University at Buffalo (UB) 
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Overcoming Personal Challenges
The University at Buffalo recognizes that personal problems at home or interpersonal issues at work can negatively affect one’s job performance, mental health, and/or physical health. The goal of Employee Assistance is to help staff and faculty deal with these problems and issues in the most positive way possible. The entire University, including YOU, benefits from employees who are feeling good and working productively.
Common Concerns
Everyone experiences periods of stress. That is normal. Feeling constantly stressed and being consumed by it though can have negative consequences for your health, your life, your happiness. EAP can work with you to manage your stress and function better at work and at home.
Whether experiencing something desirable (e.g., birth of a child) or undesirable (e.g. relationship ends), we can be stressed, and benefit from talking to someone who can help us confront the stressor, and to cope effectively with it. Contact EAP.
Personal relationships are important to our lives. Sometimes, our closest relationships go through periods of turbulence and unhappiness. This may affect our mood, and our work. Contact EAP for ideas on how to improve your relationship(s).
If you or a loved one are having bad things happen because of alcohol or drug use, it’s time to contact EAP. We can offer ideas on how to deal with these concerns, and provide referrals to a program right for you.
Sometimes, you and another university employee will disagree about personal or work-related issues. Disagreements are normal, but if your disagreement intensifies and makes work difficult, contact EAP for ideas to improve your working relationship.
Employee Assistance offers a free and confidential mediation service to university personnel dealing with interpersonal problems or workplace disputes in an informal, neutral setting. For more information, contact Neil McGillicuddy nm23@buffalo.edu, or click the “Resolve Conflict” link
Providing care to an older family member can be both rewarding and stressful. If you find that caregiving is consuming increasing amounts of your time and energy, you may be heading toward caregiver burnout. Consult with EAP for ideas on how to avoid burnout and resultant consequences.
Employee Assistance runs a monthly self-help group for caregivers; for more information, contact Sue Bagdasarian sb14@buffalo.edu.
Whether you are parenting a 10 week old, a 10 month old, a 10 year old, or 10 children, you may find your child, your child’s environment, or your role as a parent to be challenging. Contact EAP for ideas on how to overcome these challenges.
Bothered by feelings of sadness, anger, anxiety, irritability, or helplessness? Overwhelmed, preoccupied, having difficulty focusing? Isolating yourself, withdrawing from activities, crying often? Talking to EAP can help.
Whether your health difficulty is acute or chronic, it may be having an immense impact on your overall functioning. Contacting EAP for ideas on how to overcome this stressor can be an important step in reclaiming your life.
Employee Assistance runs a monthly self-help group for those with chronic illness; for more information, contact Sue Bagdasarian sb14@buffalo.edu.
Work should not always be fun, but if there are factors that seem out of your control leading to unhappiness, schedule a meeting with your workplace behavioral specialist at EAP to discuss the concern, and perhaps problem solve ideas to remedy the situation.
Employee Assistance runs a monthly self-help group for those encountering workplace stress. For more information, contact Neil McGillicuddy nm23@buffalo.edu.
You may be grieving after the loss of a loved one. Most people go through a series of stages while grieving, and the process will take a while. If, however, it seems that the grief is intense, not getting better, and not allowing for attention to other parts of life, contacting EAP may help you get back on track.
Moving into a new phase of life can be exciting! However, we also know that it can be stressful, and that it may even feel overwhelming. Whether adjusting to a new town, new job, new supervisor, and/or new duties, stress is natural. Contact EAP to learn effective coping strategies when the stress gets to be too much, or maybe even proactively, before it becomes a problem.
Contact an Expert
We all need support sometimes. For confidential consultation or 1-on-1 meetings at no charge to you, referrals to specialists, and/or general information on how to help yourself or others manage personal and/or work-related concerns, please reach out to us.
Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
Phone: 716-645-4461
Email: ub-eap@buffalo.edu
Other Opportunities to Improve Your Well-Being
Get support from your peers to improve your well-being. Designed to provide emotional, educational and social support through regularly scheduled meetings, support groups help participants develop methods and skills to solve problems. Building social support will help your ability to maintain or improve your overall personal, physical and emotional health while dealing with real life issues.
