Work/Life Newsletter
Spring 2016
framed_field.jpg
Welcome to Spring Semester!

I hope you've had a restful and safe holiday season with family and friends. As we start a new year and semester, it's a good time to re-evaluate how you are managing the many competing demands in your life: family, friends, work, health, finances, etc. Perhaps it's time for a change if there is an area that seems to need more attention. There are many resources available to you here on campus and in the community. Check out the Work/Life website to see what resources you can access.

When our W2 forms get mailed out at the end of the month, our minds focus on taxes and finances. Come to the 5th Annual Financial Fair for Personal Finance on March 17, 2016 to attend a financial education seminar or learn about campus and community resources available to help you with your finances. There are also many lunchtime workshops offered through Work/Life addressing financial and parenting issues. And for those needing support with elder care issues, you can meet with the Elder Care counselor or attend a lunchtime elder care workshop.

If you feel that a personal meeting with me to discuss your work/life situation would be beneficial, please call me 510-642-7883 to schedule an appointment. Appointments are free and confidential.

Take care,

Wendy Nishikawa
Work/Life Program Manager
In This Issue

5th Annual Financial Fair for Personal Finance




 
Upcoming Events
5th Annual Financial Fair for Personal Finance
Thursday, March 17, 2016
10am - 2pm, Alumni House

The Financial Fair for Personal Finance is an opportunity for UC Berkeley faculty, staff, and retirees to attend workshops, learn about campus resources, and visit with campus financial vendors. 

For more information, please contact event organizer Wendy Nishikawa at (510) 642-7883.

FinancialWellness
Financial Wellness Workshopspiggy_bank_100.jpg
How to enroll:
1. Go to the UC Learning Center
2. Enter CalNet Passphrase.
3. Search for the class name
 
Financial Planning: Working with a Financial Planner

Tue 1/26; 12:10 - 1:30pm, Tang Ed Center
Speaker: Richard Faw, CFA, FSA, CAIA, FRM, Setarcos Investment Advisors LLC

Financial planning covers many topics and requires ongoing management. Because of this, many professionals choose to work with a financial planner. This workshop will introduce you to the process of working with a financial planner. It will present the components of a financial plan, the six steps involved in building a financial plan and how you can take the first step in searching for the right financial planner. Although this session is not designed to teach you how to build your own financial plan, the presenter will provide on-line resources that will help you further understand the financial planning process.

 
Buying Your First Home

Wed 2/3; 12:10 - 1:30pm, Tang Ed Center
Speaker: Patrick Ignacio, USE Credit Union

California housing markets are constantly changing, and there are overwhelming amounts of information available to the public, making it hard to know where to start. During the most recent housing crisis, financing options also changed (and in some cases disappeared altogether). As a result you may be asking yourself, what programs are available to me and how will they fit my personal situation? Is now even the time for me to buy?

Fortunately, the path to home ownership is not difficult as long as you are prepared and understand the steps, and USE is here to help you with that. In this "Buying your First Home" seminar, we will discuss the fears and confusion about these economic topics. Detailed and systematic steps will be reviewed to help you understand the proper process of buying a home. Current and past housing statistics will be analyzed to show how timing and planning are vital pieces to buying a home. The ultimate goal of this seminar is to empower buyers with information and tools needed to make an informed purchase decision. With the tips, tools and techniques provided by USE Credit Union's professionals, combined with your newly gained knowledge, your experience buying a home will be with confidence and security in knowing you have the resources and professionals supporting you from start to finish.

Understanding and Improving Your Credit Score 

Wed 3/30; 12:10 - 1:30pm, Tang Ed Center
Speaker: Richard P. Ruiz, Asst. VP Bay Area, USE Credit Union

This workshop reviews the various types of scoring models being used today, including FICO, Vantage, non-traditional, and bankruptcy risk scores. You will learn ways to improve your credit score to be able to successfully achieve goals such as obtaining a home or car loan at the lowest possible cost. We will also provide an overview of the sections in a credit report, credit scores, disputing inaccuracies, and preventing or dealing with identity theft.


