Page 17 - Benefits Summary/New Hire Enrollment Guide

the bottom of the personalization page enter: ABILI. After selecting “Ability Assist program”, create your
confidential user name and password.

Preferred Access to Mental

Health Outpatient Services

Leann Despins Nora Ross-Fitzgibbons
In keeping the Agency’s commitment to employee health, Northern offers preferred access to outpatient
mental health assessment and treatment to employees and their immediate family members. As with all
benefits offered by Northern, this benefit is reviewed periodically and is subject to amendment, termination,
or other change.

• This benefit applies only to outpatient mental health services offered by Northern Human Services and

is not available for services provided by external practitioners.
• For the purposes of this policy ‘immediate’ family refers to spouse, domestic partner and child under
age 26. Other family members residing in the staff member’s home on a regular full-time basis may
qualify for this benefit with the expressed approval of the Human Resources Administrator.

To access this benefit, employees may contact any of the following: Human Resources Administrator,
Behavioral Health or Developmental Services Administrator, Office Manager, or Clinical Director.

Preferred access provides the following on a per episode basis:

• Priority scheduling of a mental health diagnostic assessment;

• Up to ten (10) mental health outpatient visits at NHS at no cost to the covered staff member or
immediate family member. If the person being treated (the staff member or immediate family
member) has medical insurance, the insurance is billed for the services, but any co-pays are waived for
up to the ten visits; and

• Referral to other agencies or services if deemed appropriate. The preferred access benefit applies only
to services provided by NHS.

In the interests of quality treatment, confidentiality, and appropriate professional boundaries, services will be
provided at an NHS site with which the staff member has the least possible professional contact. Please refer
to the full policy details for conditions and exceptions available in the Employee Handbook or the Agency’s on-
line Policies and Procedures.

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403(b) Retirement Plan