Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs) offer proactive and reactive support to employees experiencing the negative effects of personal and/or workplace problems. Proactively, EAPs address problems while they are small and more easily managed. In fact, proactivity can prevent the occurrence of certain problems. Reactively, EAPs address problems which are interfering with optimum job performance. The goal of employee assistance is to reestablish the work/personal life balance which is often disrupted by on/off the job pressures.

The DMHAS EAP provides the standard array of psychosocial services, such as counseling, psycho-educational workshops and seminars, substance abuse prevention education, and educational materials. Critical Incident Stress Management (CISM) is also provided as part of that array of services. In addition to those traditional psychosocial services, the development of preventive health and wellness programs for the DMHAS workforce is supported.

Untreated problems, whether work-related or personal, affect morale, productivity, and reliability. Such problems are costly to the individual, his/her family, and the employer. The costs are evident in the excessive use of earned time, higher injury rates, and Workers' Compensation costs. While a direct correlation is difficult to demonstrate between EA and decreasing cost in the aforementioned areas, EA is a proven cost-effective means of managing such costs. An employee with a healthy sense of well-being is a more productive, less injury prone worker.

Employees requesting to meet with the DMHAS or their facility’s EAP coordinator will be scheduled for an appointment at a mutually convenient time, in most instances within 48 hours of the request. The meeting will be for the purpose of assessment and subsequent referral to an appropriate treatment resource. Sessions with the DMHAS or local Coordinator are usually scheduled during the employee's workday, with the approval of the employee's immediate supervisor (the employee is responsible for coordinating the appointment time with his/her supervisor).

Under normal circumstances, the employee will not be required to utilize his/her earned time to meet with the DMHAS or facility local coordinator. Typically, meetings with either of those coordinators will be for the purpose of assessment/referral. When the coordinator refers the employee to an appropriate treatment resource, the employee will be required to utilize his/her earned time for assistance sought or provided by that resource.