At MINES, we’re dedicated to supporting our community through all mental health challenges every day of the year. This National Suicide Awareness Month, we’d like to talk about the important issue of suicide, offer practical tips on how you can offer support, and provide additional resources.

If you’re having thoughts of suicide or considering ending your own life, please reach out for help immediately. Call 988 for 24/7 crisis support, or dial 911 if you’re facing an immediate emergency. Remember, you’re not alone – there are people who care about you and want to help. There is hope, and support is available.

Statistics that show why we still need suicide awareness

Unfortunately, suicide rates in the United States have crept back up to their peak in the past few years. These statistics make it clear why suicide awareness continues to be so important.

• Nearly 50,000 people in the U.S. died of suicide in 2022.
• Far more people – around 1.6 million – attempted suicide.
• Suicide is the 11th leading cause of death in the U.S.
• One person dies by suicide every 11 minutes.
• Over 13 million people think seriously about suicide every year.
• People who identify as non-Hispanic American Indian/Alaskan Native and non-Hispanic white face the highest risk of dying by suicide.
• Males are 4 times more likely to die by suicide than females.
• Firearms were used in more than 50% of suicide deaths.
• Older adults (aged 85 and older) are the most likely to die by suicide.
• More than 20% of teens have seriously considered suicide.
• Suicide is now the second-leading cause of death for teenagers.

[Sources: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, American Psychological Association, Population Reference Bureau]

How everyone can support suicide awareness

If you don’t work in the mental health field, it’s easy to start feeling helpless in the face of America’s suicide crisis. You might feel like there’s nothing you can do to raise awareness and support people facing this – but that’s not true. There are steps that each of us can take to raise suicide awareness and offer support for people who may be affected.

Here are some actions to take for suicide awareness, both at work and beyond.

Talk about it openly

First of all, it’s important to break the taboo of suicide and talk about it openly, just like we talk about other leading causes of death. This doesn’t mean you’re obligated to share the intimate details of your life at work or in other situations, but shying away from the topic only heightens the stigma against it. For example, if a loved one died by suicide, don’t be afraid to say that directly instead of using euphanisms.

Open discussions not only about suicide, but about mental health in general. Creating an environment where mental health is normalized can feel safer for people who may be struggling with suicidal thoughts.

Use empathetic language

When you do talk about suicide, it’s important to use the right language. Using empathetic wording can help break the stigma against suicide and help people feel less villainized. An important example is refraining from saying that someone “committed” suicide. The term “committed” has a negative connotation, and makes the person who died seem like a criminal rather than a victim. Instead, use the more neutral phrasing, “died by suicide.”

Learn the signs and causes

An important way to contribute to suicide prevention is to commit to learning. Attend workshops, trainings, and online webinars that teach about the early signs of suicide and how to support someone who’s feeling this way. Experts say that suicide is preventable most of the time, and knowing the signs plays an important role in prevention. Plus, going to these trainings may uncover unconscious biases you may have about suicide and work toward dismantling them.

Spread awareness of resources

There are numerous free and accessible resources available to help those at risk of suicide. You can raise awareness of these resources in various ways, such as sharing them on social media, discussing them openly at work, creating flyers, or even hosting webinars. These actions can help connect people to the support they need when they’re feeling vulnerable. For example, sharing the number for the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline (988 in the U.S.) or information about local mental health services can make a huge difference. The more people are aware of these resources, the more likely they are to use them or share them with someone who might need them.

Another way to spread awareness is by advocating for mental health days or providing employees with resources related to suicide prevention in the workplace. By normalizing conversations around mental health resources, you help reduce the stigma and make it easier for someone to seek help.

Reach out

If you’re ever concerned about a loved one being at risk for suicide, don’t hesitate to reach out. It can feel scary at first, and many people worry that by bringing the topic of suicide up with their loved one, they’ll “put the idea in their head.” This is a myth – if your loved one is thinking about suicide, then approaching the topic with them is more likely to help them feel better than worse.

