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By Melanie Klein
Arizona Daily Wildcat
November 26, 1996
The UA Employee Wellness Program received the "Employee Assistance Program of the Year" award this month, presented by the Employee Assistance Association of Southern Arizona.The program was recognized for its innovation and partnership with the state of Arizona in providing quality services and health promotion for employees and employers, a press release stated.
"The UA wants to have the best institution in terms of overall excellence, and the employees are the people making that happen," said Darci Thompson, Employee Wellness Program director. "We look at what kinds of support they need."
Don Jorgensen of Jorgensen Heath Care Systems said he developed the award to recognize professionals and raise awareness of the benefits of employee assistance programs.
The Employee Wellness Program is divided into three units consisting of employee assistance services, health promotion and child care assistance.
The employee assistance service provides free consultation, work-site educational programs, short-term counseling, information, and referrals to community resources, Thompson said.
Health promotion offers single or multiple sessions with a health educator, which are designed to evaluate employees' health and offer advice on how to improve it, Thompson said.
Child care assistance offers services and benefits designed to help employees locate, select and pay for child care, Thompson said.
Wellness Program "services look at the whole person," Thompson said.
Lynne Smiley, nutrition wellness coordinator for Campus Health Services, who assists health promotion, said the services boost employee morale.
"It is important to the employees that the state cares enough to provide services for them," Smiley said.
Mary Cox, an administrative associate, who has used the Employee Wellness Program, said, "I don't know what I would have done without the services."
She and her department participated in the health promotions program evaluating their health.
The service offers cholesterol and body fat testing, and a questionnaire regarding the effects of stress on employees. After the health session, employees meet with a health counselor and are given recommendations.
"Everyone who participated in the program was thrilled to have been involved," Cox said. "They have done a really good job in following up on the consultations. I have received two letters about classes and programs that could benefit me."
Thompson said, "We use an integrated approach to provide a variety of educational and service-oriented programs. We are always trying to anticipate the needs of employees toward increasing their personal and professional effectiveness."
The College and University Personnel Association also named the Wellness Program one of the 29 best programs from among 569 institutions and said in a news release, "it was a trail-blazing, innovative, cost effective program."
Thompson said it is nice to be recognized for the work they do, and they are moving in the right direction.
The program's vision is to encourage an environment and culture that enhances employees' personal well-being, professional growth and contribution to the UA and the community, she said.
The Employee Wellness Program began with Health Promotions in 1990. The next year, it added employee assistance. Child care services were added in 1995.
Future program goals include expanding services to support creative problem solving and partnerships that help employees achieve a balance between work and the rest of their lives, Thompson said.
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