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CoHear Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs)
HELPING EVERYONE ACHIEVE RESULTS
EAP is the popular name given Employee
Assistance Program. EAPs provide immediate assistance to employees and
their family members for a variety of personal and job-related issues.
CoHear is a "Comprehensive EAP" offering a
wide selection of services provided by trained professional consultants.
CoHear serves both the organization and the
individual, promoting excellence in the workplace and at home. The purpose
of our EAP is to fully address whatever your need or concern, whenever the need
arises. We want to help catch issues early because unresolved problems
cost everyone - emotionally, mentally, physically and financially.
With every CoHear contract there are two clients -
the organization and the employee / family. Both employer and employee
benefit from CoHear's services. The employer realizes savings in reduced
health care claims, absenteeism, and turnover. The employee enjoys
resolution of personal and professional issues, improved health and
relationships, greater productivity, and accountability. EAPs allow
administrators to manage without becoming entangled in employees' personal
problems.
Confidentiality guaranteed to all who
use the program. Convenient office hours including evenings
and weekends. 24-hour-a-day telephone accessibility. Improved
employee productivity and morale. Help for family issues affecting
job performance. Legal and financial services. Reduction
in health costs. Low cost, high returns, and easily
implemented.
Below are listed some of the benefits of CoHear's
EAP.
- Confidentiality guaranteed to all who use the program.
- Convenient office hours including evenings and weekends.
- 24 hour a day telephone accessibility.
- Improved employee productivity and morale.
- Help for family issues affecting job performance.
- Legal and financial services.
- Reduction in health costs.
- Low cost, high returns, and easily implemented.
- Each member will receive no cost, thirty (30) minute, Legal and Financial consultations per each new issue, unlimited issues per year. Additional services are provided at a reduced fee.
The History of Assistance Programs
Assistance programs have evolved and
grown into an industry of their own since the 1970's. At that time,
performance-based interventions to address the individual and
organizational costs of alcohol and other drug abuse began to be
widely adopted. By the mid-1980's, the impact of health benefits
cost containment approaches such as managed care brought
considerable change and consolidation to providers of assistance
programs.*Today, the market is divided among several large,
national behavioral health and assistance providers, a number of
major, regional and numerous local and 'boutique' or specialized
providers who focus on particular employee populations.
* Masi D. 'Evaluating Your
Employee Assistance and Managed Behavioral Care Program.'
Performance Resource Press: Troy, Michigan, 1994.
Costs of Assistance Programs
The costs of assistance programs vary
considerably. In 1995, the average annual cost of such services per
eligible employee nationwide was estimated to be about $28.00 for
in-house programs and about $22.00 for outside programs.**
These costs compare favorably to the
costs associated with recruitment and training replacements,
estimated at about $50,000 for employers such as IBM.***
** French, M.T., Zarkin, G.A.,
Bray, J.W., & Hartwell, T.D. 'Costs of Employee Assistance Programs:
Comparison of National Estimates from 1993-1995.' Journal of
Behavioral Health Services Research: February, 1999.
*** Falco, M. 'The Making of a Drug-Free America: Programs That
Work.' Times Books: New York, 1994.
Selecting an Employee Assistance
Program Provider
When seeking to purchase employee
assistance program services, it is important to prepare certain
information so that providers can analyze and respond to your
interests and needs. Information generally sought by providers
includes:
- The drug-free workplace or equivalent policy statement
- Information about the health benefits structure
- General information about the workforce including number of employees, supervisors, work sites, job categories and work type, available demographic data on employees and covered family members
- Services to be included
- Budget range or considerations for these services
- Reports that will be needed
With this information, providers are
able to suggest a package of services, cost structure, and contract
for consideration. When reviewing providers' offers, there are
several important points to review:
- Provider's experience? (current clients, years of service, references)
- Provider's locations (familiarity with the community in which covered employees live and work)
- Scope of services (substance abuse prevention, stress management, elder care, wellness programs)
- Hours of service
- How the provider handles publicity, referrals, quality review of referrals, and follow-up
- Training and credentials of provider's staff
 There
are no universal standards for employee assistance program services
or for the qualifications of program staff. In some states,
however, there are established guidelines and there are national
organizations that address the question of standards.
The
Employee Assistance
Professional Association
is a professional membership
organization that certifies the qualifications of individual
employee assistance practitioners.
EAP Services
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CoHear, Inc.™
1611 - 116th Avenue NE, #224
Bellevue Washington 98004
© Copyright 2008 All Rights Reserved. |
  
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info@CoHear.org
Toll-free (866) 297-7960
Local (425) 283-1313
Fax (425) 283-1316 |
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Serving all of Washington state. |
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