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Health and Well-Being

decorative heart Mental Health Toolkit

The Office of Human Resources has prepared a mental health toolkit with resources available to UHD employees. We encourage you to explore these resources and to contact us at benefits@uhd.edu with any questions you may have. You are not alone; we are here for you!

  • Take advantage of the resources available to you through the AllOne Health Employee Assistance Program (EAP).
    • Eligible employees include full-time, benefits-eligible UHD employees; part-time (50% FTE or higher), benefits-eligible UHD employees; and dependents and household members of the aforementioned employees. 
    • Your Assistance Program can help you reduce stress, improve mental health, and make life easier by connecting you to the right information, resources, and referrals. All services are free, confidential, and available to you and your family members
    • Manage stress, anxiety, and depression, resolve conflict, improve relationships, and address any personal issues. Choose from in-person sessions, video counseling, or telephonic counseling
    • Take advantage of Upcoming Live Webinars. Live webinars are scheduled throughout the year to provide information on important topics. For those unable to attend, recorded versions are made available.
  • HealthSelect of Texas and Consumer Directed HealthSelect of Texas participants can review their mental health benefits at-a-glance on BlueCross BlueShield's dedicated Mental Health Resources page.
  • Learn to Live is an online, on-demand, self-paced mental health service grounded in cognitive behavioral therapy. Learn to Live provides online, coach-supported programs to help participants overcome depression, insomnia, panic disorder, stress, anxiety, social anxiety and substance use
  • Explore the Wellness and Success Center's group fitness schedule, healthy workshops, and other amenities as a way to include physical fitness into your own mental health toolkit.  
  • Support the National Alliance on Mentail Illness' (NAMI) effort to end stigma regarding mental health and mental illness by signing the pledge to be StigmaFree.

Emergency resources:

  • 24/7 Mental Health Line: The Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas hotline offers mental health crisis support 24 hours a day, seven days a week at (800) 252-8039 (TTY: 711). Ask to speak to a mental health clinician or follow the prompts to get help with a mental health crisis or substance use issue.
  • 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline: If you, a family member or friend needs help right away, call or text 988 (TTY: 711, then 988). The online chat at 988lifeline.org is another option. The lifeline provides no-cost, confidential support for people in distress and connects those in need to resources 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

We are committed to fostering mental health and well-being all year long, so we will periodically update this page to reflect the resources available to UHD employees. We encourage you to bookmark this page for future reference!

Monthly ERS Newsletters

decorative hands Other Health and Well-being Resources

Blue365® Discount Program can provide savings to HealthSelect participants. With this program, you can save money on health and wellness products and services from top retailers that are not covered by your health plan.

Buena Vida can help improve your mental health or work toward financial wellness, Buena Vida is here to support every part of your well-being. Buena Vida makes improving your well-being simple with easy-to-use tools that you can access from one convenient place.

Care Management assists HealthSelectSM medical plan participants ti have access to a dedicated team of care management clinicians who can address all types of health-related questions. Managing health concerns and figuring out the health care system can feel overwhelming! You don’t have to do it on your own.

Catapult Health VirtualCheckup is a program for HealthSelect of Texas® participants, including those enrolled in Consumer Directed HealthSelect SM, you have a new, convenient way to get your annual preventive exam at no additional cost to you, through the Catapult Health VirtualCheckup. 

Fitness Release Time (FRT) is a program designed for full-time benefits eligible staff that allows a maximum of three (1.5) hours a week for participating in an exercise program and/or fitness activity offered in the UHD Student Life Center.

Fitness Programs are offered UHD staff, faculty and students. Programs include aerobics and strengthening classes as well as specialty classes such as Aikido, Hip Hop, Karate, Latin Dance, Pi-Yo, Pilates, Tai Chi and Yoga. View the complete schedule online.

Fitness Program (Health Select) is a flexible membership program that gives you and your covered dependents (age 16 and older) unlimited access to a nationwide network of facilities, from gyms and sports facilities to specialty fitness studios, including access to digital fitness videos and live classes. The digital only option lets you stay active from the comfort of your own home.

Hello Heart program focuses exclusively on cardiovascular health, aiming to prevent or decrease the development or advancement of heart disease and other cardiovascular conditions. The program is available at no additional cost to eligible participants. It includes a Hello Heart blood pressure monitor that pairs directly with your smartphone to help build a habit of monitoring your blood pressure and other aspects of your heart health and create sustained lifestyle changes.

Hinge Health is a digital, physical therapist-led musculoskeletal (MSK) care program. Hinge Health is available at no additional cost to eligible participants and includes access to the Hinge Health mobile app and a care team including a board-certified health coach and physical therapist.

Health & Fitness Workshops And Certifications are offered to UHD staff, faculty and students. Workshops and certifications cover such topics as CPR/AED and First Aid certifications, nutrition and exercise workshops.

Intramural Sports are available through Sports & Fitness to UHD staff, faculty, and students. Sports and include volleyball, flag football, bench press, badminton, bowling, soccer, softball, tennis and basketball.

