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Illinois Principals Association

Member Assistance Program

QUESTIONS?

Meghan Tolson

meghan.tolson@ilprincipals.org
217-321-9574

You and your team matter. In order to be sustained, we encourage you to routinely take time to check-in on your and your team members’ physical and mental wellbeing. Below is information about the IPA's Member Assistance Program. Further, we have provided suggested questions for you to reflect on your own health as well as questions you may want to ask your staff to monitor their wellbeing. Additionally, we have provided a listing of additional mental and physical health resources. Lastly, please DO NOT HESITATE to pick up the phone and call a member of the IPA Team if there is anything we can do to assist you.

The IPA has recently partnered with ComPsych to offer a Member Assistance Program with benefits that include confidential social-emotional support, work-life solutions, financial solutions, and other online supports. With the added stressors building leaders are managing, we at the IPA felt it necessary for our member principals, assistant principals, deans, and other administrators to have access to this valuable service. This benefit is available to you and your family members at no cost.

To request services, follow these steps:

  1. Go to: https://guidanceresources.com
  2. Register for an account
  3. The Organization Web ID code is: IPAMAP

If you have any questions about the IPA’s Member Assistance Program or if you know of a colleague who is struggling, please do not hesitate to reach out to any member of the IPA team.

Watch a special IPA Talk with a ComPsych representative talking about the services available through IPA’s Member Assistance Program:

The IPA Member Assistance Program through ComPsych is supported by Books are Fun.

School Leader's Self-Check & Staff Check-In

School Leader’s Self-Check

Taking care of yourself is the best gift you can give your staff and students.

  • Do I have a physical or mental condition that requires professional attention?
  • Am I getting adequate rest including plenty of sleep at night and a nap through the day?
  • Am I maintaining a healthy diet and staying adequately hydrated?
  • Have I engaged in mind-body activities and taken mental/physical breaks? (i.e. quiet times for reflection and reading, jogging, yoga, exercise, dancing, outdoor walks, breaks from electronics and social media, setting an end time to my workday)
  • Have I stayed connected to family and close friends?
  • Have I stayed connected to colleagues who I can turn to for support, encouragement, and accountability?
  • Do I have a system that helps me effectively manage my time and tasks including following up on inquiries and/or assistance requests I receive from others?
  • Do I regularly review what I can delegate to others?
  • Am I intentionally scheduling time to check-in with staff to see how they are doing, determine their needs, watch a lesson, and offer some encouragement? If my staff is large, have I ensured my leadership team has the entire staff covered? Have I communicated with my leadership team to be sure to report to me staff members who may need my individual attention?
  • Am I offering adequate support to my team during this time including consistency, compassion, communication, and coaching?

Staff Check-In

Without community, nothing else matters.

  • How are you? How are your family, close friends, pets, etc.? Have you been taking time for yourself, family and/or friends?
  • What are you grateful for today?
  • Does your diet fuel your body? Are you drinking enough water to stay hydrated?
  • Are you getting adequate rest?
  • Are you concerned with any physical or mental issues that may require professional attention?
  • Are you engaged in mind-body activities and taking mental/physical breaks? (i.e. quiet times for reflection and reading, jogging, yoga, exercise, dancing, outdoor walks, breaks from electronics and social media, setting an end time to my workday)
  • Are you finding opportunities for fun, laughter, and inspiration? (i.e. fun conversations, funny movies, tv shows, books, podcasts)
  • Do you have a fellow staff member that you can turn to for support? When was the last time you checked in with each other?
  • What are you doing that you would like me to observe and/or provide feedback? (i.e. certain lesson, innovative approach)
  • What is going well for you? Is there something you are struggling with? What do you need to be successful? What specifically can I do to help or support you?
  • What student(s) are you most concerned for right now? Why specifically do you have these concerns? What support does the student(s) need?
Practical-Wisdom-You-Matter
Download a PDF version of the checklists above.

Mental Health Resources

Physical Health Resources