• Companies may offer a variety of EAP services to employees in a variety of ways.
• Treatment for addiction may involve inpatient or outpatient treatment.
• Let employees know what steps the company takes to ensure EAP privacy.

There are several kinds of employee assistance programs (EAPs) available that provide various degrees of counseling, treatment, and referral services.

Program types include:

• Internal or in-house program: EAP staff members employed by the organization work onsite with employees. These are most often found in large corporations with substantial resources.
• Fixed-fee contract program: The employer contracts with a third-party EAP provider for a variety of services for a flat fee. Services can include counseling, employee assessment and education, supervisory training, and referrals. Fees are usually based on the number of employees rather than frequency of use.
• Fee-for-service contracts: Employers contract directly with an EAP provider on an individual case basis. The employer is charged for frequency of use, and not by number of employees.
• Consortium model: A group of smaller employers who join together to contract with a third-party EAP provider who, in turn, will serve the entire group’s employees, treating them as if the group of employers were a single employer.
• Peer-based programs: A program in which employees are trained and educated (by an EAP provider) in areas such as identifying employees who may have an alcohol or substance abuse problem (or any type of personal problem), assisting them, and referring them to appropriate professional counseling or treatment providers. Such programs require a substantial investment by the employer and considerable employee education and training.

Employers may contract with service providers to administer the EAP. The EAP provider will offer confidential services to employees dealing with substance abuse and can also offer counseling options that can help employees address personal problems that could give rise to the abuse of drugs and alcohol.

Substance abuse treatment services

An employee assistance counselor typically develops a treatment program that best meets the needs of the employee in a cost-effective manner. This may involve inpatient or outpatient treatment.

Inpatient treatment often involves a one- to four-week stay in a hospital or residential treatment center and may be targeted toward the more severely addicted person.

Patients in intensive treatment may need supervised detoxification and may suffer physical withdrawal symptoms. As part of treatment, patients will attend education and awareness lectures and group therapy sessions. Frequently, family members are involved in treatment.

Patients typically participate in a follow-up program after discharge.

Outpatient treatment is appropriate for individuals who are employed and can benefit from education and behavior modifications to remain drug-free and/or alcohol-free.

Outpatient treatment options offer effective and less expensive alternatives to residential care for individuals with relatively stable home environments and supportive employers. The patient receives education, group therapy, and individual counseling.

These programs often require some family involvement.

Given the sensitive nature of many personal problems and challenges, an EAP simply won’t work unless employees are assured that there is a high level of confidentiality surrounding its services.

An employee may be suspicious of the program and wonder if an employer will be alerted to problems or will be made aware of information shared with the provider. An employee’s concerns about such a lack of confidentiality could even lead to the belief that using the EAP could lead to the loss of a job.

Employees should be made aware of the steps a company takes to keep EAP service information confidential. This may include assuring employees that billing is done on a unit basis without direct reference to the patient or that the only report the company receives will be the number of visits and, in some situations, the nature of the problem being addressed.