An Orientation to Your Confidential Resource and Referral Service

What Will the Orientation Cover? NYS-Balance Service Overview NYS-Balance Service Details How Can NYS-Balance Help? NYS Work-Life Services An Orientation to Your Confidential Resource and Referral Service 2

NYS-Balance is a confidential resource and referral service free to state employees and their families. When you contact NYS-Balance, you will be assisted by a qualified consultant who will respond to your request thoroughly and promptly. When you log on to the NYS-Balance website, you’ll find an abundance of useful resources, articles, links, and interactive tools. Service Overview What is NYS-Balance? An Orientation to Your Confidential Resource and Referral Service 3

Service Overview Who is Eligible to Use NYS-Balance? NYS-Balance is currently available to executive branch employees represented by CSEA, PEF, UUP, DC-37, NYSCOPBA, GSEU, Council 82, and those designated M/C. Other state employees may be eligible to use the service in the future when collective bargaining agreements are reached with other unions. All EAP Coordinators may use the service regardless of bargaining unit. An Orientation to Your Confidential Resource and Referral Service 4

NYS-Balance Highlights Resources and referral for issues related to work, family, daily life, finances, health, and well-being Prompt response to your request Available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, every day of the year Always confidential No cost to you or your family Contact a consultant, describe the services you need, and get a detailed list of referrals that have current openings/availability Service Overview What Does NYS-Balance Include? An Orientation to Your Confidential Resource and Referral Service 5

Service Overview Why Provide NYS-Balance? NYS-Balance can: Make life less complicated by providing support to you and your family Save you time and reduce stress Help keep you engaged and productive at work Provide you resources to balance work and life An Orientation to Your Confidential Resource and Referral Service 6

Service Overview How to Access NYS-Balance You can access NYS-Balance 24/7 by calling the toll-free number or by logging on to the NYS-Balance website and entering your username and password TTY/TTD: Username: nys Password: balance An Orientation to Your Confidential Resource and Referral Service 7

Child Care and Parenting Elder Care/Adults with Disabilities Education Health and Wellness Daily Life Legal/Financial NYS-Balance is designed to support all aspects of your life: “My child care provider is moving and I need to find another provider before the end of the week.” “My father who lives in Orlando, Florida is having a hard time staying at home alone. How do I determine what type of resources are best for him? Can you help me find the resources in Orlando so he can stay near his friends?” “My wife has taken a new job and we will be moving. I need information about the schools and civic organizations in the area, as well as local realtors.” “I would like to start exercising more regularly and have heard about Pilates. Can you send me information about Pilates classes in my area?” Service Details What Kinds of Issues Can I Ask About? An Orientation to Your Confidential Resource and Referral Service 8

Child Care and Parenting Elder Care/Adults with Disabilities Education Health and Wellness Daily Life Legal/Financial NYS-Balance is designed to support all aspects of your life: “My son has recently been diagnosed with ADHD. Are there any parent support groups I can join?” “My son is just starting to look at colleges but we don’t know where to start. Can you provide me with information on mid-sized Eastern colleges with a major in finance? Do you also have financial aid information?” “After the recent storm our roof started leaking, we need names of roofers who can start next week.” Service Details What Kinds of Issues Can I Ask About? An Orientation to Your Confidential Resource and Referral Service 9

Service Details Who Will Serve You? When you contact NYS-Balance you will be served by consultants who are experts in their field. Each has received specialized training to provide you with the best and most knowledgeable service available. All consultants receive over 200 hours of training within the first 90 days of employment. Consultants can assist in English or Spanish. An Orientation to Your Confidential Resource and Referral Service 10

After you describe the services you need, a NYS-Balance consultant will do the research for you and provide referrals. Referrals are confirmed, matched to your unique needs and each includes detailed information on services offered and fees Referrals are provided within 12 business hours (6 hours for urgent requests) and are delivered by , fax, or mail – your choice. Service Details When You Need a Referral An Orientation to Your Confidential Resource and Referral Service 11

To address your issues, NYS-Balance consultants can access a large collection of useful and authoritative resources: Provider Profiles Tip Sheets Check Lists Handbooks Interactive CDs Resource Kits Spanish Language Materials and much more Service Details What Resources Are Available? An Orientation to Your Confidential Resource and Referral Service 12

An Orientation to Your Confidential Resource and Referral Service 13 Online orientation New theme each month 5,000+ regularly updated articles Self-search locators for child and elder care, public and private schools, adoption, volunteer opportunities Streaming audio and video Financial calculators Legal ready documents The NYS-Balance website includes: Service Details What is on the NYS-Balance Website?

