Employee Assistance Program (EAP)

The EAP is a comprehensive advocacy program that provides early identification and voluntary assessment for employees experiencing problems relating to financial and legal matters, psychological and substance abuse issues. The EAP consists of a referral service to help you recognize the existence of such problems and the associated consequences. EAP referral services are provided by the assistance of an EAP representative and/or professionals in the field.

EAP Services
The EAP services include referrals in the areas of therapy, elder care/child care programs, support groups or other community resources. Some services may require an out-of-pocket expense.

The following are examples of referrals that are available to you:

Mental health and substance abuse providers, (subject to the provisions of your health care plan); or
the Legal Assistance Programs or legal firms; or
Financial counseling organizations.
Employee Assistance Program Representative
The EAP representative and the designated management EAP representative have a strong personal commitment to helping troubled employees resume normal functioning and acceptable job performance. EAP representatives provide you an ongoing support system with referrals to recognized approved providers for professional diagnostic evaluation, counseling or treatment.

The duties of the EAP representatives are to:

Assist you in seeking help for personal problems.
Assist you and family member in accessing your benefit plans for covered benefits to include psychological or substance abuse problems.
Coordinate and implement various local program applications and related services available under the EAP, such as financial, legal, etc.
Assist you in determining which EAP services are covered benefits.
You can contact your EAP representative directly at your plant location during working and non-working hours or you can be referred to an EAP representative by your supervisor, medical department or union representative.

Generally, employees will voluntarily seek the assistance of an EAP on their own accord but occasionally your supervisor may "formally" refer you to an EAP representative. Supervisor referrals normally occur when there has been no improvement in your job performance that may be related to personal problems. In this case, you will be instructed to call your EAP representative for assistance.

The EAP representative may ask the employee to sign a release of information form, so that the supervisor can be advised that the employee contacted the EAP.

Referrals made by medical department representatives are based upon symptoms associated with stress, depression, alcoholism, drug abuse, or abusive or compulsive behavior. Your supervisor will not be notified unless you are sent to the medical department due to a related job performance problem.

Confidentiality
Confidentiality is a critical aspect of the EAP, and EAP representatives are committed to ensuring confidentiality at all times. No one will be informed of your contact with an EAP representative without your written consent.

The confidentiality of family members, including minors, is also ensured. Thus, if a family member contacts the EAP directly, other family members, including you, will not be informed without the written permission of the family member who is seeking assistance. In most cases, however, the successful resolution of such problems depends upon the active support of parents or family members. The EAP will generally encourage a minor to confide in his or her parents.