Employee Assistance Program August 2013

Experience providing counseling services for over 13 years Woman owned, small business located in Eureka, Missouri The Right Solution :

A little about me.. Owner of The Right Solution 15 + years experience Involved in all contracts Maintain clinical caseload Outreach and development The Right Solution :

What is EAP ? Employee Assistance Program Services Cost-effective management tool designed to help employee’s cope with problems Confidential service Counseling Referral services Follow up The Right Solution :

What services do we provide? First, we promote the program Trainings and newsletters Second, we offer options to you and your employees Multiple methods of access Self or supervisor referral Custom website access 3 counseling sessions (offered at no cost) Supervisor/Management consultations The Right Solution :

How do employees begin to use the service? Employees may contact the EAP directly and independently or they may be encouraged by their supervisors There is no cost to the employee to contact the service All services are confidential The Right Solution :

Program services 3 counseling sessions at no charge to employee Offered telephone or video conference Follow up and case management Services needed beyond EAP Refer based on health insurance coverage The Right Solution :

What happens when you call? A brief clinical assessment will be conducted to determine the appropriate level of care Staff at The Right Solution will work with you or the employee to facilitate a referral Staff are licensed, experienced clinicians The Right Solution :

Voluntary or Involuntary Involuntary (aka Mandatory) Work performance Requirement to maintain continued employment Voluntary Self referral Supervisor encouraged but NOT mandatory The Right Solution :

Your role as a supervisor Be concerned with job behavior and performance Remain alert to changes in normal work pattern/behavior/productivity Take action when the welfare of the employee and/or the organization is at risk The Right Solution :

Your role is not: Diagnose the employee’s personal problem Take on the employee’s problem and try to handle it alone Be a “counselor” Cover-up for the employee or ignore work performance problems Despite your human feelings of concern for somebody under your supervision, you are responsible for their work performance Your role is to address the job performance. Let the EAP address the personal problems with the individual Please note: Being seen by the EAP does not protect the employee from further disciplinary actions. These decisions are based on work performance, not whether an employee is seeing the EAP.

Prior to referral Ask yourself a few questions: Has the problem been discussed with the employee in specific terms? Is there written documentation regarding the performance problem with concrete expectations and suggested solutions? Has the employee been given a sufficient amount of time to remedy the situation once he/she has been made aware of the problem? Have you suggested to the employee that it may be helpful to contact the program directly?

Create a plan What steps should you take? Your EAP plan is here to help YOU manage the steps along the way

Step one As a supervisor you must pay attention to the following observable performance behaviors: Absenteeism and/or tardiness Erratic work patterns Difficulty in concentrating Changes in behavior or relationships Difficulty in making changes Confusion Signs and symptoms of potential substance abuse Violations of company policy Lowered job efficiency

Step two DOCUMENTATION – Be specific In most cases your ‘running log’ should include the following information: Who, when, where, what – these should be specific, concrete, objective observations Specific interventions you make Action plans Expectations and time frame for improvement Why document? The pattern of behavior you suspected may not be there after all Human Resources will need documentation to take any actions, should that be necessary The documentation will be helpful during the next meeting with the employee

Step three Write down work-related behavioral concerns or refer to the documentation you have already written. Are your concerns and documentation observable, concrete and specific? Can you support your position? Can you cite events or examples? Talk to your supervisor. Keep the focus on the performance issues.

Step four Assess the situation from the employee’s point of view. Whether on your own or through a consultation with EAP, you can try to anticipate how the employee is likely to respond to what you have to say. When conducting the interview, help the employee understand the specific job performance problems and what the employee needs to do to correct the problem(s) and that the employee is expected to improve performance. Maintain support for the employee during the interview. Look for an acknowledge employee strengths and listen to their point of view. Be sure to keep focus on job performance. Set a time period in which you expect the employee to improve job performance.

Supervisor checklist Be sure any referrals that you make to the Employee Assistance Program are based solely upon job performance; persons who have problems not affecting their work have access to the program directly. Suggest self-referral to your employee when early signs of performance decline occur. Stress confidentiality – the referral information will not be part of the personnel record. Utilize specific documentation when identifying problem performance areas to employees.

Communication tips… Be empathetic and understanding Don’t try to “cheer up” a depressed person by minimizing their concerns. Example: Starting a statement with “its’ not that big of a deal” or “at least it’s not…” Avoid critical or shaming statements. Keep focused on present concerns not giving lists of ‘every’ mistake that has been made in the past Empathize with feelings of sadness, grief, anger and frustration, but… don’t try to diagnose or be their counselor The Right Solution :

Don’t insist that depression or sadness are the wrong feelings to be experiencing Don’t say – “I know how you feel” or “It could be worse” or “It will work itself out” Keep in mind your role as a supervisor and maintain workplace boundaries Don’t use words such as: crazy, insane, nuts or “those people” The Right Solution :

Don’t use yourself as the example to compare to your staff Encourage them to contact The Right Solution for their mental health concerns If they are immediately at-risk – such as life- threatening statements or expressing a desire to end their life, call a suicide hotline ( ) or 911 The Right Solution :

Employee concerns… Research has suggested that approximately 1 out of 5 employees is subject to emotional issues that could have visible, negative impact on job performance. Common trends or areas of concerns Topic suggestions for trainings

We want to help make your job easier! Contact The Right Solution at any time throughout this process for support A supervisory consultation provides coaching to you about the management of troubled employees Your call alerts the EAP that an employee may be referred to the program due to work performance problems

Our website..

Website log in All usernames and passwords are case sensitive Username: VASupervisor Password: EAP4 Copies of all trainings and supervisor manual The Right Solution :

Log in…

When you log in.. Screen shot of page once supervisor log in

Questions…. The Right Solution :

Asking for help isn’t easy