An Orientation to Your Confidential Resource and Referral Service 14 Service Details What is on the NYS-Balance Website? Learning Center with self assessments Skill Builders: Online training program with course certificates upon completion Health Tools: Interactive health assessments and educational resources Savings Center Quarterly Newsletter (LifeLines) The NYS-Balance website also includes:

An Orientation to Your Confidential Resource and Referral Service 15 Third Thursday of each month from 12 p.m. - 1 p.m. Telephone and PC access needed to participate Register for the webinar on the NYS-Balance website All webinars are archived for viewing later online, if the monthly webinar is not during your break or lunch time Monthly webinars are offered: Service Details More about the Website

NYS-Balance consultation and referral service can help with: How Can NYS-Balance Help? Child Care and Parenting Elder Care/Adults with Disabilities Care Coach Education Health and Wellness Daily Life Legal Financial NYS-Balance Can Help An Orientation to Your Confidential Resource and Referral Service 16

Finding care options for children can be a time-consuming and confusing process. Locating providers and then understanding how to assess the care offered can feel genuinely overwhelming. That’s where NYS-Balance comes in. How Can NYS-Balance Help? Child Care and Parenting An Orientation to Your Confidential Resource and Referral Service 17

Child Care and Parenting How Can NYS-Balance Help? Service includes calling to identify openings to meet your specific needs Child Care Centers Family Child Care In-Home Care: Nanny and Au Pair Placement Back-Up Care School-Age Care Adoption Resources Summer Camps (Resident, Day, Specialty) Parenting Classes and Support Groups and much more NYS-Balance can provide you with consultation and referrals for: An Orientation to Your Confidential Resource and Referral Service 18

Serving as a caregiver for a family member or an adult with a disability is not a simple job. Most of us are unprepared for the magnitude of the responsibility and are unaware of where to turn for assistance and support. That’s where NYS-Balance comes in. How Can NYS-Balance Help? Elder Care/Adults with Disabilities An Orientation to Your Confidential Resource and Referral Service 19

Elder Care/Adults with Disabilities How Can NYS-Balance Help? Availability of services and openings are confirmed Community Agencies Meal Services Senior Centers Senior Housing Options Respite Care In-Home and Companion Services Legal/Insurance Issues and much more NYS-Balance can provide you with consultation and referrals for: An Orientation to Your Confidential Resource and Referral Service 20

How Can NYS-Balance Help? Care Coach A “family meeting” by phone with a qualified geriatric care manager Assessments to help families identify challenges, determine available resources, and establish a care plan Care coaches will introduce the family members to the web-based resource Care Center The Care Coach service provides: An Orientation to Your Confidential Resource and Referral Service 21

Whether you are moving to a new community and looking for new schools for your elementary and high school age children or starting the college process with your 17-year-old, the choices can be overwhelming. That’s where NYS-Balance comes in. How Can NYS-Balance Help? Education An Orientation to Your Confidential Resource and Referral Service 22

Education Pre-schools K-12 Public and Private Schools Colleges and Universities Vocational and Technical Schools Continuing Education Adult Education Classes Financial Aid/Scholarships Tutoring Programs and much more How Can NYS-Balance Help? Availability is confirmed NYS-Balance can provide you with consultation and referrals for: An Orientation to Your Confidential Resource and Referral Service 23