Reach out to anyone you’re concerned about with empathy and non-judgment. Refrain from using any language that could make them feel guilty about considering suicide. For example, don’t say, “Think about how it would impact your kids. How could you do that to them?” Instead, try saying, “That sounds really painful, and I’m worried about you. We’ll get the help you need together – you’re not alone. I’m here for you.”

Donate and/or volunteer

Lastly, if you’re passionate about this cause, consider making a donation or volunteering your time to support a mental health or suicide awareness organization. Donations help fund critical research, support services, and awareness campaigns, which makes a tangible impact on the fight against suicide. Volunteering, whether through crisis hotlines, community outreach, or local events, can provide hands-on support to those in need.

By contributing your time or resources, you become part of a larger effort to reduce stigma and support those affected by suicide. Even small contributions can lead to meaningful change – whether that’s providing comfort to someone in crisis or helping spread vital information that could save a life.

Important resources

At MINES, we strive to be a valuable resource for employees who may be facing mental health challenges or suicidal thoughts. Our licensed therapists offer free and confidential counseling 24/7 for our EAP members.

In addition to your EAP, there are numerous other resources available to support individuals who may be considering suicide. You are not alone, and these resources can provide the help you need:

• Suicide & Crisis Lifeline (988): Dial 988 for free, confidential support from trained crisis counselors, available 24/7 across the U.S.
• National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: Call 1-800-273-TALK (8255) to speak with someone who can provide immediate help.
• Crisis Text Line: Text HOME to 741741 to connect with a trained crisis counselor via text, available 24/7.
• The Trevor Project: A lifeline specifically for LGBTQ+ youth. Call 1-866-488-7386, text START to 678678, or visit their website for chat support.
• Veterans Crisis Line: Veterans and their loved ones can dial 988 and press 1, or text 838255, for specialized support.
• NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness) Helpline: Call 1-800-950-NAMI (6264) for information, support, and referrals for those facing mental health challenges.
• SAMHSA National Helpline: For those seeking treatment options, call 1-800-662-HELP (4357) to access a confidential, free, 24/7 helpline that provides information and referrals to local services.
• American Foundation for Suicide Prevention: Visit their website for resources on understanding and preventing suicide, as well as support for those affected by it.

These resources are here to offer support and guidance, so don’t hesitate to reach out if you or someone you know is struggling. Remember, help is always available, and it’s okay to ask for it.

To Your Wellbeing,

The MINES Team

The post National Suicide Awareness Month: Why It Still Matters and Ways to Show Support appeared first on MINES and Associates.

May 9th is National Children’s Mental Health Awareness Day. To commemorate this important holiday, we’ve gathered 7 tips on how to start a conversation about mental health with your child – including language you can borrow and analogies you can use.

Focus on emotions

It can be helpful to open these conversations by talking about emotions. Even if your child doesn’t yet understand mental health, they do understand emotions. Their emotional vocabulary will typically depend on their developmental level. As they grow, children can understand more and more complex emotions; what they understood simply as “sadness” when they were younger can expand into “grief,” “disappointment,” “brokenheartedness,” and more.

You can describe common mental health problems using emotions that your child understands. For example, you could explain, “Depression is when someone feels very sad and lonely, and that feeling doesn’t go away for a long time.” or, “People with anxiety feel scared and nervous, even when there’s nothing truly dangerous to be afraid of.”

Make analogies to physical health

Even when children have never heard of mental health, they tend to understand the concept of physical health; they’ve seen their pediatrician, gotten their vaccines, and probably experienced at least minor physical illnesses like the common cold. You can use this in an analogy to help younger children understand more about mental health.

Try saying something like,

“Do you remember when we went to see your pediatrician when you were throwing up and had a fever? Sometimes, we might go to another type of doctor because our brains and feelings are sick. We might feel really sad or really scared. Sometimes, these feelings don’t go away on their own and we need to see a doctor. These feelings doctors are called therapists or psychologists. They help people feel better in their mind, just like when your pediatrician gave you the medicine.”

