The Employee Assistance Program (EAP) is available to help employees and their family members through difficult times. The EAP helps with a wide range of life situations such as:
- Family problems to include elder care, parenting and marital relationship/issues
- Stress, depression, grief and loss
- Work-related concerns and balancing work and family
- Alcohol and drug use/abuse
- Legal and financial concerns
- Crisis events and life skills
- Resiliency and coping skills
EAP Access
Employees have access to counselors 24 hours a day, 365 days a year by calling 800-633-3353 or 704-529-1428. To access services on-line, log into mygroup.com and click on Current Participants and Employee Resources. Use the username "USC" and password"guest". You may also download the MYgroup app which is available at the Apple App Store and Google Play Store.
EAP Services
Employees and members of their immediate household have access to the following services:
MYgroup EAP offers the support and resources needed to address personal or professional concerns through short-term, resolution-based counseling. These services are free and confidential for you and your immediate household family members. Counseling appointments may be conducted on the phone, virtual or face-to-face which includes up to 6 sessions per person, per issue, per year, at no cost. When an employee or family member calls the EAP, a case manager will assess their needs and connect them with a licensed, experienced clinician in their area.
To schedule an appointment, please call 800-633-3353 or 704-529-1428, or go online to Current Participants, Employee Resources and How It Works section of mygroup.com to submit an online request form.
The EAP website has many work-life resources available to help in the following categories – parenting, aging, balancing, thriving, living, working and international.
- Monthly online seminars with certificates of completion
- Searchable databases and resource links for:
- Child care providers
- Elder care and related services
- Adoption resources
- Legal resources
- Certified financial planners
- Pet care
- Private and public high school resources
- College resources
- Volunteer opportunities
- Over 100 streaming audio and video files covering a range of topics
- Relocation Center: an interactive program that allows users to preview communities across the U.S.
To access these resources, log into mygroup.com and click on Current Participants and Work-Life Services. Enter the username "USC" and password "guest", which will take you to the resource tiles.
Employees may call MYgroup directly to get in touch with a legal representative via phone.
- Free legal advice over the phone
- Free will generator tool
- In most cases, 25% discount on ongoing legal services
- Downloadable legal forms available such as a power of attorney, requests for death certificates etc.
To access these resources, log into mygroup.com and click on Current Participants and Work-Life Services. Enter the username "USC" and password "guest" which will take you to the resource tiles. The Centers title provides legal and financial assistance.
- Free financial telephonic advice
- Issues addressed include bankruptcy, budgeting, buying a home, college savings and retirement planning
- Bankruptcy prevention
- Educational materials and financial worksheets
- 40 financial calculators available online
- ID theft recovery through credit monitoring
- Discounted credit reports
- Free tax software via TaxSlayer
- Access to the Savings Center which provides discounts on such items as hotels, cars, flights, major appliances, technology, clothing, restaurants, movie tickets and more
To access these resources, log into mygroup.com and click on Current Participants and Work-Life Services. Enter the username "USC" and password "guest" which will take you to the resource tiles. The Centers tile provides a discount shopping program.
New monthly online seminars provide different personal development topics. To access these resources, log into mygroup.com and click on Current Participants and Work-Life Services. Enter the username "USC" and password "guest" which will take you to the resource tiles. The online seminars tile provides insightful information.
Personal and Professional Development Training Courses
In partnership with MYGroup, the university offers a variety of personal and professional development courses online and in-person. Search the HRTraining Calendar and register for the course of your choice. Topics include:
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- Compassion fatigue
- Conflict and negativity
- Coping with change
- Conflict resolution
- Dealing with difficult people
- Decreasing financial stress
- Effective communication
- Holiday stress
- Mindfulness in the workplace
- Stress management
- Time management
- Work-life balance
- Workplace bullying
- Workplace violence
To request a training course offered by MYGroup EAP, please contact the Office of Organizational and Professional Development at HRTrain@mailbox.sc.edu. Requests must be approved by the Division of Human Resources in advance.
Cost
Except for fees associated with the purchase of legal documents, the EAP provides up to six counseling sessions per person, per issue, per year at no cost to university faculty, staff and their immediate household members.
Confidentiality
All EAP benefits are as confidential as the law allows. The university has no need or desire to know who uses these services, nor will anyone have access to any information without your consent. The only exceptions are when someone's safety is in question. The university's EAP provider, McLaughlin Young Group (MYgroup), submits statistical reports to the university, but no names or identifying information are ever included in these reports.
Contact Us
If you have specific questions or concerns, please contact the Employee Relations Office by emailing uscer@mailbox.sc.edu or calling 803-777-3821.