Personal Trainers are available through Sports & Fitness at a cost of $35 for a one hour session for non-students.

Student Health Services provides medical information and limited healthcare services at no or low cost to UHD faculty and staff.

Tobacco Cessation Programs Get help quitting tobacco. All health insurance plans available to State of Texas employees and retirees offer tobacco cessation programs as part of your overall wellness initiatives.

UHD Bookstore is home to exclusive UHD clothing, new/used textbooks, school supplies, graduation regalia, magazines, snacks, and souvenirs. UHD employees receive a 10% discount on some purchases made at the bookstore upon presentation of a valid UHD ID card.

UHD Dining Services is located on the third floor and provides healthy dining options in a food court-like setting. They offer a large variety of dining options such as salads, daily specials, sushi, sandwiches, tacos, burritos, pizza, calzones, hamburgers, and french fries.

The University Of Houston-Downtown Wellness and Success Center features the following amenities, and discounted memberships are available for UHD employees:

  • 75,000 square ft. facility
  • Large weight training and cardio training areas with dramatic views of downtown Houston
  • Indoor Functional Training Area
  • Outdoor Functional Training Area
  • Bouldering wall
  • 3 exercise class studios
  • Indoor Running Track
  • 3 personal training and massage therapy rooms
  • Demonstration Kitchen Room
  • 3 courts for basketball/volleyball/badminton
  • Large locker rooms

UHD Police Department provides comprehensive police services 24/7. All police officers are licensed by the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement Officer Standards and Education. They enforce federal, state and local laws in addition to penal provisions to the Texas Education Code as well as University regulations. Some of the services they offer are jump starts, unlocks, and police escort services.

The University Eye Institute at the University of Houston Central Campus offers services that range from complete vision exams to the medical and surgical management of eye disorders. Its nationally renowned vision professionals use advanced diagnostic instruments in over 80 exam rooms and 30 specialized testing areas. Faculty and staff receive fee reductions for primary examinations and optical materials.

University Of Houston Health Center provides medical services to UHD faculty and staff. Some of these services include physician visits, walk-in clinic services and pharmacy services. They also periodically offer free cholesterol and diabetes screenings, free HIV testing and various other screenings.

Virtual Visits allow participants to see and talk to a doctor in the virtual provider network from their mobile device or computer when they need non-emergency medical attention. No appointment or referral is needed. Virtual visits offer convenient, high-quality care when a patient's primary care physician is not available, when a patient becomes ill while traveling or as an alternative to the emergency room or urgent care clinic for non-emergency health problems.

Weight & Lifestyle Management Programs are avialble to eligible individuals. Choose from two different online programs: WondrTM and Real Appeal®.

Wellness Leave provides up to eight (8) hours of leave time to full-time, benefits-eligible staff employees who complete an online Health Risk Assessment and receive an annual comprehensive physical exam.

child dependent iconDependent Care

  • Child Care referral services and information on center care, family day care, backup daycare, in-home care, preschool, after-school programs, and summer camps are available through UHD's EAP.
  • Sick Child Care is offered through various child care centers, care providers, and referral services located in and around the Houston area. Once a care provider has been located, provider pre-registration is strongly encouraged. For additional assistance locating sick child care, contact UHD's EAP.
  • Adult Care referral services and information on adult disabilities, government programs, housing, home care and caregivers are available through EAP.

Dependent Care Flexible Spending Accounts (FSAs) are available to benefits-eligible employees. For more information, visit HR Flexible Spending Accounts page.

pet iconPet Care

Insurance

ASPCA Pet Health Insurance is offering a 5% discount on the base plan premium for each pet you insure and an additional 10% discount for multiple pets insured. This is a total savings of 15%! Save up to 80% on your veterinary bills, use any vet in the U.S. or Canada, and have access to a comprehensive pet health library. To get started, click on the link and enter our UHD priority code: EB09UHD. If you need help or have questions, call ASPCA at 1-866-861-9092.

Nationwide Pet Insurance is offering preferred pricing for each pet you insure and up to an additional 10% discount for multiple pets insured. You work hard to provide your family with everything they need. So, whether your family includes kids with two feet or kids with four paws, you know what responsibility looks like.

My Pet ProtectionSM from Nationwide® helps you provide your pets with the best care possible by reimbursing you for vet bills. You can get cash back for accidents, illnesses, hereditary conditions and more. Choose 90%, 70% or 50% reimbursement for the level of coverage that fits your needs.*

You’re free to use any vet and will get additional benefits for emergency boarding, lost pet advertising and more. Plus, our 24/7 vethelpline® is available as a service to all pet insurance members ($150 value).

Get a fast, no-obligation quote today online or by calling 877-738-7874.

*Some exclusions may apply. Certain coverages may be subject to pre-existing exclusion. See policy documents for a complete list of exclusions. Reimbursement options may not be available in all states.

Parks for your dogs

 

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