Respect their boundaries

For some children, talking about mental health may be triggering or overwhelming. For example, if you or another family member lives with a mental illness, or if your child’s own mental health has been suffering, talking about these topics may bring up a lot of painful feelings. You might find that your child, especially if they’re a teenager, is reluctant to talk or share.

It’s important to respect your child’s boundaries; trying to force them to talk about it will likely only make them shut down further. Make sure you communicate your desire to understand, and let them know that you’re there to listen whenever they’re ready to.

If you are concerned about your child’s mental health and they’re refusing to talk to you about it, there are ways to express that concern. You might say something like, “I think something might be going on, and I want you to know that I’m here to listen. I know that this is hard to talk about. Only you know how you feel, but I am here to support you. I’ll never judge you for anything you tell me.”

Share your own emotional experiences

Talking about your own emotions can help normalize these conversations. This doesn’t mean that you should break boundaries and lean on your child for support while you’re going through a mental health crisis. But regularly naming your emotions can help your child understand that mental health is on a spectrum. No one is always “happy” or always “sad.”

For example, perhaps your family pet has died. If your child has been acting out or showing some signs of irritability, it could be that they don’t know how else to express their grief. You could say something like, “I miss our pet a lot. I feel really sad about it. It’s called grief, and it’s normal to feel like this when someone you love dies or goes away. How are you feeling about our pet?”

Validate their feelings

If your child does come to you with an emotion or mental health symptoms, take it seriously and provide validation. It’s easy for adults to minimize children’s concerns; they often feel trivial to us. Sometimes, we also unintentionally judge children for having strong feelings.

It’s often well-intentioned; for example, if your teenager says that they’re depressed because of something that happened with their crush, it may be tempting to want to tell them, “You won’t even care about this person in a few years. Don’t worry about it. You’ll be fine.” Or if they tell you they’re hurting themselves because they’re depressed, you might have the urge to say: “Why would you do this to yourself?”

But remember that, even if it doesn’t make sense to you at first, these concerns are real for them, and it’s important to help your child feel validated and supported – especially when they’ve expressed that they have been feeling bad.

You can use phrases like:

• That sounds so painful.
• This must be really hard.
• I can see that this is really important to you.
• I can see that you’re hurting.

Let them know it’s not their fault

Whether it’s your child who’s facing a mental health issue or someone else in your family, your child needs to know that it’s not their fault. Children, especially younger children, may blame themselves for a crisis, especially if they don’t understand it. Make it clear that whatever’s happening is not their fault.

If your child is experiencing mental health concerns, you can try to normalize it for them. You can say something like, “Just like people get the flu sometimes, we also get sick in other ways. You have a sickness that makes you feel really scared and nervous at school, but you’re going to get better. It’s not your fault, and we’ll get through it together. Lots of kids feel the same way.”

If someone else in your family is experiencing mental illness, you (and other important adults in your child’s life) can decide how much detail is appropriate to reveal to them. But keep in mind that hiding it altogether will likely be ineffective – your child may pick up on the fact that something is wrong. The important thing is to communicate to them that whatever is happening is not their fault.

For example, to a younger child, you might say: “Dad is going through a hard time. He has a sickness that makes him feel a lot of things, and you might notice that he looks sad sometimes. He just needs to rest, and his doctor is helping him feel better. None of this is your fault – you didn’t do anything wrong. This is just a sickness that happens to people sometimes, just like when you caught the flu.”

Open conversations, and keep them open

Finally, don’t wait to open these conversations with your child, especially if you have concerns for their mental health. Don’t wait for them to come to you. There are many reasons why people, both children and adults, find it challenging to come forward about mental health issues, including feelings of shame and a lack of understanding. You can make the process easier by opening the conversation in a safe and non-judgmental way.

