Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
All Commonwealth of Virginia employees, along with their household members and dependents, have access to an Employee Assistance Program.
This includes all non-student Virginia Tech employees: full‑ and part‑time faculty/staff, non‑student wage, etc. and their household members/dependents. Those who are not enrolled in a state (Virginia Tech) health insurance plan may access the EAP service through Anthem.
The EAP offers professional help if you or someone in your family is experiencing:
- Stress-related problems
- Emotional difficulties
- Alcohol or drug problems
- Family and relationship troubles
- Parenting concerns
- Conflicts at work or home
- Other personal concerns
- Financial Issues
- Legal Issues
How to connect with your Employee Assistance Plan
Getting help is simple, convenient, and confidential. Employees may call the program directly at the number listed below, visit the online portal, or contact Hokie Wellness for assistance. A mental health professional is always available 24/7 to talk over the phone if needed. The first four counseling sessions, per issue, are free.
When EAP online or by phone, be sure to use COVA (Commonwealth of Virginia) as the company name or access code — not Virginia Tech.
| Plan | Contact |
Anthem (COVA Care & COVA HDHP) *Use if you do not have a state insurance plan |
Employee Assistance Program (EAP) Anthem: 1-855-223-9277 or Anthem EAP Website (company name: Commonwealth of Virginia). |
| Sentara Health Plans Vantage HMO | Employee Assistance Program (EAP) Sentara: 1-800-899-8174 or Sentara Health Plans Vantage HMO Website (company username: COVA) |
| Kaiser Permanente HMO | Behavorial Health and Employee Assistance Program (EAP) Beacon: 1-866-517-7042 |
| Aetna (COVA HealthAware) | Employee Assistance Program (EAP) Aetna: 1-888-238-6232 or COVA HealthAware Website (username: COVA, access code: COVA) |
- Visit www.anthemeap.com/cova
- Select “Sign Up” in the top right. On mobile devices, open the menu in the top right and choose “Sign Up”.
- Enter your personal details. If you don’t have an Anthem plan, skip the “First 3 characters of your member ID” field.
- Select your insurance under the Health Insurance Carrier tab or “No insurance” if you do not have a university health plan.
- After you complete the registration, you will be sent an email with a code to verify your account.
- Log back in to Anthem’s site. You may be given the opportunity to complete a well-being questionnaire, which you can skip if you choose by selecting “reminded later.”
- Your MRN (member reference number) will appear in the top right corner. This is the number you will use to access EAP resources.
- You can now choose the EAP resource that you need: Find a Counselor, Financial Planning, Legal Resources, etc.
Additional Mental Health Resources
TimelyCare: Free mental counseling (12 sessions), health coaching, TalkNow (24/7), and access to online self-care content.
Employee Support Groups: Grief and Loss, and Neurodiversity and Neurodivergence, meet biweekly at no cost through the Psychological Services Center.
Need Addistance?
For help accessing EAP, TimelyCare, Employee Support Groups, community services, or simply seeking help determining the right resources, reach out to Hokie Wellness at hokiewellness@vt.edu or 540-231-8878.