Wellness

VSTA Wellness

There are two sources of wellness supports available to our members:

  1. The VSB provides EFAP and other services to support wellness 
  2. The BCTF Health and Wellness Program supports members recovering from illness or injury by providing rehabilitation services. If you think you may need to go on extended medical leave or you are returning from a medial leave, the BCTF Health and Wellness Program will be able to provide resources and support.
VSB Wellness Services
Employee & Family Assistance Plan (EFAP)

Through our Employee and Family Assistance Program (EFAP), LifeWorks, employees can access support by calling their call centre at 1-844-880-9137 (available 24/7) to access free and confidential support,  also offer an engaging, confidential online platform that includes all of the services previously offered by EFAP, but designed to make accessing EFAP and wellness resources an engaging part of your daily or weekly routine. This page will break down some of the features of the LifeWorks platform, and information on accessing support through the call centre and the online platform. The online platform does require that you login with your VSB login credentials, this is to verify that you are a VSB employee, but your information and usage are completely confidential.

Please Note: All EFAP services are available in English and French. If service provision in another language is required, this can be requested at the time of booking. Some in-person counselling is available, however availability is based on network counsellors’ comfort with providing in-person services during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The support offered during telephone and virtual counselling is the same, the delivery modality is the only change.

Helpful Links:
Login into LifeWorks
Demystifying EFAP


Employee Wellness 
SharePoint

Employee Wellness (sharepoint.com) This page has information about current wellness events and workshops.  You will need to be logged in to access this site.  You can also find this page by following this route: VSB HUB >District Departments >Employee Services > Employee Wellness.


WellAssist Pilot Program

WellAssist is designed to support any employee of the Vancouver School Board. This navigation service is confidential and customized for all employees, including on-call status.
When you self-refer to WellAssist, Employee Wellness will connect with you to help find the best wellness tools and available resources to support you to feel your best. This program is confidential and customized to your individual needs.

Helpful Links:
WellAssist: Self-Referral Form (vsb.bc.ca)

BCTF Wellness Services
BCTF Health and Wellness Program

What is the BCTF Health and Wellness Program?
The BCTF Health and Wellness Program supports and empowers members recovering from illness or injury to regain an optimum state of wellness, health, and productivity by providing rehabilitation services and promoting self-care. It is funded by the membership of the BCTF.

How do members find out more about the BCTF Health and Wellness Program?
Posters are sent to every school staffroom. Members may call their Local Presidents for more information, or call the BCTF directly. Information about the program is on the BCTF website at bctf.ca/wellness.

https://bctf.ca/wellness/


Salary Indemnity Plan

The Salary Indemnity Plan is available to members who are disabled, by illness or injury, from performing their normal employment duties and have exhausted all of their sick leave.

Please review the information on the website. Salary Indemnity Plan (bctf.ca)

If you have further questions, please contact the BCTF by email at benefits@bctf.ca or toll free: 1-800-663-9163, local 1921.


Starling Minds

The BCTF has paired with Starling Minds to develop an online module to work on “Mental Fitness”. It has been developed especially for teachers and is a completely confidential program based on Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT). Given that at least 40% of teachers struggle with a mental health issue at some point in their career, the goal is to be preventative.  The program helps teachers by working on thought patterns and coping strategies to keep us mentally healthy throughout the year.

For more information, see Starling Minds.

Sign up with Starling Minds Registration. You will need your BCTF Member ID to create an account.

 

Well Teachers Group

BCTF Well Teacher Groups – Well Teacher groups are free groups led by a wellness facilitator and focused on the needs of teachers, specifically related to the challenges of our profession and focused on strengthening resilience and developing better work-life balance.  These groups are based on the book “The Well Teacher”.

 

VSB Wellness Newsletter