Mental Health
Mental Health should be prioritized just as much as physical health. Below is some information for County Employees about Mental Health.
Mental Health Resources
County Benefits
Optum Employee Assistance Program (EAP) – Authorization Code Required - (866) 248-4096
Counseling, legal, and financial services, and self-care tools available. Call or create an account at liveandworkwell.com, guest access code: sonoma
County Health Plans – Mental Health Services do NOT require a referral
Kaiser Permanente – Mental Health Appointments (866) 454-8855
For Health and Wellness tools, classes, and articles, visit -https://healthy.kaiserpermanente.org/northern-california/health-wellness
Sutter Health Plus – 24/7 confidential help – (855) 202-0984
Counseling services, substance abuse support and self-care tools available at liveandworkwell.com, guest access code: sutter
For Health and Wellness videos and tools, login to your member portal at - https://www.sutterhealthplus.org/wellness
Western Health Advantage – 24/7 confidential help – (800) 765-6820
Counseling services, substance abuse support and self-care tools available at liveandworkwell.com, guest access code: WHA
For Health and Wellness tools, classes, membership discounts and articles, visit -https://www.westernhealth.com/health-and-wellness
CareCounsel – Healthcare Advocacy (a free County benefit) – (888) 227-3334 and www.carecounsel.com
Community Based Behavioral Health Resources
Access Team – 707-565-6900 or 800-870-8786
Sonoma County Crisis Stabilization Unit – 24/7 care for individuals in an acute mental health crisis - (707) 576-8181, 2225 Challenger Way, Santa Rosa, CA 95407
American Psychatric Association Foundation. Find a Psychiatrist - https://finder.psychiatry.org/
American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist Finder - https://www.aacap.org/AACAP/Member_Services/Find_A_Physician.aspx
American Psychological Association. Find a Psychologist - https://locator.apa.org/
Suicide and Crisis Hotline – 988
NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness) Sonoma County - https://namisonomacounty.org/
CDC Website - Tools and Resources
SCOE (Sonoma County Office of Education) - https://www.scoe.org/pub/htdocs/mental_health_resources_sc_youth.html
Veterans Crisis Line – 800-273-8255 Veterans Service Office (ca.gov)
Federal Government Employees – MindfulFed (If you have a .gov email, you can register for free mindfulness classes) https://slowmindfulness.com/events/mindfulnes-7hkkl
Some Mindfulness Apps with free versions – Calm, Headspace, The Mindfulness App, Smiling Mind, UCLA Mindful, Healthy Minds, Mindfulness Coach (from US Dept of Veterans Affairs)
Cultural Sensitivity/Competency
CDC – Cultural Competency in Health and Human Services - https://npin.cdc.gov/pages/cultural-competence
National Institutes of Health - Cultural Resources - https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK248414/
Local and Regional Alliance on Race & Equity - https://www.racialequityalliance.org/gare-resources
County of Sonoma Office of Equity - https://sonomacounty.ca.gov/administrative-support-and-fiscal-services/office-of-equity
Mental Health Frequently Asked Questions
Q. How do I request time off/modifications to my work schedule to care for myself or a family member due to a medical condition?
A. Reach out to your Supervisor and let them know what you need. You do not need to disclose the diagnosis of the medical condition, but you will likely need to provide a doctor’s note that describes your work restrictions/time off needed for the condition.
Q. What do I do if a co-worker or employee says they are suicidal or makes statements that indicate they have been considering suicide/self-harm?
A. Ask the employee if they feel that they are currently a danger to themselves or others. If they say yes, call 911 on their behalf and stay with the employee until help arrives. If they say no, but are clearly struggling, encourage the employee to contact their doctor or healthcare plan for support and help; also provide EAP information and consider providing the Suicide Prevention Line (988). Reach out to your department HR representative for more direction and resources.
Q. What do I do if a co-worker or employee appears to be under the influence of alcohol or another substance?
A. Report your observation to a supervisor or manager immediately. The employee may be putting themselves, their co-workers, or clients/customers in danger if they are under the influence. If you are a supervisor, report the observation to your department HR representative or reach out to your department’s analyst in the Human Resources Department’s Disability Management Unit for assistance. Refer to the County’s Reasonable Suspicion Policy and Procedures.
Q. What do I do if an employee/co-worker says they are struggling with their mental health?
A. Provide the employee with the County’s EAP information and the list of Mental Health Resources. Encourage the employee to reach out to one of the resources or seek assistance through their health plan. All County health plans have Mental Health services that do not require pre-authorization from their primary doctor.
Q. What if I need help, but don’t feel comfortable talking to my Supervisor about it?
A. The County has a number of resources you can reach out to if you do not feel comfortable talking to your direct supervisor. You can reach out to another manager or your department’s HR representative. You can also reach out directly to the County’s Human Resources Department Disability Management Unit if you don’t know your department resources. You can email HR Disability Management at disabilityunit@sonoma-county.org
Q. What do I do if my employee is demonstrating concerning behavior and not showing up for work?
A. First try to reach out to the employee. If the employee has failed to call their absence in and/or their behavior has been concerning, and they are not returning calls, consider reaching out to their emergency contact. Tell the contact that you are concerned about your employee (without disclosing any confidential information) and ask if they have checked in with the employee recently. If not, ask them to have the employee call their Supervisor or manager so you know they are ok. If you are still unable to reach the employee, consider having a manager or law enforcement conduct a welfare check. Consult with your department HR representative for next steps.
Q. Will I lose my job if I have a mental health crisis?
A. Your health comes first. If you or someone you love are having a mental health crisis, don’t wait to seek treatment or delay care. Delaying or avoiding treatment could make things worse and could end up with someone losing their life. If you are having suicidal thoughts, the most important thing is that you get the help you need to keep living. There are State and federal protections for disabilities – including mental health conditions. A “disability” is a condition that limits or impacts your ability to perform daily functions - including your ability to perform or attend work. Talk to your doctor and have them provide a medical note detailing any work limitations or restrictions you have (if needed). This could also include a medical leave of absence. Your employer does not need to know your diagnosed medical condition. Provide the note to your supervisor, manager, or department HR personnel. Your department will work with you and Human Resources to discuss your needs and reasonable accommodation options to support you in the workplace If your work involves Public Safety, your ability to continue to perform that work would likely be evaluated on a case-by-case basis. Ultimately, your life is the most important consideration when considering if you should seek treatment.
Q. If I use the County’s EAP, does it stay confidential?
A. Yes. The County does not receive any information about the individuals who seek care or services through the EAP. The only information the County receives are statistics about how often the benefit is used, and the types of services used. There are no personal identifiers in the data.
Q. What do I do if I’m seeking treatment and my doctor says my condition is work-related?
A. If you think you have incurred an injury or illness in the course of your job and want to seek treatment under a workers’ compensation claim, notify your supervisor of your injury right away and ask them to complete a Supervisor Report of Injury or Illness for your injury. This will be submitted to County Human Resources Disability Management Unit and will start the work comp claim process. You will need to provide details of your injury (how, where, when the injury occurred) for your supervisor to complete the report. Workers’ compensation provides treatment and partial wage replacement if you are placed off work. You need to obtain treatment with a physician that works within the workers’ compensation system. More information on workers’ compensation is available here: Disability Management Website.
Q. Are EAP benefits available to Extra Help Employees?
A. Yes. EAP benefits are available to all active employees, including Extra Help Employees.