Programs available to aid Tribal members, staff

Two Tribal programs - the Member Assistance Program and Employee Assistance Program -- often get lost in plain sight.

Both programs are available to Tribal members and staff at no cost and offer a helping hand regarding myriad topics.

California- and Pennsylvania-based Integrated Behavioral Health, a national company, administers both programs for the Tribe.

In September, the Health and Wellness Clinic held a series of educational seminars that described the many parts of the programs to encourage people to use them if necessary. Staff throughout the Tribe are now informed about the offerings available and, as appropriate, will remind Tribal members and colleagues about available counseling and point them to the correct Integrated Behavioral Health program.

"It is a resource that we just announced to get the word out as to its availability," said Jeff Lorenz, executive director of Health Services. "Hopefully, it will get widely used as it is a support service to our members and doesn't involve any cost."

An unknown number of Tribal members and staff take advantage of the programs annually because participation is confidential.

The programs offer help with work-life issues; head, soul and matters of the heart; and sticky legal and financial problems. There isn't a lifeways or work issue need out there - from birth to walking on - that isn't addressed by one section of the programs.

Possible solutions to the problem of keeping a toddler, or an elderly parent, busy are covered. Help is available for a literacy issue, as well as a job question, either getting or losing one.

To access any of these services, call 800-395-1616.

MAP and EAP also make webinars, podcasts, audio and video available to enable Tribal members and staff to look up issues on their own by computer or smartphone.

Every one of these services is confidential, and nobody but the caller will know that the service has been used - not the Tribe, a spouse, bill collector or judge. Unless the caller chooses to share it.