Employee and Family EAP Training

What Actually Happens when I Contact the EAP?

When an employee calls to obtain information about the services available through the EAP or to schedule an appointment, they speak directly with an EAP Counselor who is a counseling professional with experience in EAP clinical assessment procedures. If the employee would like to schedule a meeting, they can expect to be asked for basic demographic information as well as a few questions to establish the parameters of the employee’s concerns. Appointments are scheduled at the preference of the employee, typically within three days of the initial call.

Should the employee’s need be urgent or if the employee is in a crisis, the EAP Counselor will ensure that the caller is stabilized and will access indicated services immediately. In this situation, a same-day appointment with the EAP can be immediately arranged.

At the time of the initial appointment, the EAP Counselor conducts a systematic assessment of the client and his/her concerns. Basic information regarding the EAP services is provided to the client, and a written Statement of Understanding is presented for the client’s signature.

The Statement of Understanding clearly states the guidelines related to employee confidentiality as well as the exceptions to confidentiality which are mandated by Federal law. The employee is also reminded that the program is voluntary and is free. Each client accessing the EAP is asked to sign this understanding and a copy is provided to the client.

EAP assessments are designed to systematically address the client’s life and work circumstances where relevant and to screen for potential problem categories (such as substance use/abuse disorders).

A standard EAP assessment will include questions related to the client’s bio/psycho/social dimensions including mood, cognitive functioning and level of insight, physical health history, problem parameters and history, family history, social and occupational history, coping skills, and support network.

An EAP framework may generally be described as “solution-focused,” routinely incorporating client strengths to resolve the client’s presenting problem(s). EAP Counselors are supportive and respectful of client preferences throughout the assessment process, attending to client capabilities as well as potential client deficits.

Short-term Counseling and Referral Resources

Once the EAP assessment has been conducted, a decision is made to identify an action plan to address the client’s need. This process is genuinely collaborative in nature, incorporating active client participation in determining the most effective and productive intervention plan.

Depending on the nature of the issue, a client can expect one of three outcomes. First, if the presenting problem can be effectively addressed through involvement with the EAP alone (i.e., short-term problem-solving EAP sessions), then the client and the counselor will agree to a time limited relationship focusing on specific areas.

Secondly, the assessment may identify that the needs of the client would be best suited with a referral to a community or ancillary resource (e.g., self-help group, general health and wellness programs, or a financial advisory resource), then the counselor will locate available resources within the client’s work or home community.

Finally, if the counselor determines that the client’s needs require treatment beyond the scope of the EAP, the EAP counselor will assist the client with a referral to an external treatment provider (e.g., individual counseling.)

In many cases, the EAP Counselor will identify a resource within an employee’s health plan to minimize out of pocket costs. Other preferences are also respected including cultural factors, gender preferences, and geographical parameters. EAP Counselors educate the EAP client so that s/he can become an effective “consumer” of mental health services, by providing basic information regarding the counseling process to follow. Even when a referral to a community or private resource is made, the EAP Counselor may provide, when appropriate, short-term counseling to the employee.

Whatever option is best-suited to the individual employee, the EAP Counselor will assume an active and intensive role in assisting the EAP client in successfully accessing the identified problem-solving resource and systematically tracking such cases in order to confirm effective linkage to the resource.

Case Scenarios

Click on the links below to review detailed case scenarios that outline how personal problems impacted employees, and what the EAP did to help.

Case Scenario 1: Lauren, NASA Engineer
Case Scenario 2: Jack & Meg

Although based on actual EAP cases, these scenarios are fictional. Any true identifying information has been omitted/altered.