As a Corphealth provider, clients are referred to you through their health plan or their Employees Assistance Program. And some clients have a benefit plan we call "Balance", meaning Corphealth manages both the behavioral health benefit and the EAP. Since Corphealth works collaboratively with each purchaser to tailor the plan to their particular needs and circumstance, the first step for a provider is to know what the features of the clients' plan are. (Clients often do not know or are confused about the difference between EAP and mental health coverage.) You may gain this information by calling the number on the client's health card or call Corphealth's Help Line.

Assess and Refer

Some EAP plans are one to three sessions, assess and refer models. They offer the employee the opportunity to talk to an EAP specialist by phone and to be referred to the appropriate resources to help them. The professional assesses the state of mind and circumstances of the caller - Are they safe? Is there any eminent danger to themselves or anyone else? Is this a simple resource question or does the caller or family member need to be seen in person by the EAP professional? In most cases, these calls come into Corphealth's call center and the licensed professional who takes the call does the first steps.

If the person is in danger they are referred directly to a hospital or 911 is called. If there is no danger but there is need for an appointment, the caller is referred to a Corphealth provider for an appointment.

Assessment, Authorization and Short Term Treatment

In the Balance accounts, all Corphealth mental health services come through the EAP for assessment, referral, and authorization to appropriate levels and types of care. If the EAP professional determines that the presenting situation can be resolved in the number of EAP session available, they continue seeing the client under there EAP benefit. If the situation is in need of a more intense or extended specialized type of treatment, then the EAP counselor works with the client to stabilize the situation, and then refers the employee to a provider on the Corphealth network. Under most plans, in order to minimize disruption to the client, the EAP counselor may continue with the client if they are qualified to address the type of problem or condition presented by the client. In some plans, the provider is not allowed to self refer, so check with Corphealth if you are unsure about this feature of the benefit.

How do EAP clients different from mental health clients?

EAP clients find out about the service from a poster in the office break room, a flyer in their pay envelope, or from a work colleague or supervisor. This association with the workplace heightens concerns about confidentiality. Supervisory referrals, even if not mandatory, may seem to the client to carry the weight of job security or promotion. And the EAP counselor has, through Corphealth, a contract with the employer paying for the service. So, EAP counselors must become skilled in dealing with multiple clients.

EAP services are designed to handle generic problems in living and do not include psychiatric care or psychological testing services. The EAP counselor needs to assess the situation to see if the presenting problem can reasonably be expected to be resolved within the number of visits provided in the EAP benefit. If a longer period of treatment is necessary, or treatment at a higher level of care is necessary, the client needs to be referred to services covered in their mental health care plan. In some plans, self-referral is not allowed even when the EAP provider is also a provider in the mental health plan. This needs to be established before beginning the EAP service so both provider and client understand the parameters under which they are operating.

Confidentiality

One of the first tasks of the professional is to establish credibility with the employee on the issue of confidentiality. Employees need to know that EAP records are confidential and not shared with anyone without the employee's written permission except as may be required by law. Records are stored away from the work site, and employers receive information only on number of people using the service, or type of problems dealt with in the entire program. Some companies have a mandatory supervisor referral, and policies and procedures regulating its use. These require special communication between the EAP clinician, the employer, and the employee. This needs to be discussed with the employee and signed permission must be given by the employee for communication to take place.

Multiple Clients

A counselor in the role of an EAP specialist has multiple clients with multiple concerns. The employee's concerns may be their marriage or parenting issues, concerns for the care and welfare of dependent children or elders, or depression or alcohol abuse. They may express concerns about workload or organizational processes challenging their work and family-life balance. Employers are concerned with maintaining a productive work place. Employers' interests include worker productivity and morale, individual and team performance, retention of valued employees, risk management, and the bottom line of profit. In the not- for-profit sector this is expressed as cost effective use of resources.

EAP Professional's Role

The EAP specialist advocates for the individual and the organization, aware of the necessity of win-win solutions. Personal problems of employees are addressed in such a way as to minimize impact on the workplace. When absence from the workplace is necessary, the goal of EAP services is to return the employee to productive service as soon as possible. Some approaches you might try with EAP clients:

	Be familiar with the resources in your community. Include legal and credit counseling services, childcare and services for seniors. Check the Provider section of the Corphealth web site for patient information handouts, resources, and links to web sites of national organizations.
	Be a "coach" to the employee regarding his/her workplace performance. Help the employee see the possible effects of particular behaviors on colleagues and supervisors. Assist your client in becoming clearer about their work goals and objectives.
	Educate yourself about the workplace culture of a company that refers EAP clients to you. Be aware of organizational issues such as mergers, layoffs, or industry economic downturns. Contact the Corphealth Providers Help Desk for additional information about the employee's company.
	Use short-term solution focused approaches with employees and family members. Consider marital sessions since these may not be reimbursed under the employee's health plan, but they are perfectly legitimate under EAP benefits.