Mental Health and Wellness
Our staff cares tremendously about the mental health and overall wellbeing of our postdoctoral researchers. Click here to view and download our suggested General Wellness Tips for Postdocs.
Below, please find both internal and external resources that are available to you:
Rutgers ResourcesInternal Rutgers' Counseling for Employees: Rutgers University - Graduate School of Applied and Professional Psychology (GSAPP) In response to COVID-19, GSAPP is offering phone and telepsychology services to help members of the Rutgers community obtain short term supportive therapy or facilitate referral to therapists in our network. Please visit this webpage, where you will find a form for Rutgers faculty/staff to be filled out to request mental health support. -- Rutgers Faculty and Staff Assistance Program (FSAP) Legacy Rutgers Postdocs can take advantage of the Rutgers Faculty and Staff Assistance Program (FSAP). FSAP provides comprehensive counseling and referral services to the university community. Through its collaboration with other university and community agencies, the Faculty and Staff Assistance Program promotes a supportive and harmonious workplace and recognizes the individual challenges and needs of Rutgers employees. For appointments, Legacy Rutgers Postdocs can call (866) 327-8242 (Offices in Newark/Piscataway/Voorhees), or email Marianne Kunze for more information. 24-hour service is available for crisis and emergency contact by calling (848) 932-3956. -- Employee Assistance Program (EAP) An Employee Assistance Program (EAP) is a confidential counseling service that helps employees deal effectively with problems that may be affecting their well-being, their personal lives, and/or their job performance. Common concerns that may lead to an employee reaching out might include family problems, relationship issues, problems resulting from alcohol or drug use, stress, and coping with life changes in your personal or work setting. RBHS postdocs can take advantage of this short-term counseling service. To learn more, visit this webpage or call 1-800-327-3678. Rutgers4U Rutgers Health is proud to announce the launch of a new confidential staff, faculty, and family support line: Rutgers4U (1-855-652-6819). Our new support line offers emotional and therapeutic support during and following the COVID-19 pandemic to Rutgers staff, faculty members, and their families. It is intended to offer quick access to professional resources to help reduce the stress, anxiety, feelings of depression, and other challenges experienced by the staff, faculty, and families of Rutgers University. The line, which is organized and implemented by Rutgers University Behavioral Health Care (UBHC), with the assistance of Rutgers School of Social Work and Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, will be staffed by licensed clinicians who will conduct an initial assessment and will provide a brief clinical intervention. During this first encounter the clinician will determine if additional individual or family therapy tele-mental health sessions would be beneficial, with a transfer to the UBHC Access Center for appointment scheduling. This support line will be operational Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Hours will expand to 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m., seven days a week, as staffing permits. During the off-hours, a voicemail box will be established to allow callers to leave their contact information for a follow up the next morning. -- COVID-19 Telecommuting and Wellness website As part of University Human Resources’ continued efforts to provide employees information and guidance during this time of uncertainty, we would like to share with you the new COVID-19 Telecommuting and Wellness website. This site provides guidelines and resources to help employees effectively manage working remotely and the stress that may come along with it. These resources focus on supporting the physical and mental wellbeing of our employees as they continue to adjust to workplace and life changes as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. -- Joyable -- A Digital Wellness Resource for Employees As part of our ongoing efforts to provide health and wellness resources to employees, we would like to share a digital wellness tool called Joyable, available at no cost to employees enrolled in state health benefits. Joyable is a mobile app designed to help manage stress, anxiety, and/or depression anytime, anywhere, from your mobile device or computer. Through Joyable, you have access to personal coaching, as well as online resources, as part of an eight-week program to help improve your emotional health using the principles of cognitive behavioral therapy. A personal coach will help keep you on track to meet your emotional wellness goals. All of this is 100% confidential. Joyable can be used on a mobile device through a free app or on your desktop computer through the web. To download the app, visit the App Store® or Google Play™ and search for “Joyable”. Once the Joyable app has been downloaded, just click on the “Take the quiz” button, and choose the option to sign up that is labeled “Through an employer or insurance plan”. Enter “SHBP” to gain access to the app. You will need your insurance card later to verify your enrollment. You can also enroll on the web at https://joyable.com/shbp. For more information on what Horizon BCBS offers in regards to behavioral health, visit their website at https://www.horizonblue.com/shbp/health-programs/horizon-behavioral-health. -- Rutgers: Office for Violence Prevention and Victim Assistance (VPVA) The Office for Violence Prevention and Victim Assistance is committed to creating a community free from violence. VPVA provides services designed to raise awareness of and respond to the impact of interpersonal violence and other crimes. Through a combination of direct service, education, training, policy development, and consulting to the University and the broader community, they serve as a critical voice in changing prevailing beliefs and attitudes about violence. For more information, visit their faculty/staff webpage here. -- Sexual Harassment Prevention and Culture Change Rutgers formed the Committee on Sexual Harassment Prevention and Culture Change in the Fall of 2018. Led by Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs, Barbara Lee, the 45-person committee meets over several months on six subcommittees to consider and propose recommendations in areas including consensual relationships, bringing greater transparency to reporting and findings of harassment, training for faculty and staff, and assessment of the effectiveness of our approaches. To learn more, visit their website here. |
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UnitedHealth Insured PostdocsPostdoctoral Fellows with health insurance through UnitedHealth can take advantage of BetterHelp. BetterHelp is the world's largest e-counseling platform, and aims to make professional counseling accessible, affordable, convenient - so anyone who struggles with life’s challenges can get help, anytime, anywhere. To take advantage of BetterHelp, visit this webpage. |
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External ResourcesLocal Resources:
Federal Resources:
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Mindfulness Meditation: Virtual WorkshopsMindfulness meditation is a mental training practice that brings you and your thoughts into the present, focusing on emotions, thoughts, and sensations that you're experiencing "in the now." While it can be initially difficult to quiet your thoughts, with time and practice you can experience the benefits of mindfulness meditation, including less stress and anxiety, and even a reduction in symptoms of conditions like IBS. Mindfulness meditation helps us to manage stress and to develop a caring, compassionate, non-judgmental awareness of our own experience. Mindfulness techniques can vary, but in general, mindfulness meditation involves:
CAPS is offering virtual Mindfulness Meditation Workshops through May 14th: Mondays and Thursdays at 12 pm Mondays: Join by Webex Thursdays: Join by Webex Click here to view additional information such as guided relaxation exercise videos and audio if you want to do this at home on your own. |
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Helplines
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Downloadable ContentApps:
Mental Health Guides: |
*Disclaimer: This information is not a substitute for the knowledge, skill, and judgment of qualified mental health care professionals. If you are experiencing a true medical or psychiatric emergency, please call 911 or reach out to any of the Helplines listed above.