Information for Active members of the Pension and Benefits plan of the Presbyterian Church in Canada, including Health and Dental benefits, Employee Assistance Program, policies, forms, Window newsletter and much more.
Group Benefits
The Group Benefits Plan consists of the Health and Dental Plan and the Group Life Insurance Plan.
Health and Dental Plan “At a Glance”
- Benefit Year: January 1 – December 31
- For details regarding Prescription Drug Coverage, Paramedical Services, Vision Care, Dental Care and more, check your benefit plan booklet below or log into mysunlife.ca
- Emergency Travel Assistance: Provided by Medi-Passport
To register online:
Register with the email provided by your employer, or with your personal email.
- Go to mysunlife.ca and select Register.
- Enter either the email your employer provided, or your personal email address.
- Once entered, we’ll send an email to confirm your email address. If you’ve used the email address provided by your employer, go to step 4. If you’re registering with your personal email, please go to step 6.
- Next you’ll set up your password and verification Q&A.
- Congratulations! Your registration is complete.
- Complete your personal information.
- You’ll be asked to verify your identity. You’ll be asked to sign in with your current financial institution. Don’t worry, if your financial institution isn’t listed you can click verify your identity another way and answer a few questions.
That’s it! You are now registered.
Submit claims using the Sun Life website with your sign-in ID and password:
- Navigate to Benefits section and select Submit a Claim. If you belong to more than one plan, you may need to select your plan first.
- Select the type of claim you’re submitting.
- Complete, update or verify your personal information.
- After agreeing to the terms and conditions, let us know who the claim is for, and if you’re claiming for a remaining balance not covered by another plan (Coordination of Benefits/COB).
- Using your receipt, answer the questions about your claim. If you’re adding a new provider, select New Provider or Add a New Provider. This can be found in the drop down under provider.
- Continue to follow the steps until you receive a claim confirmation.
To submit claims using the Sun Life app, download app for both Apple and Android from the app store, under Sun Life (Canada).
- You’ll need your Access ID and password in order to sign in (the same credentials you use to sign into the desktop version of mysunlife.ca).
- Once signed in, select Benefits.
- Select Submit a Claim.
- Select the type of claim you want to submit.
- Select who the claim is for and if you’re claiming for a remaining balance not covered by another plan (COB).
- If you haven’t submitted a claim from this provider before, you’ll need to add their details. This information should be on your receipt.
- Select the type of expense, the service date and the amount you are claiming. If you can’t find the expense you are claiming for, select Other and select Add Photo to upload your receipt.
- Continue to follow the steps until you receive a claim confirmation.
That’s it! No need to send in your receipts to Sun Life unless they ask for them. Please hold on to your receipts for 12 months. Sun Life will let you know once your claim is complete. Please allow up to 2 business days for the payment to show in your account.
Download medical claim form in English and French
Download dental claim forms in English and French
Sun Life's Health and Dental Information
The Group Benefits Plan consists of the Health and Dental Plan and the Group Life Insurance Plan with Sun Life Financial. These plans can go through changes and updates from time to time and it is important to keep informed about how these changes may effect you.
Click the button below for all up-to-date information provided by Sun Life.
It’s a good idea to regularly review and update your beneficiary designations. Pick a date you’ll easily remember — maybe a birthday or anniversary. This will help to protect your family if you pass away.
You can sign in today to make the updates now. Sun Life has launched an online digital beneficiary platform, enabling members of the group insurance plan to review and make changes to their beneficiary with the click of the mouse. Members of the group insurance plan should complete the following steps:
- Log in to mysunlife.ca to review your current group insurance beneficiary
- Go to the Profile icon found at the top, right-hand side of the home page. Next, select Personal Information, then select Beneficiary Information from the Sun Life Group Life Benefits option.
- Make any updates to your beneficiary information by following the on-screen instructions. You can also watch the instructional video below to over the process.
- Review this information on a regular basis to sure that it is kept up-to-date
Updating Your Beneficiary
Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
GuidanceResources is an added benefit for members of the group benefits plan that give members and their families confidential support, resources and information for personal and work-life issues at no charge. These services are strictly confidential and are available to you and your immediate family members 24 hours a day, seven days a week, by phone or online.
Phone: 1-866-641-3847
TDD: 1-877-373-4763
App: GuidanceResources Now You must be registered to access GuidanceResources Online. If not yet registered online, click here for registration instructions.
If you are interested in learning more about the program through viewing an Employee Orientation Webinar, please contact our Communications Coordinator – 1-800-619-7301 ext 230.
Visit our EAP Webinar Page for a complete list of all upcoming webinars, and recordings of past webinars.
Mental Health First Aid Kit
Helping Someone Who is Suffering
Whenever people face mental health issues resulting from loss of a loved one, trauma, or any other reason, they need to talk about it in order to heal. To talk, they need willing listeners. Unfortunately, many of us try to avoid listening to people in pain. We may feel like we have enough troubles of our own or be afraid of making matters worse by saying the wrong thing.
What Typically Happens
Sometimes we excuse ourselves by assuming that listening to people who are hurting is strictly a matter for professionals, such as psychotherapists or members of the clergy. Professionals can help in special ways and provide the suffering individual with insights that most of us are not able to offer. But to get that help, individuals in crisis often need guidance. It is natural to feel reluctant or even afraid of facing another person’s painful feelings. But it is important not to let this fear prevent us from doing what we can to help someone who is suffering.
