All employees and their eligible family members can access MyEAP services.

MyEAP offers confidential assessment, counselling, and resource and referral services. MyEAP is focused on helping employees and/or eligible family members recognise and successfully address a wide range of concerns such as:

• Addiction
• Anger
• Child/Elderly Care
• Depression/Mental Health
• Diet/Nutrition
• Financial
• Family/Personal
• Grief and Loss
• Health Care
• Major life events, including births, accidents & deaths
• Marital/Relationship
• Parenting
• Stress (work or personal)

You or your eligible family member/s can access MyEAP services by:

 Emailing  us at eap@familiesinaction.net

• Clicking on “Ask MyEAP” or “Request an Appointment”
• Calling your designated affiliate provider (Click on My Helpline for provider listing)

Everyone has the right to have personal information kept private. Families In Action and our affiliate providers are guided by policies and procedures to protect your privacy. Nothing discussed will be shared with others without your written permission except when a person’s life may be in danger or the law requires disclosure as in the case of child abuse.

Confidentiality is maintained in accordance with privacy laws and our professional ethical standards

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In-Person counseling can help you or eligible family member/s with a wide range of situations. The counsellor will help:

• Clarify a problem – assess and evaluate complex situations.
• Develop an action plan – identify steps to resolve the situation.
• Handle a crisis – help you sort through your options.
• Resolve a problem – many concerns can be resolved quickly, in just a few sessions. Your counsellor can work with you to reach these short term treatment goals.
• Engage in a treatment process – the counsellor will help you resolve more complex issues requiring extended treatment.

You can expect the following:

• Environment. A counsellor’s office is typically a private office in an accessible location. The office will be comfortable, quiet, and designed for private conversations.
• Assessment. You will be asked to fill out some forms. The counsellor will ask you some questions to better understand your concerns and talk with you about available options.
• Referrals. The counsellor may refer you or family member to specialists, other clinicians or community resources.

At your first in-person session, it would be helpful to bring:

• Written list of questions. Write down your questions and concerns and bring the list with you. Sometimes it’s hard to remember all the problems or issues, especially in a new situation.
• Notes about problem. Bring any notes, documents, or records that will help you remember and describe the problem to the counsellor.
• History of problem. Include how long you’ve had the problem. Also include similar problems you’ve had in the past and how you resolved them.
• Medication. Bring all current medications with the pharmacy label if possible. It will help your counsellor provide a more complete evaluation.
• Significant others. Where appropriate, bring family members or other significant people who are involved with the problem to the first session.

Our counsellors (internal, external and affiliate providers) all hold professional designations representing their levels of education and training. It is not uncommon for our counsellors to have training in more than one of these areas:

Certified Employee Assistance Professional (CEAP)

• A Certified Employee Assistance Professional has the work experience and/or education for certification eligibility, and has passed the Employee Assistance Certification Commission (E.A.C.C.) exam, of the Employee Assistance Professional Association (EAPA).
• Certified Employee Assistance Professionals may be licensed or have a degree in another field as well, such as psychiatry, psychology, counseling or social work.
• Certified Employee Assistance Professionals practice at the employee’s work site or at another location. They help employees identify issues or concerns and find solutions to address them successfully.

Certified Mediator

• A Certified Mediator has the work experience and/or education for certification either at a post graduate diploma or master’s level.
• Mediators may also have a degree in another field as well, such as social work, psychology, counselling or human resource.
• A certified mediator has training in key elements of conflict resolution, critical mediation skills, conferencing circles and peer mediation. Skills acquired can treat with all aspects of conflict, anger management and communication in difficult situations.

Clinical Social Worker

• A Clinical Social Worker has a master’s or doctoral degree in Social Work (M.S.W., M.S., M.S.S.W., M.A. or A.M. in Social Work).
• Clinical Social Workers are highly trained therapists who assess, diagnose, and treat mental and emotional conditions and addictions. Treatment methods include individual, marital, couple, family and group counseling and psychotherapy.
• Clinical Social Workers are educated and trained to consider the situation in which their clients live and work. They also pay attention to the ways in which cultural influences affect individuals and families.
• A Clinical Social Worker cannot prescribe medication or admit people to a hospital.

Dietitian and/or Nutritionist

• Dietitians and nutritionists have a bachelor’s or master’s degree in dietetics, foods, and nutrition or food service systems management.
• Most dietitians and nutritionists are registered and are experts in the use of food and nutrition to promote health and manage disease.
• Dietitians and nutritionists advise people on what to eat in order to lead a healthy lifestyle or achieve a specific health-related goal.

Drug and Alcohol Addiction Counsellor

• A Drug and Alcohol Addiction Counselor is an addiction-focused professional who helps individuals and families with health and recovery.
• Drug and Alcohol Addiction Counselors perform many activities including: screening, assessment and diagnosis of drug and alcohol issues, management of an individual treatment plan, individual, family, group counselling, education and prevention strategies.

Financial Consultant

• Financial consultants have a bachelor’s or master’s degree in accounting, finance, financial advising or may be hold qualifications as a Certified Financial Planner (CFP) or a Chartered Financial Consultant (ChFC).
• Financial consultants offer money management advice to people by providing guidance on how to reach long-term financial goals, which may include a debt management plan, investment advice, or developing a savings plan.

