This document discusses best practices for employee assistance program (EAP) clinicians. It outlines that EAPs provide direct services to individuals through assessment, planning, motivation, referral if needed, short-term problem resolution and follow up. They also provide organizational services like consultation. Key aspects of EAPs are maintaining focus on workplace needs while ensuring confidentiality and serving multiple clients. The document contrasts EAP assessments, action plans, follow up and management referrals from traditional clinical approaches by emphasizing efficiency, consideration of workplace factors, and communication with referral sources.

1. Implementing EAP Best Practices:
Thoughts for Clinicians
Brenda R. Blair, MBA, CEAP
March 1, 2013, Austin, Texas
P.O. Box 9927, College Station, TX 77842
email: blairconsultants.com
Web information: www.blairconsultants.com

2. EAP DIRECT SERVICES
• Services to the individual include:
 Assessment
 Development of a plan
 Motivation
 Referral, if needed
 Short-term problem resolution, if needed
 Follow-up
• Services to the organization include:
 Consultation to managers regarding specific situations
 Consultation regarding organizational strategies for helping employees
 Special services, such as critical incident response

3. KEY CONCEPTS IN EAP
• A successful EAP maintains a clear focus on the needs of the
workplace, both employer and employees.
• EAPs provide services to individuals and services to the
organization.
• The EAP is always voluntary, even when strongly
recommended by management.
• The EAP is a neutral problem solver.
• Confidentiality is essential; proper communication is also
essential.
• The EAP simultaneously serves multiple clients, e.g.
employee, manager, employer.

4. EAPs Serve Multiple clients
• Employee (and/or family member)
• Sponsoring organization (employer, union)
• Supervisor / manager
• HR
• Occupational Health
• Labor union
• Safety / Security
• Larger community in general

5. TYPES OF EAP REFERRALS
• Self referral
– Most common
– No involvement by management
• Informal management referral
– Employee shares personal problem and manager
encourages use of EAP
– Processed like a self referral
• Formal management referral
– By manager, due to declining performance or rules violations
– Documentation is key

6. Looking for Best Practices
• How is an EAP assessment different from a
general clinical assessment?

7. Importance of Assessment
• Client may have never sought counseling before
• Client may not understand what he/she needs
• Workplace issues may be part of the concern
• Multiple people may be involved with this client’s
concerns
• Client may be intimidated by the health care
system
• Client may have concerns about the cost of
treatment
• Solutions may or may not involve counseling

8. ELEMENTS OF AN EAP ASSESSMENT
• Client’s statement and history of problem
• Mental status
• Family history
• Level of risk to self or others
• Effect of problem on job performance
• Corroborating data and information
• Assessment of drug and alcohol use
• Initial impressions
• Recommendations

9. An EAP Assessment….
• Is usually more directive
• Leads more quickly to a specific action plan
• Must be efficient
• Involves a different kind of therapeutic rapport
• Feels like a triage, more screening questions
• Always considers the workplace
• Requires more analysis of implications

10. Looking for Best Practices
• How is an EAP action plan different from a
treatment plan?

11. DEVELOPING AN ACTION PLAN
• In partnership with client
• Identify and prioritize problems
• Set realistic, attainable goals/timeframes
• Lists all resources to meet goals
- EAP
- HR
- Occupational Health
- Employee s supervisor
- Treatment resource
- Community resources/support groups
- Educational resources
- Web-based resources/support groups

12. POSSIBLE DIFFICULTIES WITH EAP
SHORT TERM RESOLUTION
• EA clinician feels qualified to handle all
problems and won t refer to someone else
• EA clinician tries to maximize “free” sessions
even when clinically inappropriate
• Client feels "entitled" to EAP and doesn t
want to change counselors, even when
clinically necessary

13. Educating the Client
About Short-Term Problem Resolution
• Important to clarify the EAP role
• Involve the client in the decision-making
• Explain clinical rationale for recommendations
outside of EAP
• Offer follow-up and continuing contact through
EAP

14. Looking for Best Practices
• How is a EAP follow-up different and what do
EAP companies expect of network clinicians?

15. EAP Follow-up
• Critical to client success
• Involves more communication
• A different view of confidentiality
• Greater collaboration with the EAP company that
made the referral to the clinician
• May last longer or have different content

16. Looking for Best Practices
• How are EAP management referrals different?

17. Management Referrals:
High Value Cases
• Based on a workplace issue, so company is vitally
interested in the outcome
• May be complicated cases involving psychiatric
illness, addictions, violence, or fitness issues
• Will require active communication with the EAP
company that made the referral
• Clinician’s interaction with client may be more
assertive and directive
• Clinician must avoid being an “advocate” for one side
but must emphasize problem resolution

18. Changing your practice…
• How would you feel about adopting the
strategies and approaches discussed today?

19. Some obstacles
and possible ways to overcome
• I’m not comfortable talking directly about certain
subjects.
-- If we can speak comfortably about everything, we
give our clients permission to do so.
• I believe in letting the client lead the process.
-- If we offer different ways of considering a situation,
we allow the client more choices.

20. Some obstacles
and possible ways to overcome
• That’s not how I was trained.
-- If we ask our clients to change, should we not also be
open to change? Especially if it helps our clients!

21. Creating Best Practices in Your Practice
• Begin with the needs of clients. (Not what you
want to do, but what they need!)
• Be willing to address hidden problems.
• Seek consultation when trying new approaches.
• Follow ethical practice at all times: Something
new or unexpected will always happen. If you
follow ethical practice, you will be able to decide
what to do.

22. Contact Information
Brenda Blair
President,
Blair Consulting Group, Inc.
PO Box 9927
College Station, TX 77842
979-693-7268
bblair@blairconsultants.com
www.blairconsultants.com