Colorado Helps State Employees Handle Rocky Times
State employees in Colorado enjoy a comprehensive employee assistance program as part of their benefits package. Operating out of eight offices statewide, the Colorado State Employee Assistance Program (CSEAP) supports employees with offerings that range from conflict resolution and professional coaching to mental health assessments and short-term counseling. It also refers state employees to external services while helping them navigate interactions with the state’s benefits department and insurance carrier.
Two years ago, after running a well-received live meditation pilot program for state employees, CSEAP began searching for an affordable, practical way to let them reap the benefits of meditation on demand. While providing 24/7 access to live instructors wasn’t feasible, guided meditation audios provided a user-friendly alternative.
On the suggestion of staff therapist Tonita Lopez, who was familiar with Health Journeys, CSEAP began looking into the available offerings. It soon realized that Health Journeys was the only provider offering streaming audio web pages customized to embed into an organization’s own website – a solution that met all of CSEAP’s needs for simplicity and accessibility while requiring no maintenance.
The home page of the EAP’s website now features a prominent button that takes employees directly to a page of guided meditations that play directly from the page, require no additional software or downloads, and are free to use. Current selections include audios to support relaxation, mindfulness, stress reduction, and healthy sleep.
“We’ll be publicizing this tool to state employees via our website, and likely through an email marketing campaign,” says Janeen Haller-Abernethy. “It gives all types of employees in all different areas of the state a resource for quick and relaxing brain breaks during the day or outside of working hours, and it works in conjunction with our other services to support the mental health and well-being of state employees.”
