When an employee calls into the Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) service via the EAP Freephone number, they will speak with a qualified EAP Counsellor. Indeed, all in-bound calls into the Life & Progress – EAP service are received by counsellors as opposed to generalist call-handlers. The EAP Counsellor will provide ‘In the Moment Support’ to help with the issue they have contacted the EAP service for. Throughout the initial telephone session the EAP Counsellor will assess the employee’s situation and what support is most clinically appropriate for them. There are a number of different possible outcomes. The examples below will give you an idea of how the employee’s call may be supported:
- Outcome 1 – Their initial call with the EAP Counsellor will provide them with the support they need in the moment with no further support required/recommended thereafter.
- Outcome 2 – During their in the moment support session with the EAP Counsellor, the EAP Counsellor may recommend addition sessions of counselling on the telephone, video or face to face.
- Outcome 3 – It may be that the reasons the employee contacted the EAP service are more appropriately supported by one of the EAP support partners or an alternative service. In this case, the EAP Counsellor may refer them to a particular charity or specialist organisation that work with the specific issue they called about, or refer them on to another service that can offer them the most clinically suitable support for what they are going through. This may include referring them to their respective GP/Doctor or to alternative NHS services.
The EAP Counsellor will assure the employee that no matter what route they take they can still always use the EAP for any in the moment support they may need at any time of the day.
If the employee needs practical advice from one of the EAP Telephone Information Specialists (TIS) the EAP will support them as soon as they contact the service and provide them with any information they may need. The EAP Telephone Information Specialists are available 8am-8pm Monday- Friday. All client employees are eligible to use the EAP service, our services include but not limited to; telephone counselling, information services and online support.
Below are some example scenarios and a breakdown of how the EAP would support each situation. It is however important to highlight that each case is supported on a case-by-case basis and what may be clinically appropriate to support one individuals (service-user) situation may not be suitable for another individual.
Life & Progress is a consultant-member of the Employee Assistance Professionals Association (EAPA), and as a well-established EAP Intermediary we only partner with EAP Providers that are fully registered members of EAPA and follow the EAPA guidelines. The above summary is based on EAP service provision in partnership with Care First, part of The Priory Group. For a list of our EAP Partners and/or to request more information about the EAP services we provide, please contact the Life & Progress – Account Management Team on 0808 164 3941 (this number is not for EAP access). Or please email us at service@lifeandprogress.co.uk
July 2021. E&OE.
