Social Workers Help Drive Down Rates for the Middlesex County Municipal Joint Insurance Fund
CARTERET – All would agree: the cost of insurance continues to rise.
And that is why the Middlesex County Municipal Joint Insurance Fund (MCMJIF) - which serves the Borough of Carteret among its government clients - continually seeks partnerships and programs to reduce premiums for municipal clients, saving taxpayer money at each step.
One great example is the 14-year relationship with the Rutgers Health Employee Assistance Program (EAP), with a convenient office in Piscataway. The EAP is there, 24 hours a day, to provide free, confidential behavioral health services to municipal employees working in the towns that are members of the MCMJIF. Household members can also tap into the service.
The EAP is not just another employee mental health benefit. It is a comprehensive best-practice strategy for the retention and enhancement of municipal employees affiliated with the MCMJIF.
“We are always here, ready to offer counseling services for any issues the municipal employees may be facing,” explained Barbara Randall, director of the Rutgers Health EAP, with offices in Piscataway, Newark and Voorhees and other affiliate locations around the state. “Some employees experience stress at work or with family, or face depression or another issue requiring the services of our trained licensed clinicians.”
All services are funded by the MCMJIF, which says the cost-saving measure drives down the cost of premiums.
“The healthier the employees, the better rates we can negotiate with insurance companies,” said Glen Kurtz, MCMJIF administrator. “By providing social workers, psychologists, and professional counselors on an as-needed basis, we are able to reach out to the employees of our member municipalities and provide assistance before an issue can escalate. It is a two-pronged benefit: We can help employees in need, while also addressing problems before they require expensive solutions.”
Kurtz noted the JIF has been a leader in employing companies and agencies that address worker health and safety. “It not only benefits employees of our members, but further helps contain insurance costs,” he said.
Randall, a licensed clinical social worker, said her team addresses myriad issues. It could be coping with the end of a marriage. There are cases of workplace disagreements, of employees facing depression from the loss of a loved one, or issues between an employee and a family member. There’s also just the stress of daily living, balancing work and life, requiring the helpful ear of a clinician who is an expert with this demographic.
The MCMJIF works closely with the seven-member Rutgers team to ensure that municipal employees use this free service whenever needed. The EAP regularly distributes an email newsletter to the workers, with suggestions on healthy living, better communications, time management and small feature stories about the many services available. Posters hang in staff kitchens and restrooms, while brochures are routinely handed out to the workforce, to further spread the word.
“We also do employee trainings on a regular basis at the request of municipal officials,” Randall said. “So, perhaps we may be invited in to do a seminar on stress management for employees, or to do supervisory manager training, or how to deal with an impaired employee. Regardless of the issue, we are here to help. And if the issue is beyond our scope, we make referrals to specialists – all covered through insurance.”
Another important, cost-saving service is to provide substance abuse services, Randall said, noting if a driver that holds a commercial driver’s license tests positive on a random screen, he or she will be referred to the Substance Abuse Professional on staff for the required, state-mandated services.
“We are fortunate that we rarely need to provide this service,” she noted. “But it is another example of how we are serving the JIF for whatever issues may arise.”
Learn more at mcmjif.com.
