The Life Referrals 24/7 program is a free, confidential counseling and referral service designed to help Blue Shield HMO and Self Funded PPO Plan Participants and their households resolve personal problems that may be interfering with work or home life. This benefit, provided through Blue Shield, offers a variety of services to Participants.

The available benefits provide a number of valuable resource and referral services, including mental health counselors, life coaches, or even financial advisors. If you or a member of your household is facing an unfamiliar and difficult situation or you don't know where to turn -- you may contact the Life Referrals 24/7 hotline at (800) 985-2405.

Members can get referrals to master's-level counselors and a team of experienced professionals ready to assist them with personal, family, financial, legal, and work-related issues. Counselors can provide your employees with direction toward the first steps of a possible solution, and refer members to in-person practitioners. With complete confidentiality, members can turn to the counselor service for:

• Career - Balancing work with personal life, managing stress, "burnout," situational conflicts and transitions
• Marriage and relationships - Strengthening bonds and improving communication
• Mental health - Assistance with managing anxiety, depression and personal crises; alcoholism, drug abuse and codependency
• Death and dying - Support to help cope with chronic and terminal illness, grief and loss

Members are offered a broad range of services to help them manage their daily lives. These include:

• Financial Assistance - Consultations with financial advisers on money matters
• Legal Assistance - Consultations and discounts on a variety of legal services
• Adult and Elder Support Services - Help with aging parents and family, including in-home and long-term care, transportation and housing
• Child and Parenting Support Services - Resources for meeting parenting challenges, day care, tutoring, pregnancy, adoption and child development
• Family and Relationship Services - Information to help deal with parent-child conflicts, single parent challenges and better communication
• Lifelong Learning - Information about schools, classes and other opportunities for growth
• Chronic Condition Support Services - Information and support for members living with a chronic condition
• Domestic Relocation - Resources and support for members moving into a new community

To access these services, call (800) 985-2405 or log in to blueshieldca.com.