for jobs.
* Helping to design and deliver training material for staff and service users.
* Working with staff on events to raise money for charities.
* Visiting colleges and universities to talk about addiction health-reducing stigma.
* Educating police, governments and hospitals about challenges associated with addiction mental health conditions.
* Inviting family members to ward rounds.
* Taking part in real work opportunities.

Although many might point to the cost of initiating such a program as a major demerit, the advantages of Employee Well-Being Program far exceed the disadvantages. In today's economy, rising health care costs are at the forefront of critical issues facing our population. These costs could be reduced by prevention strategies such as the EWP.

The EWP consults with managers who are concerned about their staff. Use of the EWP by managers and employees is always voluntary. The EWP is a problem-solving program and can help employees function at their best.

EWP provides resources for management to enhance management skills, strengthen the workforce, increase worker productivity and promote workplace safety.

The EWP can also help address management's concern with changes in an employee's performance or an employee's attitude towards work that could be related to personal or professional challenges.

Feedback is essential for our growth and service redesigns .To share positive feedback with us please contact the hospital direct either in writing or by phone. Feedback can also be provided online by using the Contact Us page, please be sure to mention which hospital you want to feedback on and if you will like a call back.

Family and Relationship Issues
* Parenting and Caregiver Issues
* Family and Significant Relationships
* Grief and Loss
* Human Development and Aging

Health-related issues
* Addictions (chemical and behavioural)
* Lifestyle modification
* Managing Mental Health issues (e.g depression, anxiety disorders, schizophrenia etc)
* Self Care, child or elder care
* Health matters; weight, smoking and general fitness lifestyle or health problems.

Work-related issues
* Managing Conflict
* Time Management
* Assertiveness and Communication Skills
* Managing Financial Stress

Other Work Related Issues
These risks depend on the area that you are visiting and the procedures performed there.
* Motivation Enhancement
* Workplace and Personal Etiquette
* Retirement-Life Planning
* Stress Management (e.g work related stress, financial, marital, relocation, stress associated with a new promotion, returning to work etc).
* Organizational Change
* Problematic Termination
* Work Transitions
* Death of a Co-worker

When can I talk to a EWP Consultant?