Affiliated COUNSELING AND REFERRAL SERVICES (ACRS)

 DR. Michael Shery, clinical psychology

  2615 Three Oaks Rd, Ste 2A,  Cary, IL 60013

 www.carypsychology.com  847 516 0899 (24 Hrs);  drmike@carypsychology.com

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FREE Taped Messages: Call 847 516 0899 (24 Hrs).  To hear: How to Select a Counselor-Push 1; Emotional Stress Caused by an Accident or Injury-Press 2

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AetnaBehavioral Health Products for Members

Research tells us time and again that mental health conditions such as depression have an impact on a person's everyday life, which may include physical health. Health care professionals should consider the entire spectrum of a member's health care needs, both mental and physical. By doing so, health care professionals can deliver a total member experience, one that embraces the interrelationship between mind and body.

Our goal is to help you and your health care professionals better understand the mind-body connection by providing a variety of easy-to-use products and tools. We use information and technology to tailor materials to your unique needs. We build and continually update innovative tools and programs to help you and your health care professionals achieve the best mental and physical health possible.

Here are just a few of the decision-support tools and dedicated programs we offer:

Depression is estimated to be the leading cause of disability worldwide. While nearly 19 million Americans experience depression annually, it's a subject that's rarely discussed openly. Seeking help for depression usually carries with it a stigma, which could explain why only 23 percent of adults diagnosed with depression actually receive treatment.

That's why Aetna developed the Reawakening Center.

This online depression screening and information tool educates you about depression in a way that is creative, entertaining, supportive and nonthreatening.

Use this tool to learn more about yourself, discover ways of dealing with your feelings and emotions, and understand when you may benefit from professional help.

The Reawakening Center also assesses your readiness for taking action soyou can be more successful in addressing your feelings of depression, should you be at risk.

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Because depression often accompanies chronic illness, Aetna includes depression screening and referrals as part of our Healthy Outlook Program. This program reaches out to members at risk of the following chronic health conditions:

• Asthma
• Chronic heart failure
• Coronary artery disease
• Diabetes
• Low back pain

Our coordinated program components include education, provider counseling, patient self-care and physician support, all of which help you better manage your condition. By identifying and treating your condition early, you can help to avoid complications and improve your quality of life.

Once you are identified and enrolled in the Healthy Outlook Program, you will receive quarterly mailings, a depression workbook, early intervention and, in some cases, individualized case management, with an emphasis on lifestyle changes.

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AetnaEmployee Assistance Program (EAP)

Aetna has long been a leader and innovator of health-related programs and services. Our Employee Assistance Program was designed to help you and your family balance the demands of work, life and personal issues.

The Aetna EAP includes many options, such as individual and family counseling, as well as referrals and resources for child care, elder care, and legal and financial concerns. We believe that this program can serve as a source of early intervention for many problems and issues. For an EAP to be most effective, you should access the program as soon as you recognize a problem, to help manage your work and life issues before they become unmanageable.

Our EAP assesses your needs and refers you to resources to serve you. Aetna's EAP professionals may be able to help solve a problem early and encourage the appropriate use of behavioral health and medical benefits. This helps you better manage your health and wellness, as well as your health-related costs.

Here are just some of the benefits of the Aetna EAP:

• A supportive environment — Aetna's EAP provides resources to those dealing with such diverse issues as marital distress, substance abuse or workplace conflict. In addition, the EAP can help you with general work/life concerns through optional services, such as elder care, child care, and legal and financial assistance.
• Easy access — You can access the Aetna EAP conveniently and confidentially, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Whether by phone or the Web, you are directed to resources quickly, which can help you efficiently manage issues.
• Personalized services — One phone call to the toll-free number puts you in touch with a trained professional who can assess your needs and refer you to an EAP professional or other resource.

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Aetna’s Successful Aging Program

Experience teaches us that the well informed make the wisest choices. We believe that accessing and understanding your benefits are important elements of the total mind-body approach to good health.

To complement our Employee Assistance Program (EAP), we offer a Successful Aging Program, continuing our commitment to help you achieve enhanced health, productivity and satisfaction as you deal with aging issues for yourself and family members. This program can help you to plan for your retirement and can provide support to you beyond your working years, all the while helping to control your health care costs. It also can help you to assist loved ones with elder care.

With an emphasis on successful aging, this program continues the many benefits offered in EAP and includes the following elements:

• A focus on excellence in service delivery by providing a single point of contact (called an advocate, coach or retiree assistant) to help you address issues such as:
  • Planning for your own retirement.
  • Finding elder care assistance for loved ones.
  • Helping you navigate the health care maze and resolve concerns.
• An empathetic approach in dealing with unique aging needs (such as grief counseling, Medicare support and geriatric case management).
• Efficiency and effectiveness.
• Delivery of accurate and relevant information that is easy to navigate via:
  • Easy telephonic access with personal service.
  • A custom-designed website with the needs of the older population in mind.
  • Empowering people to make sound decisions is part of our business philosophy.

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