By Diana St. Lifer

Working through stressful or life-changing events can be a challenge for even the strongest people. And when stress becomes overwhelming, it can affect a person's personal and professional life.

As a service to all classified employees, Montclair State has partnered with CONCERN EAP (Employee Assistance Program), which offers assessment, short-term counseling and referral, if necessary, to employees who want assistance in dealing with stress from work or life problems.

This is the second year the University has offered the program through CONCERN, said Gilbert Rivera, director of Employee Relations. "We want to make sure that eligible employees know this service is available to them," he said. "This is not something the University is obligated to offer, but we recognize that there is stress in the lives of individuals and we want to offer this service as a resource."

The program, open to the University's 540 classified employees and family members living in their households, provides trained counselors who can offer support in dealing with family or marital relationships, child birth and raising children, relocation, death in the family, emotional or psychological adjustment, legal or financial problems, retirement, alcohol and drug problems, and more. Individuals are eligible to receive three free counseling sessions per calendar year. If additional services are required, referrals will be made according to the individual’s health insurance plan.

"This program is highly confidential," said Rivera. "Human Resources gets no information about who is utilizing the EAP or why." A division of Atlantic Health System's Behavioral Health Services, CONCERN is headquartered in Morristown, but appointments can be made at any of its six office locations—Upper Montclair, Hackettstown, Somerville, Summit, Teaneck and Morristown. Appointments can be made 8 a.m.-8 p.m, Monday-Friday and 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Saturdays by calling 973-451-0025 or 800-242-7371. A 24-hour hotline is also available at 973-540-0100. All calls are kept strictly confidential.

Last month, more than 250 classified employees attended one of several 30-minute sessions offered to familiarize them with CONCERN's services. Rivera said another session will be offered in the near future. "We're making a concerted effort this year to make people aware of this service in the hopes that they will consider using the program," Rivera said. "The counselors are trained to deal with all types of stress-related issues, no matter how minor they may seem."