The mission of the State Employee Assistance Program (EAP) is to provide confidential, accessible services to individual employees and state agencies in order to restore and strengthen the health and productivity of employees and the workplace.

Benefits of using the EAP

What are the benefits of EAP consultation?

Three obvious benefits: the service costs you nothing, it is high quality and professional, and the access is easy. Using the EAP enables you to consult with trained therapists who understand human behavior and relationships as well as the culture and structure of state employment. They are skilled in problem recognition, conflict management, and development of human relation skills and issues of workplace stress. The program's outcome studies indicate a positive correlation between utilizing EAP's services and an overall improvement in job performance. The maximum benefit of the EAP service is gained through a proactive approach that addresses issues and concerns before they become a crisis. Why should supervisors encourage the use of EAP?

Employees' personal and family problems may be revealed in job performance or workplace behavior. There may be a negative effect on work productivity. Supervisors are responsible for monitoring and directing employee activity, and are in a unique position to identify those employees whose work may be affected by personal or family problems. If the problems have become apparent, supervisors are obliged to inform the employee of the counseling resources available through EAP. Using EAP is voluntary. Supervisors cannot force employees to seek assistance. But the process of recognizing problem situations and responding with an EAP referral is a normal and expected supervisory task. The supervisor's primary responsibility is to maintain a productive work environment and to promote employee development. Referral to EAP helps accomplish both!

For information about how to refer an employee to EAP, CLICK HERE or call 651-259-3840 or 1-800-657-3719.

Professionalism and confidentiality are the cornerstones of the Employee Assistance Program's success. Since its inception almost 30 years ago, employees have been able to trust that all information given to EAP will remain confidential.

The EAP's counselors are bound by their own professional licenses to maintain client privacy. An employee's contact with the EAP will not be shared with any person (including supervisory staff) or agency outside of the Employee Assistance Program without the client's written permission. EAP clients have access to all data maintained about them, and upon request, can receive copies of that data.

The only exceptions to confidentiality are those situations that are specified under data privacy law. Essentially, these laws require that counselors report to authorities when they have significant concerns over someone's safety, especially when that person is a child or vulnerable adult. All clients are given a full explanation of the exceptions and other data privacy practices at the time of intake.

Anonymous consultation