Employee Assistance Program Information

Employee Assistance Program Information

Purpose

The Health Care System offers an Employee Assistance Program to help employees resolve personal problems that may adversely affect job performance. The program seeks to restore individual's health and productivity, improve efficiency and retain experienced employees.

The program is both remedial and preventive, and is designed to:

• Identify problems at the earliest stage possible,
• Motivate the individual to seek help,
• Encourage voluntary participation and self-referral, and
• Refer the individual to the most appropriate assistance available

Eligibility

The Employee Assistance Program is available to any employee, whether probationary, permanent or temporary. Supervisors are encouraged to suggest Employee Assistance Program to employees experiencing personal problems, which may eventually affect work performance. Participation in Employee Assistance Program is voluntary. The employee's family members also may participate.

EAP Counselor

The Employee Assistance Program counselor, Susan Criscenzo, can be reached at 929-2362. The office is located at Timberlyne Shopping Center, 1101 Weaver Dairy Road, Suite 101-1, Chapel Hill, NC 27514.

Referral Process

The Employee Assistance Program has two mechanisms for employees to obtain assistance: self-referral and supervisory-referral.

Self-Referral

To initiate a self-referral or to request information, an employee may call the Employee Assistance Program office directly. Assistance is also available through Employee Relations at 966-2261.

Supervisory-Referral

If disciplinary action is in process, any referral to the Employee Assistance Program is considered a supervisory referral. If the employee accepts the offer of help, the supervisor should contact the Employee Assistance Program Counselor to coordinate the referral. Although an employee might decline the offer of help, this option can be repeated any time the supervisor feels the employee may have become more receptive.

Leave

An employee will not be charged leave for time spent with the Employee Assistance Program counselor. If a person is referred for continuing treatment or rehabilitation with a referred professional resource, vacation leave, sick leave, or leave without pay is used.

Cost

There is no cost to the employee for the services provided by the Employee Assistance Program counselor. However, any costs associated with additional services or treatments with outside providers are the employee's responsibility. When the Employee Assistance Program counselor recommends additional services, the employee or family member is given a choice of several agencies or providers, whenever possible. Charges for some services may be covered by the State Comprehensive insurance Plan.

Confidentiality

All information relative to an employee's participation in the program is treated in strict confidence. The University maintains no record of an individual's treatment. Where disciplinary action is concerned the fact that an employee was given the option to participate in the program may be reflected in the personnel file. However, no record or related material is filed to indicate whether or not the employee agreed to participate, unless the employee requests it in writing.

In supervisory referrals, the specific nature of an employee's problem is not reported to the Hospital by the Employee Assistance Program counselor or treatment resource.

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