Employee Assistance Program (EAP) Resources

The following information is from the CCH Business Owner's Tookit. (http://www.toolkit.cch.com/text/P05_5275.asp)

Employee assistance programs (EAPs) are a type of employee benefit designed to help employees and families of employees whose attendance and job performance are adversely affected by job stress, personal problems, or alcohol or substance abuse. Also, EAPs are generally incorporated into an employer's overall health promotion and wellness program and may be one of several methods used to reduce health care costs.

Although many models for EAPs exist, most share common features. The EAP will usually provide telephone or personal contact on a confidential basis for employees with questions, crises, or needs. Most EAPs also provide referrals to substance abuse clinics or other services, education of all types, health care management, and wellness information. A good EAP is designed to educate employees and to identify problems as early as possible.

If you are considering an EAP, there are three approaches that are particularly helpful for small businesses:

• you may join a consortium of other businesses to offer EAP services
• you may work with a trade or local business association to start an EAP
• if you lease your employees, the leasing agency might provide an EAP as one of the benefits provided to employees

EAPs are considered a fringe benefit, and it will cost you some money should you decide to offer one to your employees.

"A nice alternative to providing an EAP is to provide a list of places where employees who may have a drug or alcohol problem can get help. You can provide a list of local resources, both private and public, and provide some informative literature. If you provide a list of treatment centers, make sure that you state that your inclusion of these facilities on the list is in no way an endorsement of those facilities.

If you would like to find an Employee Assistance Program provider in your area please visit the links below.

(The JOTF does not endorse any of the companies listed below and provides these links for informational purposes only.)

EAP-SAP.com EAP Directory - A directory of EAP Providers and consultants.

HR Workplace Solutions - A Baltimore-based HR consulting firm that provides EAP's.

For more general information about EAP's, see the links below.

ATOD Resource Guide: Employee Assistance Programs

A list of EAP prevention materials,studies, articles, reports, groups, organizations and programs.

Benefit Interface Inc. EAP Overview

Benefits Interface, Inc. is a federally incorporated benefit brokerage firm that helps employers use benefits to achieve human resource objectives affordably.

CCH Incorporated EAP Overview

A brief overview of features common to most EAPs and various approaches to implementing an EAP.

Saving Lives and Money: Solving Substance Abuse in the Workplace

Department of Labor article, which includes information about starting an EAP.