In addition, keep in mind that talking about mental health one time is a good start – but it’s also important to keep these conversations open. Revisit the topic of mental health when it’s relevant. Keep checking in with your child. Answer their questions when they come up. It’s important for children to know that it’s always okay to talk about their mental health, and that you’re there to support them and help them understand.

Your employee assistance program can help

Our EAP offers 24/7 confidential counseling, as well as parent coaching, for our members. If you or your child are experiencing mental health issues, or if you simply need someone to talk to about these topics, get in touch with us or check out your digital services. We’re here to support you and your family.

To Your Wellbeing,

The MINES Team

The post 7 Tips to Help Start a Conversation About Mental Health with Your Child appeared first on MINES and Associates.

We have become more aware of depression, but awareness is only the first step. It’s also critical that we’re regularly screening individuals for depression, just like we do for other health conditions like heart disease or high cholesterol. When we catch depression symptoms early on, we can help people realize there is a health problem and get the treatment they need – often through employee assistance programs.

National Depression Screening Day is celebrated each year in the first week of October. In today’s blog, we’ll help you prepare for this important day by giving you tips and resources on how to conduct depression screenings in your workplace.

Understanding what depression looks like

Most people have a general idea of what a “depressed person” looks like; perhaps you imagine someone who is often sad and cries frequently. But in reality, this is only one presentation of depression. There are many types of depressive disorders, and it’s important to understand how each of them can present.

Common symptoms of depression

Sad or low mood and frequent crying often do come along with depression. Some other common symptoms that you may notice include:

• No longer seem to enjoy things they used to enjoy
• Suddenly being apathetic or indifferent to work
• Appearing lethargic or extremely fatigued, which can even lead them to physically move slower than normal
• Decreased productivity at work
• Eating more or less than usual, which can lead to weight gain or loss
• Mood swings or being irritable; snapping at colleagues over small things
• Difficulty concentrating or making decisions; seeming to have a hard time remembering things
• Withdrawing and isolating themselves from others, especially if you’ve known them to be social people
• Increased absenteeism and tardiness
• Frequently complaining of unexplained physical symptoms like headaches or stomachaches
• Being very self-critical or having low self-esteem
• Talking about death and suicide, even if it’s in a “joking” manner

Although not everyone who displays these signs is experiencing depression, it’s important to be aware of the signs so you know what to watch out for. If you notice these signs, consider employee assistance programs to help improve your mental health.

On top of that, there are several different depressive disorders.

Major depressive disorder

This is what we most often refer to when we talk about “clinical depression.” People with major depressive disorder show many of the above symptoms for a period of 2 weeks or more.

Persistent depressive disorder

Persistent depressive disorder is also called chronic depression, and is diagnosed when someone has symptoms of depression for 2 years or more. They may not seem as acutely depressed, but likely show at least some of the symptoms.

Bipolar disorder

People with bipolar disorder swing between mania/hypomania (an intensely euphoric or “high” mood that can cause impulsive and dangerous behaviors) and depression. People with bipolar disorder may not be immediately identified as having depression because they could be in a manic episode the majority of the time. Other people with bipolar disorder are depressed most of the time and only experience one manic episode in their lives.

Postpartum depression

Colleagues who have recently given birth may show signs of postpartum depression, which is when someone experiences depression symptoms after childbirth. Research shows that people who adopt, as well as non-birthing partners, can also experience postpartum depression.

Because of these variations, depression can present itself in many different ways. Regular depression screening can make sure no one falls through the cracks.

Why is it important to screen for depression?

National Depression Screening Day can be an opportunity to remind employees to self-reflect and check themselves for symptoms of depression. Just like they go to their doctor every year for an annual physical exam, they can complete depression screening tools to ensure that their mood and mental health are sound.

Often when we’re experiencing depression, especially if we’ve experienced it for a long time, we don’t realize that we need help. We may assume that certain feelings or experiences are “just a part of life.” This can prevent us from getting support when we need it.

