CBH Practitioner Conection
Volume XXIV, 4th Quarter

Meet the Employee Assistance Consultant Team

CIGNA Behavioral Health’s (CBH’s) Employee Assistance program (EAP) provides valuable assistance to our customers in dealing with the wide variety of issues impacting the health and productivity of their employees. Through a team of Employee Assistance Consultants (EACs), CBH offers guidance and support to all levels of management, providing unlimited access to EACs for Management Consultations. Consultations give managers an opportunity to problem-solve, brainstorm, role-play or get specific topical information on employee-related issues such as declines in productivity, patterns of tardiness, complaints of poor hygiene, use of drugs or alcohol in the workplace, concerns about domestic abuse, or threats of violence. Through these consultations, EACs can assist managers with helpful information on how to talk about difficult subjects or how to plan a course of behavior change with an employee. If a consultation occurs in the early stages of a problem, managers can intervene with an Informal Referral by encouraging their employees to access EAP services and by reminding them that the services are free, confidential and voluntary.

If a serious or persistent issue impacts employee work performance, a Formal Management Referral may be made to the EAP. With an appropriate release of information in place, the EAC will report back to the referring manager whether the employee completed the EAP assessment, what recommendations, if any, resulted from that assessment and whether the employee followed through on any recommendations that were made. An issue may also lead to a Mandatory Referral in which an employee’s continuation of employment is contingent on the employee completing an EAP assessment and following through on any recommendations that resulted from that assessment. A Mandatory Referral usually follows a positive drug or alcohol screen or may be the result of violating a specific company policy that requires follow-through with a referral to the EAP. The process of getting a signed release of information and reporting back to the manager on the employee’s compliance with the EAP assessment and recommendations is the same as a Formal Management Referral.

The EAC is responsible for coordinating referrals to the EAP practitioner network and working with EAP practitioners to ensure that employees are seen in a timely manner. This is particularly important if the employee cannot return to work until the EAP assessment has been completed and there is a report of compliance with any recommendations that resulted from the EAP assessment. This illustrates the importance of timely communication between the EAC and the EAP practitioner who is seeing the employee for the management referral.

The EAC is also responsible for communicating to the EAP practitioner the nature of the manager’s concerns and reasons for making a management referral to the EAP. This is why it is so important that the EAC and the EAP practitioner review the issues leading up to the management referral prior to the EAP practitioner meeting with the employee. The EAC has a role in assuring a quality assessment is completed that also takes into consideration the employer’s concerns. The EAP practitioner will discuss with the EAC the results of the assessment and any recommendations that result from that assessment, making sure the needs of both the employee and the employer are being met. Maintaining the confidentiality of the employee is an integral part of any EAP. Having the EAC, rather than the EAP practitioner, report back to the referring manager on compliance with the management referral process is a key to maintaining that confidentiality.

Similar to the management referral services outlined above, CBH has developed the systems and protocols necessary to support our customers who have employees who fall under the Department of Transportation (DOT) regulations requiring assessment by a certified Substance Abuse Professional (SAP) as defined by the DOT. CBH recruits and maintains a highly specialized network of practitioners who meet the stringent credentialing criteria set by the DOT. EACs are all trained in DOT/SAP protocols and modal rules and manage the processes necessary to coordinate all services related to these types of referrals. EACs are also trained in the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) guidelines and coordinate all services to meet operational protocols for safety-sensitive employees, including those with unescorted access privileges, for our customers who fall under the NRC regulations.

One of the most highly valued functions of the EAC role is assisting managers with Critical Incident Response (CIR) Services. The EAC team will have responded to over 2000 Critical Incidents by the end of this year, averaging about 170 cases a month. When faced with a traumatic situation that impacts a group of employees, managers are very appreciative of the consultation and services provided through the EAC team. EACs will complete a needs assessment and develop an action plan to respond to the needs of the managers and employees impacted by the situation. The EACs can quickly set up telephonic and/or onsite defusing or debriefing services. Informational and educational materials are typically distributed to the impacted work site along with posters and other printed material regarding services and access to the EAP. Services are coordinated, once again, using a highly specialized network of EAP practitioners who are trained and experienced in providing CIR services. EACs stay in touch with the EAP practitioner who responded and with the work site, continuing to follow-up and monitor recovery, assess for additional needs and satisfaction with services received. The initial response may be followed up with wellness seminars, further debriefing sessions or referrals for individuals to the EAP, community or treatment resources.

What does it take to be an EAC? It’s evident from the description of the various roles and functions that EACs provide to our EAP customers, that EACs need solid clinical training and must come to the job with a good knowledge of EAP, management skills and tools, as well as knowledge and experience working with a wide variety of business interests and environments. CBH is very fortunate to have a team of EACs who meet and exceed those expectations. Minimally, EACs must have 5 years of previous clinical experience, hold a master’s degree in a behavioral health field, be licensed for independent practice as a mental health professional and obtain CEAP certification within two years of joining the EAC team. On average, a member of the current CBH EAC team has over 23 years of clinical experience. The team is comprised of Master’s and Ph.D. level licensed professionals across the mental health fields, including Clinical Social Workers, Professional Counselors, Marriage and Family Therapists, Licensed Drug and Alcohol Counselors and Psychologists. Many hold multiple licenses and certifications, including Certified Chemical Dependency Counselor, SAP Certification, Certified Psychiatric Rehabilitation Practitioner and, of course, Certified Employee Assistance Professional. EACs have worked in various clinical settings prior to staring with CBH. They have worked in residential care, inpatient psychiatric and substance abuse settings, outpatient clinics, and some have maintained their own private practices. Most EACs have been managers or supervisors during their long careers. Before embarking on a career in the mental health/EAP field, many have had careers in such diverse areas as marketing and sales, teaching, human resources, information technology, public relations and legal investigations. There is a wide range for clinical specialties on the team as well. This serves the team well, given the wide range of issues that our customers present to us.

The EACs have consistently received high praise from our customers but the EACs also know that working closely with our EAP Practitioner Network is a key to that success. Building close working relationships with a highly skilled practitioner network enables the EACs to move forward with confidence when referring employees into the EAP to deal with work performance issues. The same is true when EACs need to find a practitioner to quickly respond to a request for CIR services. We view the practitioner network as a natural extension of the consultations and services EACs provide to customers. The work EACs do in conjunction with a highly valued EAP practitioner network has helped CBH EAP win the distinction of being Business Insurance’s “Best Overall EAP” three years in a row.

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