Professional Counsellor

• A Professional Counsellor has a master’s, doctoral, or post-doctoral degree in psychology or counselling.
• Professional Counsellors are trained to provide mental health counselling to individuals, couples, families, and children, including diagnosis, testing, and assessment; psychotherapy; group counselling; and lifestyle and career counselling.
• Professional Counsellors consider the situation in which their clients live and work, and view clients through a wellness model.
• A Professional Counsellor cannot prescribe medication or admit a person to a hospital.

Marriage and Family Therapist

• Marriage and Family Therapists have graduate training (Master’s, Doctoral, or Post-doctoral) in marriage and family therapy with additional clinical experience.
• Marriage and Family Therapists are trained in psychotherapy and family systems, and treat a wide range of problems, including depression, marital problems, anxiety, individual psychological problems, and child-parent problems.
• Marriage and Family Therapists attend to the nature and role of individuals in primary relationship networks, such as marriage and the family, and are concerned with the long-term well-being of individuals and their families.
• Marriage and Family Therapists cannot prescribe medication or admit people to a hospital.

Pastoral Counsellor

• A Pastoral Counsellor is a mental health professional with training in both mental health and theology.
• He/she typically holds a masters or doctoral degree in Pastoral Counselling, Counselling, Psychology, Social Work or Marriage and Family Therapy. Pastoral Counsellors may also have a masters or doctorate degree in theology or divinity.

Psychiatrist

• A Psychiatrist is a medical doctor or physician who has completed medical school and a multi-year residency in Psychiatry (treatment of mental illness).
• Psychiatrists are experts in the diagnosis and treatment of mental illnesses. As physicians, they are also experts in the use of medications to treat mental disorders as well as treating these conditions with an understanding of the interplay with other medical disorders. As medical experts they also understand how different medications affect each other.
• They are able to assess both the mental and physical aspects of psychological disturbances.
• A Psychiatrist uses many forms of therapy to help patients change behaviors or thought patterns, explore the effects of past relationships and experiences on present behaviors to treat troubled relationships. Since Psychiatrists are medical doctors, they are able to determine the need for medical tests and medication to help adjust imbalances in body chemistry that may be part of the mental illness.
• There are several sub specialties, such as child and adolescent psychiatry, geriatric psychiatry, and forensic psychiatry.
• A Psychiatrist’s medical training allows greater ability to talk with other medical specialists.

Psychologist

• A Psychologist is an individual who has completed a doctoral level degree (about 5 years of graduate school resulting in the Ph.D., or Psy.D. degrees)
• Psychologists cannot prescribe medication and those that specialize in therapy are called Clinical Psychologists.
• Psychologists are extensively trained therapists. They have received training in the diagnosis treatment and research of human behavior. They are also skilled in testing and other problems in mental functioning.

Psychotherapist

• A Psychotherapist is an individual who has a master’s degree or doctorate in a chosen mental health field.
• Psychotherapists provide treatment in individual and group settings helping clients to initiate change in the client’s thoughts, feelings, and behaviour through adaptation.
• Psychotherapists use the following techniques (behavior therapy, biofeedback, family therapy and psychodynamic therapy) to treat various psychological conditions and situations.

We all hope that we never have to face a traumatic or critical incident in our lifetime such as workplace violence or a natural disaster. Some day however, you or your employees may be faced with a traumatic incident. As a manager or supervisor, employees may look to you for guidance and leadership following a critical incident.

In the event of a critical incident (specific procedures may vary based on location), please follow these steps:

• HR representatives, managers, or supervisors will call MyEAP Affiliate (Click on My Helpline for provider listing)
• MyEAP Affiliate will discuss the most appropriate way to deal with the critical incident and the plan for providing the support.
• MyEAP Affiliate or Crisis team will subsequently be dispatched to provide support to the affected employees.
• MyEAP Affiliate will provide immediate support to help managers deal with the situation at hand and give information on how to help their employees immediately after a critical incident.

While most people will recognise when they have a problem and will contact the EAP on their own, in some cases as manager or supervisor you may be the first to notice that something is wrong. Problems of one employee if untreated can often affect everyone around them. Performance decline or worker-to-worker conflicts can quickly impact your entire staff.

To get help, click on “Ask MyEAP” or email us at eap@familiesinaction.net, letting us know you want to make an employee referral. You will then be taken through the referral process:

• Informal Company Referral – offering the services of MyEAP to employees who may display hints of personal problems that have not yet affected work performance. With an informal referral, no feedback is provided to manager or supervisor after the employee contacts MyEAP.
• Formal Company Referral – making MyEAP available to an employee who displays a pattern of deteriorating work performance. Manager/supervisor feedback is limited to confirmation of employee’s attendance and compliance and is provided after the employee accesses MyEAP and signs a written authorization to release information.

MyEAP facilitates leadership training and workshops aimed at developing amongst managers and supervisors effective skills in communication, leadership and motivation.  Managing people requires a unique set of skills.Our trainings and workshops is an opportunity for managers and supervisors to acquire the unique set of skills required to manage and supervise others.

Some of our topics include:

• Supervisory Skills and Techniques
• Leadership in the 21^st Century
• Active Listening: Essential Tools for Effective Communication
• Constructive Confrontation (Managing Conflict/Conflict Resolution)
• A Team Building Experience
• Emotional Intelligence
• Purposeful Productivity
• Bringing Out the Best In Others
• Managing Job Stress: A Guide for Leaders

For more information or to request a training or workshop click on “Ask MyEAP” or email us at eap@familiesinaction.net

• Helping a Grieving Co-Worker
• Managing Critical Incidents: A Guide for Managers and Supervisors
• Managing the Workplace after the death of an employee
• Recovery after a robbery: A guide for managers