Cognitive, Mental or Emotional Change
Confidential assistance and support is available to you if there has been a change (permanent or temporary) in your ability to perform your job, which may be due to a recent cognitive, mental or emotional change that results in:
- change in ability to organize
- change in ability to read or write
- change in memory
- change in interpersonal skills or ability to get along with co-workers
MHealthy Mental and Emotional Health Services
Michigan Medicine Office of Counseling & Workplace Resilience:
Phone: (734) 763-5409
Michigan Medicine Office of Counseling & Workplace Resilience
Faculty and Staff Counseling and Consultation Office (FASCCO):
- Ann Arbor Campus Employees
- Phone: (734) 936-8660
- TTY (734) 647-1388
- Flint Campus Employees
- Phone: (734) 936-8660
- TTY (734) 647-1388
- Dearborn Campus Employees
- Phone: (313) 593-5430
Faculty and Staff Counseling and Consultation Office
The university offers at no charge confidential, supportive assessment and short-term counseling for personal or work-related concerns, coaching services, critical incident debriefing, educational programs on grief and loss, stress, renewal, compassion, fatigue, and cultivating positive emotions.
MHealthy Medical Ergonomics and Occupational Therapy Services
Phone: (734) 647-7888
Physicians: Please enter a referral into MiChart under MHealthy Ergo, or fax referrals to (734) 615-1570.
Provides guidance and assistance at the job site to facilitate a successful match between the employee's abilities and the job site needs. The MHealthy occupational therapist can identify employee strategies and accommodations to optimize work capacities, and to implement a trial of those solutions at the worksite in collaboration with the department. These individual services for faculty and staff are available at no charge after we receive a physician's referral faxed to 734-615-1570.
An example of how we've helped:
A university faculty member returned to work from a personal medical issue affecting the brain. Prior to leaving work, he was internationally and locally renowned and considered the "go-to" person in the department for faculty, staff and students. He had an open door policy and was known for a supportive, quick-to-help attitude. After returning to work, the faculty member was disorganized, forgot things, reported having physical discomfort at work, yelled when interrupted, and no longer got along well with colleagues or students. He began to feel increasingly depressed and anxious, and was in jeopardy of not being able to work any longer. He met with an MHealthy occupational therapist (OT), nurse case manager, and department representatives to identify job responsibilities, his abilities, and ways to overcome his new limitations. The nurse case manager coordinated medical issues with the physician, and the client participated in supportive counseling services. The OT arranged for setting predictable office hours, limiting distractions in the office, setting up equipment more comfortably, and employing organized "To-Do" lists and schedules. The client returned to receiving high praise and was successfully performing many of his job duties, including teaching, publishing, advising students, and international travel.
An example of how we've helped:
A university employee working as a custodian hurt her arm and transferred to a less physical job as an administrative assistant. However, in the new job, the employee was not meeting requirements in writing, communication skills, and reading and was considered disorganized. She was in jeopardy of losing her job, felt depressed about failing and her family was struggling to cope with her emotional distress. While the employee participated in supportive counseling services, she met with a MHealthy occupational therapist (OT), who helped to identify the effects of her reading/writing learning disability. These disabilities were not evident in the prior material handling position since it was more physical and repetitive. The employee and the OT, with the department's cooperation, tested accommodations and strategies in the clerical role but they were not sufficient to meet the job demands. With help from Human Resources, the employee successfully transferred back to a material handling job within her medical restrictions and the OT coached her on safe work techniques, postures, and use of long-handled equipment.
Quotes From Those We've Helped
"It has now been 10 years since my cerebral hemorrhage occurred, and I have been able to effectively teach my classes; participate and chair university, local, state, national and international committees; and participate in funded research projects. I give most of the credit for these outcomes to the Occupational Therapy Work Program."
"Being diagnosed with a learning disability was something I had never really addressed, and I struggled with feeling "I'm not doing a good job," overwhelmed, stressed, yet I was working longer hours. The therapist took the time to offer solutions to problems I thought were unmanageable, assisted with time management and organization. I greatly appreciate the services this program provided which assisted in allowing me be a more confident, efficient, and organized employee."