Employee Assistance Service for Teachers

Teachers! Do you know that you and your immediate family members can avail of a free counselling service?

The Employee Assistance Service can help with issues in any of these areas:

• Work related issues
• Family issues
• Emotional concerns
• Relationship difficulties
• Stress
• Harassment and bullying
• Isolation
• Workload
• Addiction
• Bereavement
• Health concerns
• Workplace conflict
  
  Here are some facts about the Employee Assistance Service for Teachers.
  
  It is free (the service is paid for by the Department of Education and Science).
  It is for teachers, their spouses or partners and their dependents above the age of 16 and even mother/ father where appropriate.
  The service provides access to a professional counsellor / psychotherapist who will listen in a non-judgemental way.
  The service is offered 24 hours/ day and 365 days of the year.
  The service is provided by ringing a Freephone number 1800 411 057.
  You can get immediate support by talking to the counsellor who answers the phone (this might be a single session or may involve further phone conversations).
  The service can also arrange face to face counselling (up to 6 counselling sessions). These are the steps involved: When you phone the service you are matched with a counsellor in your area. You can request to meet with a male or female counsellor and if you prefer you can ask to talk to a counsellor outside your area if you have concerns about privacy. The Employee Assistance Service will contact the counsellor and check that they can offer a service within 5 days. The local counsellor then phones the teacher/ client within 48 hours to make an appointment.
  This service is confidential.
  The Employee Assistance Service for Teachers is provided by Vhi Corporate solutions.
  Check out the website www.vhi.ie/dep_edu_science./index.jsp to find lots of useful advice about dealing with a range of issues.