Caregiver Support Group
Caregivers of aging parents and loved ones meet for support, resources and ways to manage the everyday demands of caregiving. For more information, contact:
Chronic Illness Support Group
This group is for anyone who has been diagnosed with, in treatment for, or living with a chronic illness. When you live with a chronic disease, some days are just harder to get through than others. At times, feelings of isolation and the uncertainty of your circumstances weigh heavily. Members exchange coping strategies and help each other through encouraging words and success stories. If you ever thought, “No one understands what I am going through,” think again. Being part of a support group can be a helpful step in taking control of your disease.
COVID Support Group
The COVID support group is open to those who themselves have had COVID, or have experienced COVID through a loved one, and wish to discuss thoughts, fears, challenges, hopes and anything else related. Meetings will occur the third Thursday of each month from 12-1pm. If interested, or for more information, contact:
Grief Support Group
The Grief support group is open to those faculty and staff who have experienced the loss of someone significant to them. Group members will discuss how the loss has impacted them, offer insights on the grief process, share experiences and alleviate feelings of isolation as members support one another. For further information or to sign up, please contact:
Parenting Support Group
In this group, parents will meet and discuss the parenting issues of concern. Members will exchange ideas and coping strategies, success stories and insights, along with support, encouraging words and practical advice. Parents of children of all ages welcome. This group will meet virtually the first and third Tuesday of each month from 12-1 p.m., starting September 15, 2020. If interested, or for more information, contact:
Workplace Stress Support Group
Everyone has stress at work. If it seems overwhelming, meet with others for support and ideas to cope. For more information, contact:
Caregiver Support Group
Caregivers of aging parents and loved ones meet for support, resources and ways to manage the everyday demands of caregiving. For more information, contact:
Chronic Illness Support Group
This group is for anyone who has been diagnosed with, in treatment for, or living with a chronic illness. When you live with a chronic disease, some days are just harder to get through than others. At times, feelings of isolation and the uncertainty of your circumstances weigh heavily. Members exchange coping strategies and help each other through encouraging words and success stories. If you ever thought, “No one understands what I am going through,” think again. Being part of a support group can be a helpful step in taking control of your disease.
COVID Support Group
The COVID support group is open to those who themselves have had COVID, or have experienced COVID through a loved one, and wish to discuss thoughts, fears, challenges, hopes and anything else related. Meetings will occur the third Thursday of each month from 12-1pm. If interested, or for more information, contact:
Grief Support Group
The Grief support group is open to those faculty and staff who have experienced the loss of someone significant to them. Group members will discuss how the loss has impacted them, offer insights on the grief process, share experiences and alleviate feelings of isolation as members support one another. For further information or to sign up, please contact:
Parenting Support Group
In this group, parents will meet and discuss the parenting issues of concern. Members will exchange ideas and coping strategies, success stories and insights, along with support, encouraging words and practical advice. Parents of children of all ages welcome. This group will meet virtually the first and third Tuesday of each month from 12-1 p.m., starting September 15, 2020. If interested, or for more information, contact:
Workplace Stress Support Group
Everyone has stress at work. If it seems overwhelming, meet with others for support and ideas to cope. For more information, contact:
Attend a training to improve your well-being. Free workshops are offered to all UB employees on each of the UB campuses during the Fall and Spring semesters, and during the summer. Workshops are led by professionals expert on the topic, and participants are typically highly satisfied with the workshops they attend. UB employees may attend workshops during their work time, provided that they have received supervisory approval. Suggestions for training topics are always welcome.
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For Urgent Help
If you or someone you know needs to talk about an emotional health concern with someone right away, please contact:
EAP Office
716-645-4461
Crisis Services
716-834-3131
Suicide Helpline
1-800-273-8255
Emergency Help-UB Police
716-645-2222
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For Consultations, Referrals, and Information
We all need support sometimes. For confidential consultation or 1:1 meetings at no charge to you, referrals to specialists, or general information on how to help yourself or others manage personal or work-related concerns, please call us at 716-645-4461 or submit a confidential request form: > Employee Assistance Consultation Request