Members can filter through the list of counsellors by both specialties and location in the city. You can then view a brief biography of each provider and select the one who looks most suited to your needs. Once you have selected an appropriate provider from the list, you can call and make your appointment.
Alternatively, members can find assistance in accessing a counsellor appropriate to their needs by speaking with a member of Employee Assistance and the Chaplain; they can offer advice and/or referrals to an appropriate provider from the list.
Members should indicate that they are with EPS at the time of booking, to ensure that the appointment is scheduled in a timely manner.
Sworn Members
- Sworn members can access up to 10 sessions paid by EPS if it is with a provider on the EPS preferred counsellor list. After the initial session, the counselling service provider will submit a form to open a new file and invoice directly to Human Resources, so that there will be no out of pocket expenses for members. The invoice will be completed using a confidential client numbering system instead of a name so that the contact remains confidential and the identity of those who access the service is protected.
- If additional sessions are required beyond 10, the member is to use their Alberta Blue Cross Benefit for Major Medical for Psychological Services if possible.
- Any extension of sessions funded by EPS beyond this is at the discretion of the EPS Director of Employee and Organizational Wellness and the preferred counsellor will submit a request for extension via a process that they have been given.
Sworn members can also access counsellors outside of the EPS preferred counsellor list but will have to utilize their Alberta Blue Cross Benefit for Major Medical for Psychological Services and potentially their Health Spending Account.
Sworn Member Couples and Families
- Sworn member couples and families can also access the Preferred counselling network. The first sessions are to be funded by Alberta Blue Cross or other means such as the spouses benefit plan, if available. If that is not available, EPS will fund up to 10 sessions once the preferred counsellor submits a form to open a new file and starts direct billing to EPS.
- If Alberta Blue Cross benefits are initially used, the preferred counsellor submits a form to open a new file whenever direct billing to EPS is to start and sets up a new billing number with the administrator in the EPS, EOW Branch.
- If after sessions funded by Alberta Blue Cross are exhausted and additional sessions are necessary as indicated by the preferred counsellor, EPS will fund up to 10 additional sessions at the discretion of the Director of Employee and Organizational Wellness Branch upon the request of the preferred counsellor using the request for extension via the process they have been given.
Sworn member couples and families can also access counsellors outside of the EPS preferred counsellor list but will have to utilize their Alberta Blue Cross Benefit for Major Medical for Psychological Services and potentially their Health Spending Account.
Sworn Members' Spouses and Dependents
- Sworn members' spouses and dependents can also access the Preferred counselling network. The first sessions are to be funded by Alberta Blue Cross or other means such as the spouses benefit plan if available. If that is not available, EPS will fund up to 5 sessions once the preferred counsellor submits a form to open a new file and starts direct billing to EPS.
- If Alberta Blue Cross Benefits are initially used, the preferred counsellor submits a form to open a new file whenever direct billing to EPS is to start and sets up a new billing number with the administrator in the EPS, EOW Branch.
- If after sessions funded by Alberta Blue Cross are exhausted and additional sessions are necessary as indicated by the preferred counsellor, EPS will fund up to 5 additional sessions at the discretion of the Director of Employee and Organizational Wellness Branch upon the request of the preferred counsellor using the request for extension via the process they have been given.
Sworn members’ spouses and dependents can also access counsellors outside of the EPS preferred counsellor list but will have to utilize their Alberta Blue Cross Benefit for Major Medical for Psychological Services and potentially their Health Spending Account.
Alberta Blue Cross Information
Alberta Blue Cross benefit for psychological counselling is called Major Medical for Psychological Services. This benefit covers up to $1000.00 per family each year, which equates to approximately 5 or 6 sessions depending on what the counsellor is charging. This benefit covers 80% of the cost of each session and can be direct billed to Alberta Blue Cross by the counsellor at the time of the session. The member pays the remaining 20% at the time of the session, but that remaining 20% can immediately be applied to the members Health Spending Account to be refunded.
Please refer to your applicable collective agreement or the Benefits at a Glance information on the City of Edmonton website for full details on your level of coverage. You can also login to Alberta Blue Cross to see details on your current available coverage.
https://www.ab.bluecross.ca/sign-in.php
Here are some examples:
- A sworn member wants to attend counselling with a preferred counsellor in our EPS network. The member chooses a provider, sets up the appointment and attends. The preferred provider sends a form to the administrator in the Employee and Organizational Wellness Branch (EOW), requesting that a new file is opened, creates an anonymous billing number and submits invoices directly to the EOW branch that are paid directly by EPS. At the end of 10 sessions, the provider recommends that the member needs additional sessions and asks the member if they have any Alberta Blue Cross or other benefits that will cover the cost. If so, the next sessions with the provider are billed to Alberta Blue Cross directly by the provider until the $1000.00 per year is depleted. The member pays 20% of the fee for each session and submits that to their Health Spending Account for reimbursement. The preferred counsellor then recommends additional sessions so submits a request for extension to the EOW branch, which is reviewed by the Director of the branch, and an additional 5 sessions are approved. Those 5 sessions are then billed directly to EPS as before
- A sworn member’s spouse wants to attend counselling with a preferred counsellor in our EPS network. The spouse chooses a provider, sets up the appointment and attends. The preferred provider asks if the spouse if they have any Alberta Blue Cross or other benefits that will cover the cost. If so, the first sessions with the provider are billed to Alberta Blue Cross directly by the provider until the $1000.00 per year is depleted. The spouse pays 20% of the fee for each session and submits that to the member’s Health Spending Account for reimbursement. The preferred counsellor then recommends additional sessions so submits a request to open a new file to the EOW branch, creates an anonymous billing number and submits invoices directly to the EOW branch that are paid directly by EPS up to 5 sessions.
- A sworn member and their spouse want to attend counselling with a preferred counsellor in our EPS network. They choose a provider, set up the appointment and attend. The preferred provider asks if they have any Alberta Blue Cross or other benefits that will cover the cost. If so, the first sessions with the provider are billed to Alberta Blue Cross directly by the provider until the $1000.00 per year is depleted. The couple pays 20% of the fee for each session and submits that to the member’s Health Spending Account for reimbursement. The preferred counsellor then recommends additional sessions so submits a request to open a new file to the EOW branch, creates an anonymous billing number and submits invoices directly to the EOW branch that are paid directly by EPS up to 10 sessions. This same process applies to families, if both the couple are both members, they have access to up to 20 sessions funded by EPS using this same process.
Note that members who book appointments but fail to show may be invoiced directly for the missed appointment by their specific provider. The EPS will not cover this cost unless the circumstances are articulated to the service provider and are egregious in nature.
Employee Assistance: S/Sgt Rocky Druar, A/Sgt. Kelly Campbell, Cst. Terrance Jakubowski or Bridget Powers can be reached at 780-421-3452 or you can email the general Employee Assistance account.