UT4U

August is National Wellness Month

UT System employees have access to mental health and wellbeing resources year-round

By Katherine Werchan
Communications Intern

August is National Wellness Month – a time to work on creating healthy routines that focus on self-care, managing stress and overall fitness. The University of Texas System celebrates Wellness Month this August, and encourages faculty and staff across all institutions to take advantage of resources provided to help with physical, emotional and financial wellbeing throughout the year.

The UT System Living Well program, available to faculty and staff at all UT institutions, offers several resources and programs to support employees, retirees, and their family members through UT SELECT™ or UT CONNECT medical insurance. This includes resources for physical, mental and emotional well-being.

“The UT System’s Living Well program addresses a spectrum of wellness needs, including physical fitness, healthy eating, mental health, and preventative care resources,” said Carla Lopez, manager of wellness programs for the UT System. “The program now offers the UT Living Well platform powered by Limeade, which helps member set customized physical, emotional, financial and work wellbeing goals. To enroll, members can visit ut.limeade.com and download the UT Living Well app.” 

Living Well resources include:

  • Be Active: Offers fitness tracking tools, challenges, videos, discounts and reimbursements for outside exercise program expenses. UT System also hosts a Heart Walk every February at each institution to raise awareness for heart health.
  • Eat Right: Provides weight loss platform partnerships, healthy recipes, a list of nutrition apps, and farmers market locations to support an overall healthy lifestyle.
  • Be Healthy: Provides services and resources for common health conditions. Employees can select their specific preventative program to access videos, articles, specialized physicians, and telehealth appointments for treatment options. There is also a 24/7 pharmacist and nurse line for BlueCross BlueShield members for convenient basic care and quick questions.
  • UT Employee Assistance Program (UTEAP): UTEAP is a confidential, work-based program that assists and supports employees dealing with personal or work-related issues that impact their mental wellbeing. EAPs are available at all UT institutions and can be found through this portal.

Jennifer Meek, communications manager at UT Health San Antonio, touted the UT Employee Assistance Program for its wide-ranging benefits at no cost.

“UTEAP is one of the most beneficial wellness programs the UT System offers,” Meek said. “It offers free mental health counseling sessions (that may vary by institution) for employees and their dependents, as well as referrals to other programs for financial and overall wellness and work-life balance.” 

For more information about resources available to UT SELECT and UT CONNECT members – available not just in Wellness Month, but 365 days a year – visit the Living Well homepage and wellness websites for each UT institution.