New Year’s is not the only time to make a resolution to improve the health and wellness of your family and yourself. Healthful living is a year-round endeavor. But it’s not always easy to find the right programs and services to fit into a busy schedule. That’s where NYS-Balance comes in. How Can NYS-Balance Help? Health and Wellness An Orientation to Your Confidential Resource and Referral Service 24

Health and Wellness Fitness Centers and Classes Weight Loss Support Groups Smoking Cessation Resources Nutritionists Personal Health Coaches Community Resources and much more How Can NYS-Balance Help? Availability is confirmed NYS-Balance can provide you with consultation and referrals for: An Orientation to Your Confidential Resource and Referral Service 25

Your daughter just called and asked you to take care of the grandchildren for the weekend. You’re happy to do it but you can’t bring the dog. Your daughter’s building doesn’t allow them. How are you going to find a pet sitter on such short notice? That’s where NYS-Balance comes in. How Can NYS-Balance Help? Daily Life An Orientation to Your Confidential Resource and Referral Service 26

Daily Life Home Maintenance and Repair Pet Care Travel and Vacation Planning Community Volunteering Errand Services Emergency Services Housing Options and much more How Can NYS-Balance Help? NYS-Balance can provide you with consultation and referrals for: An Orientation to Your Confidential Resource and Referral Service 27

At one time or another, we all need to talk to a lawyer. It might be just a simple answer to a legal question or more comprehensive advice about an ongoing legal situation. Most people don’t have a lawyer and don’t know how to find one. That’s where NYS-Balance comes in. How Can NYS-Balance Help? Legal Consultation An Orientation to Your Confidential Resource and Referral Service 28

How Can NYS-Balance Help? Legal Consultation Free, 30 minute, in-person consultation with an attorney Consultation consists of an analysis of the situation and advice on how to proceed. There is no document review or creation during this free consultation If you choose to retain the referred attorney, you receive a 25% discount off the attorney’s hourly fee NYS-Balance provides the following legal service: An Orientation to Your Confidential Resource and Referral Service 29

Legal Consultation How Can NYS-Balance Help? An Orientation to Your Confidential Resource and Referral Service 30 Divorce/Custody Issues Criminal Matters Estate Planning/Trusts Real Estate Landlord/Tenant Bankruptcy Personal Injury/Malpractice Small Claims Adoption Will Preparation The NYS-Balance legal consultation covers:

Getting the right financial information is crucial. Decisions you make now about credit, loans, mortgages, or investments can have a big impact later on. When it comes to money, how do you know you are doing the right thing? That’s where NYS-Balance comes in. How Can NYS-Balance Help? Financial Consultation An Orientation to Your Confidential Resource and Referral Service 31

Financial Consultation Access to free over-the-phone counseling and education regarding personal finances Issues covered include: –Debt management –Budgeting –First-time home purchase –Foreclosure prevention –Managing college expenses –ID theft recovery How Can NYS-Balance Help? NYS-Balance financial consultation covers: An Orientation to Your Confidential Resource and Referral Service 32

NYS-Balance is a resource and referral program offered by the Governor’s Office of Employee Relations Work-Life Services unit. Other Work-Life Services programs include: the Employee Assistance Program, worksite childcare centers, pre-retirement planning seminars, the Dependent Care Advantage Account, and the NYS-Ride pre-tax transportation benefit. Funding for all these programs is provided by the negotiated agreements between the State and CSEA, PEF, UUP, DC-37, NYSCOPBA, GSEU, Council 82, and by the Governor’s Office of Employee Relations for employees designated M/C. NYS Work-Life Services Who Sponsors NYS-Balance? An Orientation to Your Confidential Resource and Referral Service 33

Additional resources are available through your NYS Employee Assistance Program (EAP). For more information about EAP and other Work-Life Services benefits, please visit NYS Work-Life Services NYS Employee Assistance Program An Orientation to Your Confidential Resource and Referral Service 34

NYS Work-Life Services Make Your Life Less Complicated Contact NYS-Balance today TTY/TTD: Username: nys Password: balance Thank you! An Orientation to Your Confidential Resource and Referral Service 35