Options for behavioral health care
There may not be a roadmap for navigating your life, but there is help. The University of Alaska offers three options and price points for behavioral health care. Here’s what you need to know:
Deer Oaks Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
Our employee assistance program provider, Deer Oaks, offers a wide variety of free counseling, referral and consultation services. These services are completely confidential and can be easily accessed by calling the toll-free Helpline at (888) 993-7650 or logging on to the Deer Oaks website at deeroakseap.com.
Telephonic Assessments & Support: All clinical EAP cases receive a thorough telephonic clinical assessment. In-the-moment telephonic support and crisis intervention are also available 24/7. For more information download the Deer Oaks EAP fact sheet.
Talkspace
When life’s ups and downs don't fit into office hours, you don’t have to wait for an appointment to speak to a caring therapist or psychiatrist.
Premera has expanded our behavioral health network to include Talkspace, an online service that connects UA employees to therapists and psychiatrists by video and text for about the same costs, subject to your deductible and coinsurance, as an in-person visit.
The amount you pay is the same as if you saw a provider face-to-face, with the good news being the prices are based on Washington allowable charges, which are usually less than Alaska costs.
Talkspace is a confidential, secure, online option for face-to-face therapy. It connects you to more than 4,000 licensed therapists by video and text messaging regardless of date, location, or time of day. You can send unlimited multimedia messages to a therapist via a web browser or the Talkspace mobile app.
Read more about Talkspace and how to access this service here.
Face-to-face therapy with a local provider
The third option for behavioral health care is therapy with a local provider. This option offers you personalized face-to-face counseling and therapy suitable for more long-term or clinical needs, including medication management, and is subject to your health plan’s deductible and out-of pocket costs.
You can find an in-network provider by logging in to Premera.com and select 'Find A Doctor', then browse the directory, choose 'Medical Care' and then 'Behavioral/Mental Health'. This gives you the most current listing of network providers in your area.