The Member Assistance Program is committed to your well-being. Apart from offering short-term counseling services, MAP offers confidential support around addiction with a trained professional who can assess mental health and substance use issues and provide specific recommendations for your treatment. We can also help you understand your workplace rights and file for a confidential leave. MAP’s team of professional counselors can work with union members and their families who are suffering from addiction behaviors. Contact MAP at 212-701-9620 or via email at maprecovery [at] uft [dot] org (MAPrecovery[at]uft[dot]org).

There is no limit to the number of times you can use the UFT Mental Health Helpline. Please note that the helpline is not a substitute for long-term counseling and you are not guaranteed to receive the same counselor every time you call. 

Contacting the UFT Mental Health Helpline is free of charge as a benefit of being a UFT member. The cost of services by external providers that the helpline may refer you to is based on various factors. Please check with your health insurance provider for information on your benefits. 

Both MAP and the UFT Mental Health Helpline are confidential services. Exceptions to confidentiality only occur if you are at imminent risk to yourself or others. 

If your call is mental health related, yes! If your call is related to other union-related inquiries, no.

Please call the UFT Call Center at 212-331-6311 for any non-mental health related inquiries – including information about leaves, pension, salary or grievances. If these situations are causing you stress, the UFT Mental Health Helpline can provide mental health support, and then will direct you to the UFT Call Center to assist with the specifics of your situation. 

• For immediate help 24/7, in multiple languages.
• When in need of mental health assistance after normal business hours, on weekends or on holidays.
• Finding someone to speak with, in the language you feel most comfortable in, to help manage life’s challenges.
• Getting immediate services at hospitals and mental health agencies within the five boroughs.
• To speak with a counselor who can help you with de-escalation of maladaptive and dangerous thoughts, emotional feelings and distress, and resources and referrals.
• Crisis intervention and assistance during a psychiatric emergency.
• Referrals for substance use treatment centers that have partnered with the UFT Member Assistance Program.
• Referrals for ongoing mental health services through your insurance plan. 

• For non-urgent situations when you can wait up to 48 hours for a call back from the MAP Program.
• Call the UFT Mental Health Helpline if you are in crisis, experiencing distress, need resources or a referral. Our counselors are available for UFT members 24 hours a day, seven days a week by phone or text at 1-866-UFT-FOR-U.
• When you need to speak with a licensed clinician for a confidential and voluntary consultation assessment.
• If you’re seeking a psychiatric consultation and assessment with our nurse practitioner.
• For information on our various support groups and workshops (for both in-service members and retirees):
  • Grief & Loss: Members come together to share in their bereavement and how it impacts their work life as an educator.
  • Building Better Habits: A virtual wellness support group where members learn ways to understand what’s holding them back from building better habits and establish a plan to keep them on track towards achieving their goals.
  • Managing Anger: Members will learn to identify emotional triggers that can make us feel angry, and healthy coping skills to manage those feelings.
  • Take Charge of Your Emotions: In this four-week virtual group, you will learn the basics of mindfulness, understanding and regulating your emotions and how to apply these skills in your everyday life.
  • Seasonal Self-Care: Members will meet weekly to delve into the different areas of wellness, offering practical tips, strategies and support from our licensed clinicians.
• If you are a new educator, we provide information and well-being support for new members in collaboration with other union departments through our New Educators’ Initiative, which includes the following resources:
  • Partners Through Experience: A voluntary program that pairs a new teacher with a recent retiree for support.
  • Brewing Wellness Podcast: Mental health professionals and educators share information in areas such as creating welcoming schools, classroom management, nutrition and other relevant school-related topics.
• If you are a UFT social worker, school psychologist or mental health counselor seeking New York State continuing education credits: as a union member, you have firsthand access to an array of clinical courses (both discounted fee-based and free) to help enhance your work with students.
• If you would like to attend professional development workshops and conferences related to substance use disorders and topics related to mental health.
• If you are seeking onsite counseling because of a school crisis in conjunction with the UFT/DOE's Victim Support Program.
• Referrals for:
  • Mental health counseling
  • Substance use treatment: assessment, referral, and pre-authorization for insurance approval.

All UFT members and their families. You will be asked to verify your membership with your UFT ID number. 

The UFT's Member Assistance Program has teamed up with Vibrant Emotional Health to provide vital mental health support whenever a UFT member or their families are in need. Our 24/7 dedicated mental health support line is available 365 days a year in multiple languages. Union-trained counselors can offer immediate help to members and their families who are in crisis, experiencing emotional distress, in need of mental health resources or a referral.

Call or text the UFT Mental Health Helpline at 866-UFT-FOR-U (866-838-3678) for free and confidential assistance. A chat is also available on the Helpline web page or by clicking the blue chat icon located throughout the MAP site.

You will be asked for your UFT ID number to verify your union membership (see how to find your UFT member ID number). All calls are free and confidential.  Learn more about the UFT Mental Health Helpline »

The Member Assistance Program is available free of charge to all UFT members. Your insurance plan may cover services for additional resources or referrals, depending on the plan you are enrolled in.