Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Employee Assistance Program - Chapter 5
Employee Assistance Program - Chapter 5
INGREDIENTS OF AN
EFFECTIVE EMPLOYEE
ASSISTANCE PROGRAM
Program
Evaluation
Accessibility
Management
Endorsements
Labor
Endorsements
Broad
Service
Components
Policy
Statement
Professional
Personnel
Financial
Aspects &
Insurance
Coverage
Confidentiality
Supervisor &
Labor Steward
Training
1. Management Endorsements
Backing simply from middle management and/or the
management
Adequate financial support
Enthusiastic support of middle & lower management
A beginning to enlist the support of local top management
2. Labor Endorsements
Organized labor on a national level has wholeheartedly
3. Policy Statement
Must have a clear policy statement as to the philosophy and intent of the
program.
An effective policy statement makes clear the following:
To have problem is human, and the workplace is not immune.
The company prefers the interfering problem to be dealt with professionally as early as
possible.
Problems brought to the EAP will be treated confidentially and will not become a part of
an employees personnel file.
Alcoholism & other drug abuse is a disease to be treated, and not a behavior to be
punished.
The EAP exist to assist employees & their families, not as a substitute for usual
disciplinary principles & policies.
In no case will the employee be coerced to use the EAP.
4. Confidentiality
All employees have the right to seek help for their problems
4. Confidentiality (contd)
There are many ways to break confidentiality in an EAP
inadvertently:
Even without trying: e.g. back-to-back appointment
Keep rigid intake/counseling: e.g. must office hours
Randomly assign clients to groups: e.g. AA groups
Handle insurance locally
Let hospital admittance clerks verify employment
Plat (site) visitation
Contacting clients at work
Tell referring supervisors more than necessary. Only need to tell
7. Professional Personnel
The EAP Coordinator needs to possess expertise in the
reactions
Other typical problems: e.g. financial, legal
Basic Interview/Counseling Techniques and Case Management
9. Accessibility
Employees need to be able to get their EAP site in a
are invaluable