A:
An EAP is a confidential counseling and information service that allows people to discuss personal problems and concerns in an understanding and professional environment away from the workplace. EAP services are available to your employees and their dependent family members.

A:
Many people may feel that their problems may not be suitable for the EAP. Some may feel that their problems are too small or minor to use the service. It is important to realize and remember that using the EAP to address what may be a more minor issue can help keep that issue from developing into something much more significant and potentially unmanageable. Similarly, others may feel that their problems are too large or severe for the EAP. The following are some examples of types of problems or concerns that often lead people to seek come information and support from the EAP:

• Family
  • Communication problems
  • Concerns regarding child rearing
  • School concerns
  • Single parenting issues
  • Caring for aging parents
  • Access to childcare and eldercare resources
• Marital and Relationship
  • Relationship enhancement
  • Problem-solving
  • Communication breakdown
• Personal and Emotional
  • Feeling anxious or upset and not knowing the source of these feelings
  • Feeling impatient and frustrated with life challenges
  • Goal-setting and decision-making
  • Dealing with depression
• Interpersonal Relating
  • Relationships at work, at home, and in the community
  • Development of specific skills such as assertiveness, problem-solving, and anger management
• Stress (including Job-related)
  • Dealing with diverse life demands
  • Learn specific techniques or skills to manage stress more effectively
  • Balancing career and family
  • Assessment of stress levels, goal setting and coping strategies to help keep normal stress levels from developing into distress
• Vocational and Career
  • Teenagers who are finishing high school and are planning for the future
  • Professional and career development – It is important to note that counselors will not intervene in the personnel policies and practices of the company, but rather they will support an individual’s efforts to develop, grow, and effectively deal with challenge and change.
  • Career transition, family move
• Alcohol & Drug Concerns
  • Concerns regarding use (and potential abuse) of alcohol/drugs (including prescription medication)
  • Support for individuals who are dealing with a family member who is misusing alcohol or drugs
  • In the event an individual requires the support of a substance abuse recovery program, the EAP counselor will assist him or her in selecting the most appropriate type of program. Fees are the responsibility of the individual, however, the counselor can identify publicly supported alternatives in conjunction with current insurance benefits in effect for the individual.
  • One-year follow-up service through Relapse Prevention Program
• Financial/Legal
  • An individual facing financial or legal problems is often experiencing problems in other areas such as stress, marital and the like. The EAP can support the individual in dealing with these concerns.
  • Legal assessment and information. The legal service provides assessment and referral only and does not cover legal activities beyond assessment and referral. Access is not allowed for employment, work-related or employer-directed issues. Legal issues addressed by the EAP include, but are not limited to:
    • Bankruptcy
    • Separation and divorce
    • Contract problems
    • Motor vehicle
    • Wills and trusts
    • Real estate
    • Landlord/ tenant
• Financial assessment and consultation. Immediate needs are addressed by a qualified financial advisor. Urgent financial issues addresses include, but are not limited to:
  • Bankruptcy
  • Credit/ debt management
  • Disability income management
  • Financial/ investment planning

A:

• The Need
  • When people witness or experience traumatic events (such as robbery, violence or accidental death), reactions can range from shock to denial to nervous tension. Many people involved in this type of critical incident go on to develop symptoms of posttraumatic stress. These symptoms can have negative effects both at home and in the workplace.
• The Service
  • The Critical Incident Debriefing Service associated with the EAP is designed to respond immediately to a traumatic event so as to provide support to those in need of support. The EAP counselors at EAP Lifestyle Management, LLC are qualified and trained to conduct a quick and thorough assessment of the incident and develop an overall action plan to reduce both short-term and long-term effects people associated with traumatic events may experience. Furthermore, on-site group debriefing(s) may be provided in addition to the counseling sessions employees (and family members) may access. This service is available to help minimize trauma-related symptoms, and to help individuals resume ‘normal’ levels of functioning as efficiently as possible. Employees are encouraged to contact their supervisors or managers if a workplace related traumatic event occurs. Traumatic events addressed by the EAP include:
    • Robbery
    • Accidental death
    • Violence or attempted violence
    • Murder
    • Suicide
    • Hostage-taking
    • Natural disaster

A:
The entire EAP Lifestyle Management, LLC organization takes a great deal of care to maintain the confidentiality of those who choose to turn to the EAP for support. A number of things are done to maintain this confidentiality:

• EAP Lifestyle Management, LLC makes every effort to ensure that no two persons from your company will have back-to-back appointments with the same counselor, ensuring that they will not accidentally meet each other at the counseling office.
• Identifying telephone messages are never left at home, or at work, without permission of the employee.
• EAP Lifestyle Management, LLC is paid on an annual fee by client companies; there is no direct employee invoicing for service.
• Counselors work within a strict code of professional ethics, within the limits of the law.
• Reports made to your company contain only non-identifying information; individuals must provide proper consent in order for their company to be informed of their participation in the EAP.

A:
The only type of information that is provided to your company by EAP Lifestyle Management, LLC is a summary of the numerical and statistical information associated with program participants. This information is ‘numbers only’, and will in no way identify any individual who has used the service. EAP Lifestyle management, LLC realizes the importance of confidentiality to those who use the EAP. Confidentiality is respected and maintained by each and every individual within the EAP Lifestyle Management, LLC organization.

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No. In fact, family members must access the service on their own behalf since appointment requests from a third party are not accepted. The EAP is a voluntary service that is available for those who choose to use it.

A:
The EAP hotline is staffed by EAP Lifestyle Management, LLC professional service coordinators and counselors 24 hours per day, 365 days per year. The hotline numbers are:

• Locally: 251-621-5360
• Toll Free: 800-788-2077

A:
For most situations, program participants will be offered an appointment with a counselor within 3 to 5 business days of their call to EAP Lifestyle Management, LLC. Situations that are more pressing will result in a first appointment time closer to the initial call, with same day appointments being reserved for the most urgent situations.

• Locally: 251-621-5360
• Toll Free: 800-788-2077

A:
The counselor will work to establish a comfortable environment so that the individual will feel less anxious about sitting in the office with his/ her particular problem. Through active listening and questioning, the counselor will work to understand a person’s concerns, explore their hopes and expectations of the counseling process, and help to facilitate a process that will allow the person to identify and ultimately resolve these concerns. As the counseling proceeds, the counselor will work as a ‘coach’ to help maintain the focus of each session as work continues on the goals that have been identified at the outset of the counseling relationship. The majority of problems can be addressed within a handful of sessions with an EAP counselor who continues to work towards problem resolution.

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EAP Lifestyle Management, LLC EAP Counselors are highly skilled and qualified professionals. They all have a minimum of a master’s degree in the counseling discipline (i.e., Social Work, Counseling, Psychology, etc.), and they have several years of experience in a variety of counseling settings, which means they are equipped to deal with a diverse group of people and a wide range of problems.

A:
The EAP provides short-term, solution-focused counseling, to individuals who choose to access the service. During the counseling process, the counselor will assess the individuals’ concerns, and help facilitate a process designed to help work towards problem resolution. Most problems can be addressed within a handful of sessions with a counselor, up to eight sessions. The key here is to remember that the EAP provides short-term counseling. If a problem requires a longer term or more specialized approach that the EAP was designed to deliver, the counselor will help provide the program participant with a referral to an appropriate resource within his/ her insurance plan, managed care plan or community resources.