Here are some other reasons why it’s important to regularly screen for depression:

• Regular screening allows for the early identification of depression symptoms, which enables timely intervention and support (employee assistance programs) for employees who may be struggling.
• Employees benefit from increased awareness of their mental health through routine screenings. This knowledge can empower them to take proactive steps in managing their mental well-being and seeking support when it’s needed.
• Routine screening can minimize the personal and professional consequences of untreated depression, like workplace conflicts, strained relationships, financial stress, or compromised work-life balance.
• When people regularly screen themselves for depression, they’re connected to appropriate resources and assistance.
• Screening initiatives play a crucial role in tailoring and targeting mental health support through employee assistance programs in terms of organizational support.
• A workplace that prioritizes regular depression screening experiences improved employee engagement and retention because they’re creating environments that are characterized by care and support.

Screening tools for depression

Here is a helpful list of screening tools and resources that your employees can use to screen themselves for depression. Make sure that employees know that their results will be confidential. The idea is to help them get access to treatment when they otherwise wouldn’t have.

It’s also important to note that depression screening tests are not a replacement for a professional evaluation and diagnosis. No screening tool can diagnose you with depression, but they can give you a better idea of the signs of depression you or your employees might be experiencing and whether or not they could benefit from professional support.

• Beck Depression Inventory (BDI)
• Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale (CES-D)
• EQ-5D
• Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAM-D)
• Quick Inventory of Depressive Symptomatology – Self-Report (QIDS-SR)
• Beck Hopelessness Scale
• Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9)

You can get access to most of these tools through the American Psychiatric Association. Mental Health America also offers a quick online depression test that you can take.

Your Employee Assistance Program may also be able to help. If you’re a MINES & Associates client, you and your family have access to free and confidential counseling services at any time, day or night. Our mental health therapists can help you figure out if you might be experiencing depression, and offer guidance and support.

Contact us today and let us know how we can support your organization.

To Your Wellbeing,

The MINES Team

The post The Face of Depression at Work: Identifying Signs, Encouraging Conversations, and Seeking Help appeared first on MINES and Associates.

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According to the Human Rights Campaign, there are still a number of employer-sponsored health plans which do not cover gender reassignment surgery. The average cost of a gender reassignment procedure is $16,000. Additionally, if the employer does not allow the employee to utilize leave for treatments leading up to and including gender reassignment surgery, there is an even more significant cost to the transgender employee.

What can you, as the employer do to support a work environment that is open and inclusive to all persons, including transgender candidates and employees?

• Champion support for an inclusive and diverse work environment at all levels of the organization with the loudest voices at the top!
• Offer non-discriminatory health plans! Work with your plans to ensure that you have removed exclusions for gender reassignment transition and hormone therapy.
• Be sure to include gender identity in your anti-discrimination and anti-harassment policies. Consider zero-tolerance policies.
• Treat transgender employee(s) as an individual, offer them the opportunity to lead their transitional process with the organization including; communicating their name, pronouns, how they want to inform their colleagues, their timelines, and how they best want to be supported.
• Include gender identity awareness in your trainings whenever possible; consider your diversity, respectful workplace, and civility trainings as starting places.
• Incorporate gender identity and transition into your leave policies. Transitioning can be a lengthy process. Keep the dialogues going with your transgender employees. Offer time off and discuss support needs along the way.
• Support looks different to everyone! It might be handy to put together a supportive tool-kit for employees intending to transition. This toolkit may provide explanations about benefits for transgender employees such as health insurance, leave, and employee assistance programs. The toolkit may also include information about how to talk to managers and colleagues about the transition, restroom information, and a contact person to support them as well as their team. Your employee may or may not use the tool kit but if the resources are there, then they will be able to utilize them if needed.
• Consult with your Employee Assistance Program with any questions and support around transitioning employees, policies, language and resources. Support and help is available.
• Utilize education and support to work through any personal concerns you may have regarding supporting transitioning employees. Supporting al lemployees equally is a legal responsibility.

