The Employee Assistance Program (EAP) is the Department's counseling program that offers assessment, short-term counseling, and referral services to DOI employees to help them deal with a wide range of drug, alcohol, and mental health problems.
The EAP is intended to assist in the rehabilitation of employees with problems so they can lead happier lives and be productive workers. The EAP does not collect specimens for drug testing or verify test results.
The EAP is confidential. EAP records and conversations between an EAP counselor and an employee are private. They do not become part of the official personnel record. Release of EAP records is generally prohibited without the employee's written permission.
The EAP is available to all DOI employees, without regard to any finding of drug use; any employee may enter EAP counseling at any time. The EAP is also available to the family of an employee with a drug or alcohol problem.
Overall, the EAP plays an important role in preventing and resolving employee drug use by:
- Providing assistance for employees to discontinue their drug use;
- Providing educational materials to supervisors and employees;
- Assisting supervisors in confronting employees who have performance and/or conduct problems;
- Making referrals to appropriate treatment and rehabilitation facilities; and
- Follow-up with individuals during the rehabilitation process to track their progress and encourage successful completion of the program.
REFERRALS TO THE EAP
Supervisor Referrals
A supervisor may refer an employee to the EAP when the employee's job performance or conduct seriously deteriorates. This deterioration may or may not be related to a drug abuse problem. In a supervisor referral, the supervisor discusses with the employee that there has been a decline in the employee's performance and recommends that the employee seek assistance from the EAP.
The employee is not required to enter the EAP, but the supervisor may take the employee's refusal into account in determining future disciplinary actions.
Self-Referrals
As has always been true, any employee may voluntarily enter the EAP at any time to get help for a personal problem, drug-related or not. The employee can request that his contact with the EAP remain confidential. The DOI Plan does not change this service of the EAP.
Mandatory Referrals
Any employee found to be using drugs illegally will automatically be referred to the EAP.
Employees have not choice by to enter the program or face disciplinary action.
REHABILITATION OR TREATMENT PLANS
When an employee enters the EAP through a mandatory referral, a Treatment Plan will be developed.
The Treatment Plan defines what steps need to be taken to rehabilitate the employee and what will happen after EAP rehabilitation is completed or not completed.
The Treatment Plan will contain the following information:
- A description of the rehabilitation process
- Provisions for drug testing during and after rehabilitation and treatment (Note: Any positive drug tests conducted as part of a treatment program will not result in disciplinary actions.)
- Provisions for testing during the follow-up period; (Note: Positive drug test results during the follow-up period will subject the employee to removal.)
- How the EAP will measure the employee's progress.
While the Rehabilitation Plan is in force, the EAP will provide reports on the employee's progress. (Reports are not provided to the supervisor of a self-referral, unless the employee authorizes the disclosure in writing.)
After successfully completing EAP rehabilitation, the employee is subject to unannounced follow-up testing for a period of one year. If the employee has no positive tests, then the employee may resume whatever testing status he or she had prior to the EAP referral with approval from the Assistant Secretary.
Remember, the EAP is not punitive. Even though some disciplinary action must be initiated against employees found to use drugs, the EAP's purpose is to help the employee.
EAP CONFIDENTIALITY
All of the EAP's medical and rehabilitation records (including the rehabilitation or Treatment Plan) are confidential "patient" records maintained by the EAP and do not become part of the employee's official personnel file. All EAP records are covered by the Privacy Act and additional more stringent regulations governing the release of medical information.
LEAVE ALLOWANCE
Employees participating in the EAP during working hours will be allowed an excused absence when they are referred to the EAP through the Plan.
Excused absences of up to one hour (or more if needed for travel), are considered appropriate for each session. Normally six (6) sessions are sufficient for the assessment/referral phase of counseling.
Employees who voluntarily seek EAP services but who do not want their supervisors to know of their participation must arrange appointments outside of duty hours, during lunch periods, or during periods of approved leave.