When we feel our best – both psychologically and physiologically – we are better equipped to succeed and thrive, both in our personal and our professional lives. As part of a holistic approach to wellness, Drexel University is committed to supporting the mental and emotional well-being of its students, faculty and professional staff. Stress, anxiety, grief, depression and relationship issues can all impact our well-being. Drexel provides a wealth of resources and information to help faculty and professional staff access mental health supports, develop the skills needed to achieve overall emotional wellness and a healthy work/life balance, and support students in navigating life’s challenges. For additional resources specific to faculty, please visit the Office of Faculty Advancement's Stress Management page.

If you are currently in crisis, please contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 988 or 800.272.TALK (800.273.8255), or the Philadelphia Suicide and Crisis Intervention Line at 215.686.4420. If this is a psychological emergency and you need immediate attention, please dial 911, call Drexel Public Safety at 215.895.2222, or visit your nearest emergency room.

Counseling/Therapy

The following benefits are available to address short- or long-term counseling needs, with both virtual and in-person options.

• Get free short-term counseling with SupportLinc, Drexel’s Employee Assistance Program (EAP). This service is offered to benefits-eligible faculty and professional staff, graduate students, retirees, and their household and family members, at no cost, 24/7. Free in-person and virtual counseling with a licensed clinician for short-term issues are available for up to six sessions per person, per issue, per year. You do not need to be enrolled in the Drexel medical plan to use this service. SupportLinc offers much more than just counseling, so please explore the breadth of services provided.
• Visit or virtually talk with a mental health professional through Drexel medical plans. There are a variety of professional mental health resources and treatment options that are available in the medical and prescription drug plans offered at Drexel for eligible employees. These include inpatient and outpatient services, visits with psychiatrists and psychologists, group therapy sessions and drug and alcohol inpatient and outpatient counseling services.  A health navigator at Health Advocate can help you to understand what is covered by the plan, or you can contact Independence Blue Cross directly to explore the available options.
• Speak to a specialist via MDLive telehealth. Drexel employees who are enrolled in a Drexel medical plan can also use MDLive telehealth to speak with a behavioral health care professional for support when dealing with anxiety, depression, panic disorders, or other mental health challenges. MDLive is available at no cost to members enrolled in the Point of Service and Personal Choice PPO plans. Members of the Consumer Directed Health Plan with Health Savings Account pay a $56 copay per consultation. To contact MDLive, call 1.877.764.6605, visit mdlive.com/ibx, or download the MDLive App.
• Explore your options with Health Advocate. Not covered by Drexel’s medical plan? Feeling overwhelmed or confused by the options? Drexel partners with Health Advocate, a company trained to understand the nuances within the healthcare system, to provide free assistance to you and your family members in navigating all these questions and more. For questions or assistance with advocacy services or wellness, please call Health Advocate at 1.866.695.8622, or visit the Health Advocate website (create a new account to log in). You do not need to be enrolled in the Drexel medical plan to use this service.

Workshops, Webinars and Tipsheets

Drexel and its benefit partners provide many opportunities throughout the year for you to learn and grow emotional intelligence, coping skills, resiliency and other strategies to support your mental and emotional well-being both at work and at home.

• Explore free virtual workshops and trainings related to workplace wellness on Career Pathway, many of which pertain to topics such as work-life balance and workplace wellness. The Events Calendar in Career Pathway lists upcoming live opportunities, such as yoga classes and mental health workshops provided by Drexel’s A Healthier U program (most of which are eligible for points under the Wellness Incentive Program). HR’s Talent Development Team also provides online learning modules, and virtual and in-person workshops focused on workplace wellness issues to support both your personal and professional development. For resources related to emotional well-being, browse "Online Modules: Workplace Wellness/Self-care," or select Health and Wellness when browsing for training.
• Earn wellness points through Health Advocate while increasing your knowledge about health-related topics such as mindfulness, resiliency, nutrition, physical activity, financial fitness, and much more by taking a workshop through Drexel’s Wellness Incentive Program. Create an account at members.healthadvocate.com then click on the purple points bar in the upper right-hand corner of the screen and scroll down to “Well-Being Workshops” under the “Knowledge Building” section of your Wellness Incentive Program.
• Nourish your mental health at a monthly virtual seminar from Drexel's Employee Assistance Program. Each month, SupportLinc offers free virtual workshops on workplace-related wellness topics, such as work-life balance, team-building and self-esteem. To view a list of upcoming sessions, visit Supportlinc. If you’re looking for some quick tips on wellness topics, SupportLinc offers tipsheets of all kinds, for topics ranging from burnout to supporting a grieving colleague.