Mental Health First Aid
Just as CPR guides someone with no medical experience in assisting a friend, family member, co-worker or even strangers with a physical crisis, Mental Health First Aid helps you assist someone experiencing a mental health crisis, such as suicidal ideation or substance use issues. In both situations, the goal is to help support the victim until appropriate professional help is identified.
Mental Health First Aid follows three basic steps:
• Recognize the signs and symptoms of mental health problems
• Intervene to provide initial help
• Guide the person to appropriate professional help
What to Do
Although each situation is unique, the most important thing to do is simply be there and listen and show you
care.
• Find a private setting where you will not be overheard or interrupted. Arrange things so there are no large objects, such as a desk, between you and the person.
• Keep your comments brief and simple so you do not get the person off track.
• Ask questions which show your interest and encourage the person to keep talking. For example, “What happened next?” or “What was that like?”
• Give verbal and non-verbal messages of caring and support. Facial expressions and body posture go a long way toward showing your interest. Do not hesitate to interject your own feelings as appropriate.
• Let people know that it is OK to cry. Some people are embarrassed if they cry in front of others. Handing over a box of tissues in a matter-of-fact way can help show that tears are normal and appropriate. It is also OK if you get a bit teary yourself.
What Not to Do
Do not be distressed by differences in the way people respond. One person may react very calmly, while another expresses strong feelings. One person may have an immediate emotional response while another may be “numb” at first and respond emotionally later.
Emotions are rarely simple. People who are suffering loss often feel anger along with grief. Unless you see signs of actual danger, simply accept the feelings as that person’s natural response at the moment. If a person is usually rational and sensible, those qualities will return once their painful feelings are expressed.
It is natural to worry about saying the wrong thing. People will understand if you say something awkward in a difficult situation. Use this to guide you:
• Do not offer unsolicited advice. People usually will ask for advice later if they need it; initially it just gets in the way of talking things out.
• Do not turn the conversation into a forum for your own experiences. If you have had a similar experience, you may want to mention that briefly when the moment seems right. But do not say, “I know exactly how you feel,” because everybody is different.
• Do not say anything which tries to minimize the person’s pain such as, “You shouldn’t take it so hard” or “It could be a lot worse.”
• Do not say anything which asks the person to disguise or reject his or her feelings such as, “You have to pull yourself together.”
Model of Intervention
This model was developed to help people quit smoking, but it is often used as a model for intervention in the hopes of bringing about behaviour change.
Ask
Are you ready to do something to change? Can I help?
Assess
How bad is the problem and how can we help?
Advise
Make clear, specific, personalized recommendations
Assist
Help where and when you can
Arrange
Refer them to supports at work, such as your EAP, or in the community
Afterward
Once you have finished talking, it may be appropriate to offer simple forms of help such as:
• Checking about basic things like eating and sleeping
• Sharing a meal may help the person find an appetite
• Giving a ride to someone too upset to drive may mean a lot
Copyright © 2020 ComPsych Corporation. All rights reserved. This information is for educational purposes only. EN(CA)
Gratitude Exercise
Pension Plan Information
Your Pension Plan booklet (2023) provides information about The Presbyterian Church in Canada’s pension plan.
Newsletter: Window on Your Pension and Benefits
Window…on your Pension and Benefits is a newsletter for active members of the pension and benefits plan, and is published each spring and fall. This newsletter contains details of health and dental benefits, messages from the Pension and Benefits Board, and important updates regarding the pension plan.
- Spring 2023
- Updates From The Board
- Features Available on My Sun Life
- Simple Ways to Save!
- Helpful Online Resources
- Annual Pension Statement
- Contact Information
- Download the Issue
If you have any questions or suggestions regarding this newsletter, please contact us pension [at] presbyterian [dot] ca.
Window…on your Pension and Benefits is a newsletter for active members of the pension and benefits plan, and is published each spring and fall. This newsletter contains details of health and dental benefits, messages from the Pension and Benefits Board, and important updates regarding the pension plan.
- Fall 2022
- 2023 Member Contribution Rates and MQI
- FAQ’s About Your Sun Life Benefits
- Timeless Traditions
- Information About the Board
- Contact Information
- Download the Issue
If you have any questions or suggestions regarding this newsletter, please contact us pension [at] presbyterian [dot] ca.
Policies
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- Outlines the sick leave provision for professional church workers
Maternity and Parental Leave Policy of The Presbyterian Church in Canada
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- Continuation of Pension and Group Benefits Form – Members must complete this form prior to leave declaring their decision to stay in / suspend participation in both the pension plan and group life insurance benefits. Members can choose to opt to stay in one and not the other. Regardless of their choice, health and dental coverage will be maintained.
GuidanceResources Online Registration Instructions
How to register:
1. Go to guidanceresources.com and click the Register tab on the home page.
2. You will then be asked to enter your Organization Web ID: COM589
3. On the next page, you will be asked to enter the first five (5) characters of the name of your organization: Presb. When you’ve finished, click the Submit button on the bottom of the page.
4. On the next page, you will be asked to select your organization – Presbyterian Church in Canada – from a drop-down menu. When you have finished, click the Submit button at the bottom of the page.
5. You will then be asked to enter a User Name and Password. Both can be anything you would like but should be something you will remember. The User Name (often your name) must be at least six characters long and should have no spaces (ex. joesmith). The Security Questions are meant to prompt you if you forget your password. Make sure that you complete all required fields. When you’ve finished, click the Submit button at the bottom of the page.
6. You should now be registered on the website. If you have any problems registering or logging in to GuidanceResources Online, email Member Services at memberservices [at] compsych [dot] com.