We're Here to Help!

Welcome to the home page for the CUNY Work/Life Program, a voluntary, free and confidential benefit for CUNY employees and their families administered by Corporate Counseling Associates, Inc. (CCA).

Trying to juggle your personal and professional responsibilities can be a real challenge at times. The CUNY Work/Life Program provides information and support to help you manage your daily life. Traditional counseling for stress, family issues or substance abuse, access to legal and financial assistance, referrals for child care and elder care - these and many other services are available to you by simply calling (800) 833-8707. CCA's team of experienced, professional Work/Life counselors are available around the clock to help assess your needs and clarify your options.

So, if you or a member of your family is struggling with a private issue, whether it is trying to find living arrangements for an aging relative, learning about adopting a child, or looking for pet care while the family is away on vacation, the CUNY Work/Life Program offers extensive support so that you can get help and make informed choices.

Violence

In the wake of the tragic events at Fort Hood, the following resources may be helpful.

• Managing Your Distress in the Aftermath of a Mass Shooting
• Supporting Survivors of Trauma
• How to Listen to Someone Who Is Hurting
• Helping Children Cope With Disaster
• Diagnosing Your Workplace for Symptoms of Violence

November

November is National Family Caregivers Month. This is a good time to let the caregivers in your family know that you appreciate what they do. These people attend to the needs of others and often forget to take care of themselves. If you are a family caregiver you may want to look at these articles:

• Ten Tips For Family Caregivers
• Tips for Preventing Caregiver Burnout

Some additional resources for information for and about family caregiving are:

The Caregiving Across the States Online Resource provides information on publicly-funded caregiver support programs in each of the 50 states and the District of Columbia. You will find information on programs funded through the National Family Caregiver Support Program, Aged/Disabled Medicaid waivers, and state-funded programs that either have a caregiver-specific focus, or include a family caregiving component in their service package.

The Family Caregiver Alliance offers a comprehensive site dealing with a variety of topics such as balancing work and caregiving, and caring for people with Alzheimer's disease. It also offers links to other caregiving sites.

Flu

This flu season is expected to bring both the seasonal flu and H1N1 flu. It is reassuring news that the H1N1 flu has been shown to be no more dangerous than seasonal flu. What many people don't realize, however, is that any flu can be dangerous, and even life-threatening to individuals in high-risk groups.

Get the facts about flu, your risks, and what you can do to avoid catching or spreading the flu. Your health care provider can assist you. You may also find the items listed below helpful.

• Novel H1N1 Flu (Swine Flu) and You: Part 1-What Is It?
• Novel H1N1 Flu (Swine Flu) and You: Part 2-Prevention
• Novel H1N1 Flu (Swine Flu) and You: Part 3-Cleanliness and Contamination
• Preventing Seasonal Flu
• Baby Boomers and Seniors Should Get the Flu Shot
• Is It a Cold or the Flu?

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Service's http://www.flu.gov/ is very comprehensive in itself and also acts as a portal to flu information from other government organizations.

Economy

These days, the news is filled with bad news and speculation about the economy. It's making many people feel stressed and helpless. You'll feel more in control and improve your economy if you are in control of your personal finances. This website has many articles and resources that can help you to do just that listed under the Living / Financial section.

Some articles from that section are:

• Managing Your Stress in Tough Economic Times
• 13 Tips for a Financially Healthy Family
• Preparing for a Financial Setback
• Keeping the Peace: Restoring Financial Harmony to Your Relationships
• If a Friend or Relative Needs Financial Help, Do It the Right Way

Some additional resources are:

GasBuddy can help you find cheap gas prices in your city. It is comprised of 170 gas price information websites that help consumers find low gasoline prices.

HOPE NOW is an alliance between counselors, servicers, investors, and other mortgage market participants to help homeowners stay in their homes.

If you are worried about foreclosure, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development's (HUD) Guide to Avoiding Foreclosure website provides comprehensive information and advice.