The University of Mississippi is dedicated to providing resources that support the health and wellness for all our employees. Employee participation in wellness program activities is supported by University leaders and is authorized by Mississippi Senate Bill 2646 of 2010 as can be found in the University’s Participation in Wellness Policy. We are pleased that we are currently able to offer two Employee Assistance Programs to provide confidential assistance to employees and their household members covering a wide range of family, marital, work-life challenges, and mental health issues.

On-campus Mental Health Services

The University Counseling Center offers confidential services to all administration, faculty, and staff.

UCC uses a short-term program to support employees who are experiencing challenging work/life-related situations, and who might benefit from speaking to a counselor in individual sessions. Common topics include stress related to work or home, interpersonal difficulties, or barriers to work productivity.

Four consultations are provided as follows:

• The first consultation is free
• The remaining 3 consultations are charged at $30 per session.
• A fee of $30 is charged for cancellations and no-shows.

Sessions are paid through payroll deduction. Sessions are renewable each calendar year (January-December).

To schedule an appointment, contact the Counseling Center at 662-915-3784 or via email at counslg@olemiss.edu.

COPE, or the Clinic for Outreach and Personal Enrichment, also offers counseling on campus and by Telehealth for employees and people in the community. The counselors are supervised graduate students in the Counselor Education Program. Find out more by emailing Clinical Coordinator Erica Montgomery at cope@olemiss.edu or calling 662-915-7197.

Anytime-Anywhere Services

In addition to our existing on-site counseling offered by the University Counseling Service, Red, Blue & Well is able to offer counseling and other services to University of Mississippi employees and their families through Deer Oaks EAP. The program offered by Dear Oaks is designed to promote and help employees and their family/household members achieve a balance of emotional, social, environmental, and cultural well-being. Please note that both employees and members of their households may receive this free and confidential benefit.

Mental health counseling: Receive up to six confidential counseling sessions with a licensed therapist — 6 sessions per person, per issue, per year. Counseling is available via structured telephonic sessions, video telehealth sessions, and in-person at local providers’ offices. When short-term services are not appropriate or sufficient, Deer Oaks will coordinate with our healthcare plan for referral assistance to a network provider through the medical benefit.

Work-Life Services: Work-life consultants are available to assist with a wide range of daily living resources such as locating pet sitters, event planners, home repair, tutors, travel planning, and moving services. Simply call the Helpline for resource and referral information

Legal and financial counseling: Take advantage of a free 30-minute consultation with a licensed lawyer or financial advisor, then 25% off their fees, if representation is required.

Take the High Road Ride Reimbursement Program: Deer Oaks reimburses members for their cab, Lyft, and Uber fares in the event of  incapacitation due to impairment by a substance or extreme emotional condition. This service is available once per year per participant, with a maximum reimbursement of $45.00 (excludes tip).

Wellness Resources: Find a library of webinars on a variety of wellness topics at DeerOaksEAP.com.

Start taking advantage of the services today! Access the Employee Assistance Program services by calling the toll-free helpline number, using the iConnectYou App, or instant messaging with a work-life consultant through the online instant messaging system.

Toll-free: (888) 993-7650

Website: deeroakseap.com (username and password: staywell)

Email: eap@deeroaks.com

All services are free and completely confidential. Although Deer Oaks will provide information to the University as a way to understand utilization, they will not divulge the name of—or any personal information about—the user or the service. 

Questions? Reach out to Lynn Wilkins at lwilkins@olemiss.edu.