Employee Assistance Program Launches Text, Website Resources

February 19, 2021 | News, UToday
By Staff



The University of Toledo is committed to offering resources that make an impact on employees’ personal health and well-being.

IMPACT Solutions, UToledo’s Employee Assistance Program provider, has expanded its complimentary and confidential support services to include text and a new website platform in addition to its phone and face-to-face support resources.

Employees and their household members, dependents living away from home and parents and parents-in-law can now text using chatbot TESS. TESS is a free mental health chatbot that uses artificial intelligence to deliver on-demand emotional support to boost mental health and resilience based on the emotions expressed via text.

“When complications arise from stress, parenting challenges or other concerns, it’s comforting to have a resource available at your fingertips,” said Vicki Riddick, manager of employee wellness. “We’re proud to offer this complimentary, confidential tool for our employees to bridge the mental health gap.”

New for 2021, IMPACT also will provide enhanced resources through the launch of its website platform, MyLifeExpert. MyLifeExpert now includes thousands of articles, videos and assessments related to health and lifestyle. It also allows you to build your own employee profile to customize your experience. Updated access instructions can be found on the UToledo EAP website.

UToledo and IMPACT have partnered to offer two orientation sessions to learn more about the depth of resources available to employees and their family members. Scheduled for noon Thursday, Feb. 25, and 1 p.m. Tuesday, March 2, these half-hour sessions will include a detailed tutorial on the new MyLifeExpert platform.

Registration is required for the Feb. 25 session and the March 2 session.