7 Tips for Finding the Best Employee Assistance Program

1. 7 Tips for Finding the Best Employee Assistance Program CREATED BY KATIE ANDINO CREATED BY KATIE ANDINO

2. 1. Conduct an EAP needs assessment Finding the right EAP partner begins with a clear understanding of what you’re looking for, and what support services will make the biggest impact at your organization. Think about the whole health of your employees and your organization, including mental health, physical health, financial wellness, work-life and family care, lifestyle support and organizational health. What issues are affecting your people and teams the most, what are your current gaps in benefit coverage, and where do you hope the EAP can deliver the strongest support? Our “EAP Program Guide: Everything You Need to Know” is a great place to get started.

3. 2. Define your EAP goals For example, are your top goals to provide improved access to mental health support, strengthen employee engagement, or create a ‘great place to work’ supports the whole employee–these are just some of the overarching goals to consider. If there are specific financial goals or KPIs, like reducing absenteeism, health care costs, or retention and turnover costs, clearly outline specific goals you’re hoping a strong EAP partner can help address. environment that

4. 3. Evaluate the full scope of EAP services available Some EAPs may only offer mental health counseling, while other more comprehensive EAPs offer life coaching, financial consultation, legal consultation, work-life and caregiving referrals, medical advocacy, personal assistant and concierge referrals, consultation and referrals, crisis response, and training. Reviewing the employee assistance program benefits available, will help ensure employees receive appropriate mental health care, behavioral health services for life management, financial consultations, and support for all issues affecting quality of life. High-quality EAPs also offer integrated wellness and health coaching, as well as robust organizational development solutions. management services, referral legal and

5. 4. Verify if in-the- moment support available in the EAP One of the most important aspects of an employee assistance providing access support to speak with a counselor for urgent mental health needs. Make sure that immediate access to in-the-moment counseling is included in the program program in-the-moment is to

6. 5. Review virtual care and in-person counseling options Virtual care options, especially for mental health sessions, employees to access services from any location, at convenient times; while in- person sessions clinicians are also highly-effective in mental health care. experience should prioritize ease of access and multiple modality options for counseling and support. allow for with important providing The licensed and quality member

7. 6. Confirm your EAP account manager will always be accessible In times of crisis or urgent need, having an account manager on-call is critical. The best employee assistance programs make sure dedicated account managers are always available to respond, accessible by phone (you can always talk to a real person), and highly-responsive all year long to support your organizational goals and needs. From providing immediate crisis consultation in the event of a workplace tragedy to walking you through how to refer an employee who may be dealing with personal challenges professional support, manager should be your trusted partner, and always available. to the your EAP account for

8. 7. Take a close look at EAP confidentiality and data security Many virtual and mental health care platforms have varying privacy and data sharing practices, some even sharing information with third-parties. crucial to ask the right questions up front and read the fine print, to ensure your employees’ information is never used for data mining or data sharing in any capacity, and prevent any liability issues. Confirm that all contact with the employee assistance program is private, in compliance with HIPAA and other regulations. Trust is essential, and the best employee assistance programs ensure the highest confidentiality. It is standards of

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