CT PAID LEAVE PROVIDES SUPPORT FOR MILITARY FAMILIES

Allows military spouses, caregivers to care for military member’s mental health as well as their own

Hartford CT — May is Military Caregiver Month and Mental Health Awareness Month, and the Connecticut Paid Leave Authority (CTPL) reminded Connecticut’s military families that paid leave is available for spouses and caregivers to care for their military member’s mental health or their own. Those experiencing a serious health condition, defined as an illness, injury or impairment or physical or mental condition that involves inpatient care (overnight stay in a hospital or medical facility) or continuing treatment, can access paid leave benefits to help pay the bills during treatment.

“When a member of our military experiences a traumatic injury or PTSD, it impacts the entire family,” said Erin Choquette, CTPL CEO. “We want military caregivers to know that they can access CT Paid Leave so that they can focus on their loved one’s recovery and their own mental health, without having to worry about paying the bills.”

. Qualifying military caregiver leave can provide up to 12 weeks of income replacement benefits. Leave can be taken during a specific date range or can be taken intermittently or on a reduced schedule basis. Under the CT Paid Leave Program, if an employee who is eligible for CTPL benefits reports that they need income replacement in connection with intermittent absences for a covered reason, such as attending appointments with a mental health professional, the CT Paid Leave Authority will pay income replacement benefits based on the reported time off, to the minute. Claimants must notify CT Paid Leave within two days of each intermittent absence.

“My husband deployed twice, once to Iraq and once to Afghanistan” said Casey Timberlake, the wife of a military serviceman and Family Readiness Program Manager for the Air Guard on the airbase. “He suffered a TBI so the day-to-day stuff falls on me. Just a few days off to reset is so important.”

Military families can also access paid leave for qualifying exigency leave. Qualifying Exigency leave is taken by the parent, spouse or child of a service member who is deployed or receives notice of deployment for covered active federal duty and is used by the parent, spouse or child to attend to specific issues or events related to the deployment.

To apply for paid leave online, workers will first need to create an account with CT Paid Leave by visiting www.ctpaidleave.org. The applicant can then submit their claim online. Assistance is also available by calling (877) 499–8606. Hours of operation for a live representative are 8 AM to 8 PM ET, Monday through Friday.