Mindfulness and Yoga

Cultivating well-being can begin with simple practices such as learning to be aware of your body and your breath. Yoga and mindfulness meditation practices help you reconnect with yourself so that you can be kinder and more attuned to your own experience and to the experience of those around you. Join us to learn simple practices to regain your sanity and bolster self-compassion and kindness towards others.

• Join the Drexel Meditation Group (DMG), which meets every second and fourth Thursday from 12:30 – 1 p.m. on Zoom. The DMG offers an opportunity for Drexel students, faculty and professional staff to reduce stress and grow in mindfulness and compassion together. The DMG periodically brings in speakers to discuss meditation techniques, workplace wellness, stress management and more. Participants in Drexel’s Employee Wellness Incentive Program are eligible to earn five (5) points (a $5 credit) for each session they attend on the second and fourth Thursday of each month. To get started, please email meditate@drexel.edu to receive the Zoom link.
• Take a free, virtual yoga class with A Healthier U. Drexel offers a weekly yoga class appropriate for brand new beginners and more experienced students of yoga and movement alike. These practices will help you cultivate strength, flexibility, improved posture, and a sense of resiliency and calm. “Yoga for Anxiety” is offered as a more traditional yoga practice. You will need floor space (and a yoga mat if you have one) for this class. “Chair Yoga” can be done in any chair and is a seated practice. Both offerings have elements of mindfulness and breathing practices incorporated to help you cultivate more clarity and awareness. Visit the HR Events Calendar to see the next upcoming session and register in Career Pathway for the sessions of your choice by clicking on the “Learning” tab then navigating to the “Events Calendar.”
• Participate in an anonymous, moderated, group-support session hosted by experienced counselors and subject matter experts on a wide variety of topics. These sessions are offered by SupportLinc to help you strengthen your emotional fitness. To view the list of session topics and choose a date and time that works best for you, log in to Virtual Support Connect. For a quick introduction to mindfulness, view this introductory video from SupportLinc.

Social/Peer Support

Drexel provides several opportunities for faculty and professional staff to connect with one another and support each other as a community.

• Join (or start) a Colleague Resource Group. A Colleague Resource Group (also known as an affinity or employee resource group) is a voluntary, employee-initiated, formally recognized group of faculty and professional staff members who share common interests, issues, backgrounds, characteristics, or pursuits. By providing a safe space where faculty and professional staff can feel comfortable to be their authentic selves without explanation, these groups can help to enhance feelings of connectedness, support, acceptance and camaraderie.
• Invite your colleagues to take the Ten at 10 challenge. Ten at 10 is Drexel’s challenge to have faculty and professional staff members incorporate (at least) 10 minutes of healthy activity into their day, every day – ideally as a unit. This program started during the COVID-19 closure of campus to encourage departments to take time for self-care, together, once a day. It remains a powerful way for teams to connect by engaging in mindfulness, water-cooler conversation, gratitude, and other strategies proven to enhance mental, physical and emotional well-being.
• Follow A Healthier U’s community on Microsoft Teams, where colleagues are invited to share tips, tricks, struggles and triumphs on any and all topics related to health and wellness. It’s also a great place to stay informed of the latest programs and offerings from A Healthier U.

Support for Your Family Members

If a family or household member is struggling, there are many ways you can support them with the benefits provided by Drexel.

• Counseling/therapy: Family and household members of benefits-eligible faculty and professional staff have access to free, short-term counseling with a licensed professional through Drexel’s EAP, SupportLinc (in-person or virtual, up to six sessions per person, per issue, per year). If your family member is covered under your Drexel medical plan, they also have access to same behavioral health benefits you do. And if they are under a different plan, they can still use Health Advocate to help navigate their options. (See the counseling/therapy section above for more details.)
• Wellness Incentive Program: Your spouse or domestic partner can earn points (up to $250) alongside you as a participant in Drexel’s Employee Wellness Incentive Program, for activities like attending a wellness workshop, completing a wellness coaching program, or exploring personal pathways. Review the Wellness Activities Chart [PDF] for more information.

Support for Students

If a student comes to you in need of support for their mental/emotional well-being and it is not an emergency, you can refer them to the Drexel University Counseling Center for support. If the student is in crisis, please contact the Counseling Center’s on-call counselor at 215.416.3337. If it is a psychological emergency and they need immediate attention, please dial 911 or call Drexel Public Safety at 215.895.2222.

Drexel graduate students are eligible to receive free, short-term counseling from SupportLinc, Drexel’s EAP provider.

Resources specifically to assist faculty with supporting their students’ mental well-being can be found on the Office of Faculty Advancement website.