Many of you likely received a notice in your inbox last week about Military OneSource. Maybe it was just me, but I didn’t find the instructions in the notice to be particularly clear. The basic message was that the service is switching contractors to a new manager, and whatever counseling you’ve been receiving through it may or may not still be covered.
Since cutting through confusing military blah-blah-blah is what I do for a living, I decided to figure out exactly what this means for any of you OneSource users out there (and for me, too … let's not lie, we’re all in the same boat around here).
Here’s what the message said:
If you are currently being seen for Employee Assistance Program counseling sessions with a counselor in your area, your sessions can continue as scheduled through October 29, 2011. Counseling sessions with the Military OneSource program extending beyond October 29, 2011 must be authorized by the new vendor. We will send you a second e-mail with a transition toll-free number that you can call starting at 8:30 am 20 Oct, 2011 with any questions you may have about continuing your care with your current provider or services required after Oct 30.
After months (and months) of procrastinating, I just two weeks ago started practicing what I preach and using the free counseling service. The idea of having to find a new counselor so quickly is not giving me happy feelings.
I called the number when it was sent and was told that I really didn’t need to call at all (wait… didn’t that last email just say …?). Instead, I was told, I need to talk to my counselor and make sure she is signing up with or has been accepted by the new system.
So here’s what you need to do:
1. If you are seeing a counselor, hit them up before Saturday (Oct. 29) and make sure they are still going to be in the OneSource system.
2. If they are not switching over, buzz this toll-free number: 877-516-0207 and explain your issue. I had no problem getting through when I called, and the person I spoke with was very knowledgeable.
3. If you are using any of the current OneSource site’s online tools that require you save information to the system, they recommend you download a copy of your info as a safety net just in case something goes awry during transition.
I’ll be seeing my counselor this week. Hopefully she’ll say “yup, no problem” to my questions about transition – but if she doesn’t and I have to chase down more information, I’ll keep you all updated as to the process.
