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UW CareLink
Faculty & Staff Assistance Program

Contact CareLink

Call toll-free: 1-866-598-3978 (dial 9 first if calling from a campus phone) for all carelink services, including urgent issues. Master's-level counselors are available to take your call 24/7. For financial or legal services, you will be referred to the appropriate professional.

UW CareLink can help you take control of and develop solutions to the challenges in your life. UW CareLink is a comprehensive faculty and staff assistance program that provides professional support for issues that can affect your personal and work life including:

Confidential Counseling

UW CareLink provides confidential in-person assessment and short-term counseling by local professionals for any issue that causes concern.

There is no out-of-pocket cost for up to five UW CareLink sessions per concern whether you are faculty, staff or a family or household member of a UW employee. You may receive additional referrals and resources after in-person counseling.

Legal Services

You can receive a free 30-minute telephone or in-person consultation with an attorney, with a 25% reduction in fees if that network attorney is retained. Areas covered include:

Financial Services

You can receive a free 30-minute telephone consultation with a CPA or certified financial professional to discuss such topics as:

Management Consultation

UW CareLink provides guidance and coaching for supervisors on effectively handling difficult employee interactions, talking about work performance, and maintaining positive, productive work environments. Schedule consultations with APS Healthcare staff member Alex Smith, LMHC, CEAP by emailing asmith@apshealthcare.com or calling 206-999-1145. Backup by the APS Healthcare Management Services Team is available by calling the main number 1-866-598-3978 and choosing the option for manager seeking consultation.

Critical/Traumatic Incident Response Services

UW CareLink provides a range of services to address the impact of traumatic events in the workplace. A critical/traumatic incident could include a coworker’s serious illness, death or suicide, a threatening or violent incident in the work setting, or a natural or man-made disaster. UW CareLink can support your team through facilitated discussions and on-site consultations.

UW CareLink Online Resource

APS HelpLink is your online toolkit for managing problems in your life anywhere, anytime, as long as you are connected to the Internet. Here you will find tools to help with behavioral health, financial, legal, and work issues. To log in and register, use "UW" as the company code and login at: APS HelpLink.

Eligibility, Release Time, and Leave Use

Services are available nationwide for benefits-eligible UW faculty and staff, their dependents, and family or household members. In addition, faculty and staff may include in the counseling session anyone who may be involved in their issue, such as a friend or relative.

For employees who accrue leave, the University provides release time for the first session relating to a particular concern. Additional sessions are charged to the appropriate leave category. If you schedule an appointment during scheduled work hours, you must make proper leave arrangements with your supervisor. Faculty and staff are not required to provide a supervisor with information about the purpose of their appointments.

Supervisors may refer faculty and staff members to UW CareLink. Supervisor-arranged appointments are treated as release time.

Contact your unit's Human Resources Consultant if you have questions about release time and leave use.

EXPLORE

Violence Prevention

The University of Washington has policies and procedures regarding violence prevention. Please visit www.safecampus.washington.edu to find out more.

Training and Workshops

Benefits & WorkLife provides seminars and events that can help you manage your work, school, or personal life.

Professional & Organizational Development also offers courses and workshops to help employees deal successfully with work-related issues.

UW CareLink Publications

Balance is a quarterly newsletter for benefits-eligible faculty and staff. It provides information on many topics including emotional health, cross-cultural cohesiveness, depression, anxiety, blended families, grief, and protecting children online.

Solutions is a quarterly newsletter for managers and supervisors. Published for employees in supervisory roles, each volume highlights many of the complicated issues that come up in the workplace.

CareLink Tip Sheets are brief, periodic, information bulletins providing suggestions and solutions that addresses individual issues common to most employees.

More Information

To request materials or training sessions, or for more information, email worklife@u.washington.edu or call 206-543-6963.

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