Investing in Stocks, Bonds, and Mutual Funds 

Wed 4/20; 12:10 - 1:30 pm, Tang Education Center [SEC]
Speaker: Richard Faw, CFA, FSA, CAIA, FRM, Setarcos Investment Advisors LLC

This class will provide an overview about investing including the basics of the S&P 500 and Dow Jones Industrial Averages, different types of stocks, fundamentals of mutual funds and bonds and more. Enroll online. 642-7883


dads-son-swing.jpg
Parenting
Parenting Workshops  

 
How to enroll:
1. Go to the UC Learning Center
2. Enter CalNet Passphrase. 
3. Search for class title
  

 
Parenting Teens towards Independence: Healthy Boundaries with Room to Grow 

Tues 2/9 12:10-1:30 pm, Tang Ed Center
Speakers: Alex Georgakopoulos, CEO and Family Therapist at Coyote Coast
Liz Welton, Associate Social Worker, Coyote Coast Youth and Family Counseling, Inc

In this workshop, we will address the topic of parenting adolescents, and specifically explore boundaries as they promote healthy independence as we prepare our teens for life beyond the home. We will provide strategies for creating effective boundaries that will keep our young people safe, while empowering them to develop an internal compass for making decisions that are in line with their values. In the role of applying boundaries as parents, we will focus not just on the what but on the who: who we need to be in relation to our young people, in order to walk beside them and maintain strong attachments as they navigate the challenges of their developmental stage. We hope that participants will walk away from the workshop with ideas for how to approach relationships with their teens from a place of greater influence.
Coyote Coast Youth and Family Counseling, Inc. has been serving the families of adolescents and young adults for ten years in the Bay Area. We believe that families are the essential resource when facing the challenges and transitions inherent in adolescence and young adulthood. We offer family therapy, teen mentoring, teen support groups, and parent coaching, to foster strong connection and healthy interdependence within families. We strive to provide experiential challenges to teens that promote a sense of resilience, responsibility, and leadership. Our offices are located in Orinda, CA.

Breastfeeding Your Baby/Returning to Work or School

Mon 2/8 or Thu 4/7; 1:00 - 4:15 pm, Tang Ed Center
Instructor: Laura Monin, IBCLC, Certified Lactation Consultant 

This 3 hour class is taught by a certified lactation consultant and is broken up into two parts.
The first portion of the class, 1-3 pm, addresses breastfeeding basics and problem solving. The second portion of class, 3:15-4:15pm, covers returning-to-work planning and breast pumps. Those who have already attended a breastfeeding class are welcome to join the last portion of the class.

Please note: Students and all others unable to use the UCB Learning Center to enroll, please enroll by calling Health*Matters at 643-4646.
Go to the Breastfeeding Support Program page to learn more about breast pumps sold at our cost plus tax, lactation rooms on campus, and additional resources.

Planning Your Pregnancy Leave 

Wed 3/2; 12:10 - 1:30 pm, Tang Ed Center

Speakers: Theresa McLemore, UCB HR Employee Relations Consultant
Sheila Taliafero, UCB Disability Counselor
Sharon Johnson, UCB Health Care Facilitator
Valerie Hellmold, UCB Academic Personnel 

Thinking about starting a family? This workshop will provide information on leave policies, disability benefits, use of sick/vacation time, and options on when/how to return to work after having a child for both faculty and staff employees. Enroll online. 642-7883

Support Systems for Parents of Children with Developmental Concerns 

Wed 4/6; 12:10 - 1:30pm, Tang Ed Center
Speaker: Lilian P. Ansari, Project Coordinator, Family Resource Network

Developmental concerns such as autism, cerebral palsy, speech delays and global delays, can be identified in children as early as birth. This workshop will inform you about the major agencies and programs available to families dealing with these concerns. During the workshop, we will discuss private and public insurance (for mental and physical health issues as well as, developmental therapies), Early Start (for infants and toddlers with developmental delays), regional center system (for children/adults with lifelong developmental disabilities) and school district services (under the IEP or 504).

About Work/Life AboutWorkLife
The Work/Life Office, part of Faculty/Staff Health Programs at University Health Services, supports the University's academic mission through policy, program, and developing resources for work/life issues.

 

Our goal is to assist faculty, staff, and students to reach a comfortable balance between their work, study, personal and family lives.
 

ContactContact Us

Work/Life Office
2222 Bancroft Way
Berkeley, CA 94720

 

Ph: 510-642-7883 
Fax: 510-642-7411

 

Or email: 

 

Wendy Nishikawa

Program Manager