The Employee Assistance Program (EAP) is a valuable resource for federal employees, providing evaluation, short-term counseling, referral, management consultation and training services. Established by Public Law 79-658, the program is overseen and evaluated by federal professionals to ensure that the needs of employees and agencies are met. The focus of these programs has expanded beyond alcohol-related issues to encompass a wide range of personal problems. Unfortunately, the stigma associated with mental health support may discourage employees from seeking help.
To address this, the Federal Department of Occupational Health (FOH) of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) provides professional consultation and technical assistance to agencies in the development and oversight of EAP programs. FOH also offers comprehensive EAP services to agencies through inter-agency agreements. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) provides assistance to agencies to facilitate and expand programs for the prevention of drug abuse and for the treatment and rehabilitation of drug addicts. All health plans offered to state employees and their dependents have employee assistance programs (EAP).
It's important for all employees, including leadership members, to know how employee assistance programs (EAPs) can play an important role in mental health. Each agency's EAP has professionals who are experienced in helping employees, managers and teams overcome problems by developing techniques and plans for coping with stress, facilitating group briefings after traumatic events, identifying and referring employees to professional and community resources and other recovery techniques. Familiarizing yourself with your agency's emergency action plan, as well as the resources available to help employees before, during and after an emergency, is helpful if you're in an emergency situation. Inova's Employee Assistance Program (EAP) is a comprehensive, affordable and first-rate provider of global employee support services.
We also provide extensive and convenient program management tools and support so that employers can easily configure and have employees use EAP services. It's important for all federal employees to understand their Employee Assistance Program so they can take advantage of the resources available to them. With the right information, you can access the help you need to improve your mental health.
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