To Your Wellbeing,

Dani Kimlinger, Ph.D., MHA, SPHR, SHRM- SCP and Patrick Hiester, LPC

The MINES Team

[i] Gay and Transgender People Face High Rates of Workplace Discrimination and Harassment. Data Demonstrate Need for Federal Law. By Crosby Burns and Jeff Krehely. June 2, 2011

[ii] 37 Shocking LGBT Discrimination Statistics. Brandon Gaille. January 14, 2015.

[iii] The Transgender Community by the Numbers. Marie Claire. Kenny Thapoung

[iv] Transgender Workers at Greater Risk For Unemployment and Poverty. Human Rights Campaign. September 6, 2013

The post A Few Pointers on Supporting Your Transgender Employees! appeared first on MINES and Associates.

Globus Family of Brands is a local client of ours. Each year, during the holiday season as a part of their “Community Commitment,” they select an organization in the Denver Metro area and adopt several families for the holidays. The generosity shown to these adopted families by Globus Family of Brands is overwhelming. The company pulls together to ensure that every item on these families’ wish lists is granted. This year, their Human Resources department came to us with an intriguing question as a part of this program, “Do we have employees that we work with every day that could benefit from the same support and how could we help them?”

They contacted us. Knowing how their employees felt about the confidentiality and support that we’ve provided to their employees over the years, they knew that their employees would feel comfortable working through the EAP to self-identify as being in need of such support. We were happy to oblige. We sent out a survey that came back to MINES requesting details around need, anonymized the list of those that fit the criteria, and sent a list of needs to Globus Family of Brands. Their response was overwhelming! We received all of the gifts at MINES’ corporate headquarters and contacted the identified Group Voyager families to let them know they could pick up these gifts for their families.

There are EAPs and then there are EAPs that really want to partner with your organization to make major impacts in the lives of the members you cover. MINES has long-struggled with the issue of explaining exactly what separates us from many other EAP programs. We’ve never been a “cheap” EAP. There are many reasons for this: we have a really high average utilization rate; we have our own organizational psychology division that can consult with management on a large range of issues; and we recruit and hire the best talent to make sure we can always execute on our promises. But there is another piece that we rarely talk about that we think really sets us apart from our competition: we really do want to do everything we can to help our clients help their employees, in whatever capacity that we can.

It is amazing and touching to us here at MINES that our clients are so concerned, so giving, with their employees that they would devise such a cool program and that they felt comfortable coming to us to help them make it happen. We applaud Globus Family of Brands for their excellent and generous outpouring of support for their co-workers! We hope that this story inspires the same generosity of spirit during the hectic holiday season. Regardless of beliefs, the season can be very inspiring!

Season’s Greetings!
The MINES Team

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May 2014: Intellectual & Financial Wellbeing

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The More You Know!

Welcome to the May issue of TotalWellbeing! This month we will continue to focus on Intellectual wellbeing while bringing things back full circle by re-introducing one of our first topics of the year, financial wellbeing. Finances and intellect have a complex relationship that is difficult to discuss fully in a short amount of time and without looking at many aspects of the society in which we live, but we will do our best to look at the connection on a micro as well as macro level.

As always we had a lot of information coming from the MINES team last month. We saw the latest look into the complex world of how your decisions regarding your privacy play a key part in your health and the health of others. We explored how positive thinking and social support can help you overcome adversity. And of course the latest edition of Bridging the Gap helps tie the whole first quarter of 2014 together. We have lots planned coming up, so as usual we encourage you to head over to our blog to check out the latest updates, and let us know what you want to see from MINES.

To your total wellbeing,

The MINES Team

The Connection:

Intellectual & Financial Wellbeing

Intellectual Wellbeing

Financial Wellbeing

It’s Never Too Late to Learn New Things!

Family Financial Problems

To read the full article, click here.

