Navigating summer stress: how Homewood EFAP can support your parent clients
As summer break rolls in, many of your clients have employees with children who are entering a season filled with both opportunities and challenges. The absence of a regular school routine often increases family demands, impacting parents’ work-life balance and elevating stress levels. Homewood Employee and Family Assistance Program (EFAP) offers essential resources to navigate these changes effectively.
Understanding the impact of summer of parental stress
The disruption of usual routines can significantly heighten stress for parents, manifesting as irritability, fatigue and anxiety. Identifying these symptoms early is crucial in managing stress and maintaining mental well-being during the summer months.
How Homewood can help
Homewood EFAP provides a comprehensive suite of support options that are particularly beneficial during challenging times like these:
- Counseling services: Access to professional, short-term counseling helps parents manage stress, tackle anxiety and develop effective coping strategies, ensuring they can continue to care for their families without feeling overwhelmed.
- Resources for family care: Homewood’s EFAP includes parenting tips and a childcare navigator tool, assisting parents in finding engaging activities and reliable care options. These resources alleviate the stress of planning and supervision, making summer more enjoyable for both parents and children.
- Stress management programs: Homewood programs teach practical skills for managing stress, including Internet-based Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (ICBT), mindfulness and other stress reduction techniques. These tools are designed for individual use or alongside children, promoting a tranquil home environment.
- Health and wellness advice: Homewood offers guidance on nutrition and physical activity, helping parents make healthy choices that boost the family’s overall health and reduce stress.
Strategies for advisors to promote Homewood EFAP
- Encourage proactive communication: Urge parents to engage with Homewood EFAP resources before stress escalates. Proactive management can prevent more severe issues and enhance summer experiences.
- Highlight accessibility: Ensure clients know that Homewood EFAP services are confidential and easily accessible, providing a secure space for seeking support.
- Customize the advice: Adapt your guidance to meet the specific needs of each parent, recommending Homewood EFAP resources that address their unique family dynamics and challenges.
- Setting realistic expectations: Advise parents to set achievable daily goals and understand that it’s normal to seek help. Adjusting expectations can reduce the risk of burnout and make the summer more manageable and enjoyable.
This summer, utilize Homewood EFAP as a fundamental support for your clients’ employees’ parenting needs. By introducing and educating your plan administrators and sponsors to this support, they can extend resources from Homewood to their employees, empowering them to effectively manage summer stress and enjoy the holidays with their families.
Have questions or need further assistance with Homewood EFAP resources? Don’t hesitate to reach out to your dedicated Saskatchewan Blue Cross Account Executive.