Spotlight on Your Funds
May 2022
Benefit Funds Launch Dependent Eligibility Verification Program
The 1199SEIU Benefit Funds have launched their 2022 Dependent Eligibility Verification Program, again conducted by HMS, a firm that specializes in healthcare eligibility verification. The program verifies the marital status of the spouses of 1199SEIU members and retirees, to protect benefit dollars and help them and their eligible spouses continue to receive quality healthcare coverage. If your 1199SEIU employees and members have questions about the program, they may contact HMS at (866) 252-0527 to avoid interruption in their spouses’ coverage.
Training and Employment Funds Offer Mental Health-related Programs
In recognition of National Mental Health Awareness Month, the 1199SEIU Training and Employment Funds (TEF) remind your 1199SEIU employees and members of the Funds’ many programs dedicated to their mental health and well-being, as well as that of their patients and residents.

  • Montefiore Training for WIC (Women, Infants and Children) Program employees: This program includes training in communication skills, stress management and reduction techniques, de-escalation skills, and strategies for maintaining wellness and life balance. Four modules are offered once a month for four months.
  • Community Health Worker Training: This training provides an overview of mental health conditions, such as depression, anxiety, schizophrenia and substance use, as well as stress management and reduction techniques, de-escalation skills, and ways to recognize trauma and/or domestic abuse. Seventy hours of training are offered over two weeks.
  • Programs for Nurses: Upcoming sessions include “Mental Health: Well-being and Resilience for Nurses and Healthcare Workers” (May 12) and “Incorporating Mental Health into Daily Practice” (June 14). Both courses will be offered both in person and live via Zoom.
  • Pre-College Programs: TEF's Pre-College department is developing a program that will integrate mental health topics into various courses. The curriculum will be available in the coming months.
  • Degree-Based Program: Since 2017, TEF has helped 63 students complete their master’s degree with an advanced certificate in mental health counseling. Ninety-nine percent of students enrolled in the program received their master’s degree.
  • Trauma-Informed Care Interprofessional Symposium: On May 22, TEF will sponsor a six-hour interprofessional symposium, “Mental Health: Trauma-Informed Care,” featuring speakers who will address recognizing and treating trauma in healthcare settings, including from a social justice perspective. Attendees are eligible to receive continuing education units.

For more information, please call (844)-833-1199 or email [email protected].
Child Care Funds Hold Virtual FALC Science Fair
The 1199SEIU Child Care Funds’ Future of America Learning Center (FALC) held its 26th annual science fair as a three-day online event, on March 11, 14 and 15. This year’s theme was climate change and its effect on the environment, including water resources. The preschool and kindergarten students explored topics such as the importance of water for plants, animals and people; the impact of climate change on water systems; the ways that droughts and floods affect the environment; why climate change is damaging coral reefs around the world; and how melting glacier ice leads to rising sea levels. Activities included live experiments, pre-recorded presentations, bilingual exhibits, and song and dance performances. The science fair provided the children an opportunity to engage with their classmates, teachers and families in projects that promoted critical thinking; involved conducting experiments to test hypotheses; and concluded with presentations of the findings. For more information about FALC, visit www.1199SEIUBenefits.org/FALC.
The Institute for Continuing Education Presents Upcoming Programs
The 1199SEIU League Training and Upgrading Fund strengthens the healthcare delivery system by offering 1199SEIU members training and education programs designed to help improve patient outcomes and provide quality care. Please share these opportunities with employees and members at your institution or facility.

The schedule is also available on the program calendar.

Sunday, May 22
8:45 am to 4:30 pm
This six-hour interprofessional symposium will focus on nursing and social justice perspectives of trauma-informed care, and panel discussions about trauma-informed care from healthcare experts, including frontline healthcare workers.

Thursday, May 26
5:30 pm to 9:00 pm
This three-hour seminar for rehabilitation specialists will focus on how online rehabilitation therapy works, the effectiveness of online rehabilitation therapy, and post-COVID-19 recovery and rehabilitation.

For more information, visit the Institute for Continuing Education’s web page, call (212) 894-4390 or email [email protected].
Meet Our Featured Member

Russell Smith credits his 1199SEIU health benefits with helping save his life after a terminal cancer diagnosis.
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