  It’s obvious that your financial situation can affect your happiness and wellbeing, but what about those around you? Understanding how financial decisions can affect your family is critical, and to help here are some tips from Livestrong.com that shed light on the many connections between the ones you love and your financial standing.

To read the full article, click here.   MINES does not warrant the materials (Audio, Video, Text, Applications, or any other form of media or links) included in this communication have any connection to MINES & Associates, nor does MINES seek to endorse any entity by including these materials in this communication.  MINES accepts no liability for the consequences of any actions taken on the basis of the information provided herein, nor any additional content that may be made available through any third-party site. We found them helpful, and hope you do too!

The post TotalWellbeing: May 2014 appeared first on MINES and Associates.

One common and inexpensive benefit that the vast majority of organizations provide to their employees is an Employee Assistance Program (EAP). Yes, MINES and Associates is an EAP provider, and as such we see the issues that come to the table: low morale, family conflicts, substance abuse, and financial stressors to name a few. We also hear success stories of employees completing their counseling sessions and feeling that many areas of their lives have improved – including their job! Being the HR specialist of an organization which provides EAP services, it was easy to see where the value of an EAP lies. When an employee comes to you with a problem or suspicions of a mental illness, it’s reassuring to know that as an HR specialist, you have a great resource available where you can refer employees to clinicians that are better suited to help with these sorts of problems.

In addition to an EAP, there are other ways that you can regularly support your employees. Some benefits that our employees greatly appreciate include generous time off, the ability to work remotely, and encouraged open-communication. During times of stress, employees tend to appreciate time off to deal with personal matters. Working remotely allows the employee flexibility in their work. Finally, open-communication allows employees to bring forth concerns and needs without fear of reprisal. Your employees are the greatest asset of the company – show them that you care and support them!

Daniél C. Kimlinger, MHA
Human Resources Specialist

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The post Approaches to Therapy appeared first on MINES and Associates.

Many companies host Benefit & Health Fairs in the late fall & early winter.  This is an opportunity for employees to meet with the benefit providers, ask questions, and learn about services that are available to them.  It is also an opportunity for your EAP Account Managers to hear what is working well, what needs improvement, or what changes or additions to your EAP programs would be most appreciated.   As employees (and sometimes the families as well) wind their way through the tables manned by benefit providers and companies offering services we like to have something to draw people to the EAP table.  MINES has long used the “Really Big Bear” as a raffle to pull people to our display.   It is not unusual to have the winner re-gift this prize to another person or enterprise.  We have heard of the “Really Big Bear” finding a home in child care centers at churches and community centers, in offices where burdened or distressed employees are seeking direction or comfort, with Grandchildren, and with Toys for Tots.

Below is the “rest of the story” for the South Suburban Parks and Recreation bear given away last fall.  The generosity displayed and the culture of caring promoted by the act make a heartwarming story.

Peggy Hill
Account Manager

Lola, who has fully recovered, at home with her “Really Big Bear”

“On November 12 , I went to Buck Recreation Center for our annual Health and Benefits Fair with South Suburban Parks and Recreation. While I was there I visited the various tables set up with information and freebies. I only filled out 2 cards for drawings. One was with MINES and Associates. Since I am one of those people who never win anything, imagine my surprise when my name was drawn for the big, beautiful, soft brown teddy bear. During this time one of our manager’s  2 year old daughter, Lola, was in the hospital severly ill after being exposed to E. Coli.  Even though I knew the bear would be larger than her, I knew I wanted to give it to her. James gave us updates on Lola’s condition through Facebook so we knew what was going on. He came in one day to attend a meeting and I told him I would like to give her the bear. He took it home and took pictures of her with it. I want to thank you for this beautiful gift. I thought you might like to know what happened to it, who received it, and where it found a home. James and I both want to thank you.”

Linda Vestal
Registration Office Supervisor, Goodson Recreation Center

The post Happenings from Account Management… appeared first on MINES and Associates.