The University of Massachusetts Amherst

Employee Counseling and Consultation Office (ECCO)

Free • Confidential • On-Campus

Staff and Faculty Wellbeing is our Priority

  • Want a one-time consultation about a work problem?
  • Want a few meetings to talk about a family problem?
  • Have a significant Mental Health concern and don't know where to start?
  • Have a supervisee with mental health concerns?

Please ecco [at] umass [dot] edu (Email) us or call us at 545-0350 to make an appointment.

Other Important Contacts

  • Having a Mental Health Emergency? Please call or text the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline at 988 or go to your closest Emergency room.
  • Worried about a student? CCPH Can Help!

Our Services

We offer free and confidential short-term counseling and consultation to all Faculty and Staff at the University as well as to a few outside organizations. Please reach out to us with any questions or to make an appointment.  Examples of our services are:

  • Counseling and Personal Consultations
  • Referrals to Community Therapists
  • Supervisor Consultations
  • Workshops

UMass also offers additional legal, financial and counseling services through an outside EAP offered by GIC. For more information go to https://www.liveandworkwell.com and use access code: Mass4You

Contact and Location:

  • Phone: 413-545-0350
  • Email: ecco [at] umass [dot] edu
  • Location: 219 Hampshire House, next to Lot 71

Please note: We are often in meetings and are not set up well for drop-ins. Please call or email us and we will get back to you quickly!

At the Employee Counseling and Consultation Office (ECCO), we work with people struggling with a wide variety of difficulties, including  adjustment to life or work transitions, interpersonal conflict, relationship or parenting stress as well as management of mental or physical heath issues. No problem is too big or too small. We provide a confidential space to better understand your situation, find support, and explore possible solutions to your concerns. 

The work we do at ECCO is generally short term, which includes helping you find the type of support that will be most helpful for you. If you realize, or know, that regular or long-term therapy is in your best interest, or if you are looking for specific expertise, we can help you find a therapist or treatment program that is a good fit and that takes your insurance. 

ECCO is here to support you as a supervisor.  It can be hard to know how to be helpful to a supervisee whose work life is negatively impacted by a personal or mental health crisis.  Or perhaps it has been a challenge to set boundaries, communicate expectations clearly or hold supervisees accountable.  We are happy to offer consultation in the spirit of clarifying dynamics, building better communication and mutual cooperation, and identifying resources.  Consultations can be by phone or in-person.  

ECCO can also provide training for supervisors on topics like reducing team burnout, managing mental health crises and helping employees get the help they need.

Supervisors at UMass may also wish to consult the Ombuds office who focus on communication and conflict resolution or Workplace Learning and Development who offer expertise in principles of good management.

ECCO regularly provides workshops to the campus community and we are also happy to create a workshop specifically for your team. Here are some common workshop topics:

  • Mindfulness 101
  • Helping Your Team Avoid Burnout
  • Good Stress/Bad Stress
  • Assertiveness
  • Work/Life Balance
  • Introduction to Anger Management.

Mass4You is a commonwealth-sponsored Employee Assistance Program (EAP) available to all GIC eligible employees. Free services include: 

  • Three in-person or Tele-EAP (virtual) counseling visits per issue per year 
  • 30-minute legal or mediation consultation by telephone or in-person
  • Guidance from a financial advisor to help with debt, foreclosure, financial planning and more
  • Get referrals for a variety of Work-Life convenience services: child care, elder care and more
  • Access to Optum’s 24/7 confidential Substance Abuse Treatment Helpline and a licensed clinician

Call: 1-844-263-1982 

Or visit the website:

https://www.liveandworkwell.com (use access code: Mass4You)

University of Massachusetts Amherst