Lifestyle Benefits, Counseling FAQ

Lifestyle Benefits are part of the state’s Employee Assistance Program. An EAP is a confidential program that helps employees and the people they live with work through various life challenges that may adversely affect job performance, health, and personal well-being. All employees and the people they live with can get help with almost anything in everyday life. This includes counseling and so much more. Services include free legal and financial consultation, money management, and help finding tutors, elder care, home repair, and more. This is a free and confidential service that employees may choose to use or not.

Like many large employers in the 1970s, the state of Minnesota learned how an EAP might benefit employees, leaders, teams, and agencies. In 1976 Minnesota's EAP was initiated by executive order. The state legislature established the EAP in statute in 1980. (Minn. Stat. 43A.319)

The state contracts with LifeMatters to provide the 24/7 Counseling and Lifestyle Benefit components of the Employee Assistance Program. LifeMatters' parent company is Empathia. The vendor contract with LifeMatters/Empathia is managed by SEGIP.

No. All services provided under the umbrella of the Employee Assistance Program are free for employees and the people they live with. If your path to resolving your matter will include another resource, such as another service in your health plan or community, your consultant will help you identify service costs (if any) and offer to connect you with that resource.

Confidentiality is the cornerstone of the program's success. 

Any employee's contact with LifeMatters will not be shared with any person (including Human Resources or supervisory staff) or agency outside of LifeMatters without the client's written permission.  

The one exception to confidentiality is specified under data privacy laws. The laws require counselors to notify authorities of significant concerns over someone's safety, especially when that person is a child or vulnerable adult. All clients are given a full explanation of the exceptions and other data privacy practices at the time of intake. 

LifeMatters may be used anonymously. Individuals are welcome to withhold their real identity while asking for help.

Employees and the people they live with may get help with everyday life from LifeMatters as often as they need.

Counseling services are covered by the topic addressed. You get six sessions per topic each year. 

The benefit includes counseling by phone, online, and in-person. We call the in-person sessions “face-to-face.” 

LifeMatters has an extensive statewide network of counselors for employees and the people they live with. Usually, counseling sessions last up to an hour. 

If LifeMatters recommends additional help they can help transfer you to another counselor in your community or within your health plan’s provider network.

All state employees and the people they live with are eligible. This includes roommates. Dependents include spouses and children up to age 26 living at home or school. “Dependents” are defined more specifically in SEGIP’s Summary of Benefits which are available on the Medical Benefits page.

When you contact LifeMatters, tell them you need financial consultation. You will be transferred to the BALANCE program which will help with the following:

• Unlimited financial consultation with certified financial representatives
• Debt management, credit report reviews, budgeting, financial planning
• Online educational materials and calculators

• A free 30-minute initial telephone or in-person consultation with a local attorney who understands the area of law you want help with
• Discount of 25% on an attorney’s hourly rate if the client needs continued representation.
• Will kits; simple wills at no or low cost
• Online legal templates and forms
• Document review (up to six pages)
• Phone call or letter prepared by an attorney to resolve simple disputes