Did you know?
As a state employee, you have access to an Employee Assistance Program called SELF that offers cost-free resources for counseling, health and wellness, financial and legal matters, and more!
One of the many features of SELF is assistance with locating child care.
To access this great resource:
- Log into my.mchcp.org
- Click on the SELF icon
- Click on the link for Guidanceresources.com and then log in to your profile or click set up new account.
- Hover over “Relationships” near the top of the page, then click "Child Care".
- On the page that opens, scroll down until you see, "I'M LOOKING FOR" on the left.
- Click on "Child Care" under "I'M LOOKING FOR", then “Continue” in the pop-up box.
- Select your preferences and then view results.
*Provider lists were updated in December, so results should be fairly accurate. If you are unable to find what you're needing, you're still likely to find good connections to those in your local childcare network.
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New Year = New Financial Goals!
MO Deferred Comp (Missouri Deferred Composition) offers webinars and one-on-one meetings throughout the year related to financial topics such as retirement savings.
*To schedule a one-on-one meeting or attend a seminar, select "Event Registration", on the top right of the screen.
Phone: 800-392-0925 or 573-893-1053
Link: www.modeferredcomp.org
You can also access Mo Deferred Comp by logging into the ESS portal: Click Here
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MOSERS
Learn more about your benefits administered by MOSERS!
MOSER's free Education Resources are broken down by career stage and include information about your pension plan, life insurance, long-term disability benefits and your retirement savings options through MO Deferred Comp.
Visit the MOSERS Education page at https://www.mosers.org/education
for more information and to register for your session today!
If have questions about the sessions, please email MOSERSEducation@mosers.org or call (800) 827-1063.
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Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging
Efforts are underway to make department-wide improvements towards staff equity, celebrating diversity and increased support of inclusion and belonging. We're going from the ground up to restructure recruitment, training and onboarding for new hires with the overall goal being increased retention.
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New year = New level of organization
Healthy environments improve overall health. Spring is an excellent time to refresh your work and living spaces.
Re-organize and make the space you occupy a calm place that brings you happiness. A cluttered environment often increases stress.
Declutter your environment by getting rid of things that do not bring you joy and things that have gone unused for a long time. The benefits of decluttering include lower stress and anxiety levels, increased productivity, better air quality and improved overall health. Start small and enjoy the changes that come!
Inspect your home and workspaces and make sure that alarms, detectors and other safety features are in working order and make a plan to repair or replace things as necessary. For an easy reference guide on home health and safety, view the CDC Healthy Home Guide .
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Worksite Group Challenges
During the COVID-19 pandemic social wellness has been challenging. Many of our DOC staff have come up with creative and safe ways to continue to support and empower each other while keeping themselves and other safe and respecting social distancing guidelines. Participating in a step challenge, weight loss challenge, hiking challenge, water intake challenge or any other wellness challenge is a good place to start. See your worksite personnel and/or wellness committee members to find out what is going on at your worksite.
Pictured above is the team completing the P&P District 18 Weight Loss Challenge led by Mandy Adams!
Left to Right: Brenda Treece, Connie Gruber, Barb Bentley-Monnig, Mandy Adams, Sherry Poeppe, Kristi Scott, Emily Barnes and Ed Tagai
Team members have reported many benefits to participating in this challenge such as, increased energy, endurance and flexibility, better sleep, clothes fitting better and feeling more comfortable, less joint discomfort and the most important of all, motivation and support from team members. Total weight loss so far: 90 pounds.
Go team, keep up the strong work!
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Naturally Slim
Naturally Slim is an amazing program that helps reorganize your eating and exercising habits for overall health. It is offered through MCHCP for Anthem BCBS members and is available at no cost to you. Classes start throughout the year. Click the link to add yourself to the waitlist to be notified of upcoming classes. MCHCP Naturally Slim application site
Probation and Parole Deputy Director, Jaime Laikos, had great success with the Naturally Slim program. He finished in April 2020. Here’s what he had to say about it:
"I had been on diets where I forced myself to eat several small meals a day. They worked, but it was hard to sustain a scheduled pattern. I wasn’t always hungry when it was time to eat, and I wasn’t able to enjoy the same foods as my family. Two years ago, I noticed people in my office had lost weight. In conversations they told me about Naturally Slim. Prior to applying for Naturally slim, I was starting to notice a common theme regarding eating habits: portion control. Naturally Slim solidified this direction. It’s not necessarily what you eat; it’s when and how much. Losing 80 pounds, I have reached my goal weight and maintained, even throughout the holidays." -Jaime Liakos *Individual results will vary.
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Active & Fit Direct
A great benefit for anyone using MCHCP (Anthem BCBS) health insurance is Active & Fit Direct; a low-cost ($25/month) MULTI-gym membership program. Click the link below for step-by-step enrollment instructions.
Active & Fit Direct Enrollment Slideshow
* Fun fact, 75% of 2020 Employee Wellness Survey participants indicated wanting a discounted gym membership: THIS IS IT!
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COVID -19 Update
COVID-19 Vaccines are now available! When something new like this comes along, especially during times of such uncertainty, it is helpful to know where to go for accurate and helpful information. Click the link to see information about the vaccine and how Missouri is stepping up! covidvaccine.mo.gov
MoDOC has been working hard to provide our worksites with preventative measures across the state in an attempt to decrease the rate of COVID-19 infections. Click the link to see what's in progress: technological innovations happening now
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*****Suicide Awareness & Prevention*****
Your Life Is Important!
Suicide is Preventable---Prevention Starts with You!
People the MOST at risk for suicide are often the LEAST likely to ask for help. Look out for your peers and co-workers, and don’t be afraid to ask the hard questions!
For a message on suicide awareness & prevention from Meckenzie Hayes, our Trauma Specialist :
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PAUSE FIRST ACADEMY
Over 800 Missouri DOC employees have enrolled so far and are really enjoying what they see!
To enroll, send a request to wellness@doc.mo.gov
Pause First Academy is an online resource for holistic wellness. It has been designed for MoDOC employees by a team of first responders and veterans with the goal of helping individuals build individual resilience. Pause First Academy trainers also host live weeknight wellness webinars on topics such as nutrition, yoga, resiliency, mindfulness, and more!
Expect to see Pause First Academy flyers on your worksite bulletin boards for information on upcoming Weeknight Wellness Webinars. Email support@pausefirst.com to register; you do not have to be enrolled in Pause First Academy to attend a webinar.
*Participation in Pause First Academy courses and/or webinars is totally voluntary and will not be considered work time during off-work hours. Individuals participating via webinar will not earn training credit. However, staff may access these courses during working hours via the Pause First Academy online platform if they do wish to earn training credit. Live webinars will be recorded and uploaded to Pause First Academy.
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