Middlesex Health Employee Assistance Program

No! EAP services are free to employees and/or their immediate family members.

EAP offers up to four sessions to assess your concerns and provide counseling, and/or referral to community resources including private therapists, treatment programs, support groups and community agencies. If we refer you to a resource, there may be a charge. We will look for services that are covered under your health insurance plan.

All employees and their immediate family members are eligible for assistance. An immediate family member is defined as someone eligible for coverage under an employee's health insurance.

Any conversations with the EAP are strictly confidential. The EAP cannot release any information without the employee's written permission.

If you have been referred by your Manager as a result of performance issues, we will ask if you would like to sign a release so that we can let your manager know whether you attended EAP sessions and followed through with recommendations.

The only exceptions to confidentiality are those required by law, such as when a client is a serious and imminent risk to themselves or others (acutely suicidal or homicidal) or in the in case of child or elder abuse.

No! EAP is entirely confidential and will not impact your employment unless there is a concern for your safety or the safety of others.

If you'd like your boss or anyone else to receive information about your Employee Assistance Program involvement you need to sign a release authorizing it.

It is up to you to decide what you want to tell your Supervisor. You may say you have a medical appointment or an appointment to take care of a personal matter. Many employees come to EAP during their lunch or before or after their scheduled shift.

Managers make both informal and formal EAP referrals. An informal referral is when an employee is dealing with a personal issue but it has not affected his/her job performance. The Manager just wants to be sure the employee knows about the program should he/she need support. A formal EAP referral occurs when a Manager refers an employee during the course of a discussion about performance deficiencies (difficulties). The Manager wants to offer help and hopes that if an employee addresses underlying personal issues then his/her performance will improve.

Referring an employee to EAP is not a disciplinary action. It may be done in conjunction progressive discipline for job performance problems. However it should not be viewed as a punitive action as it is meant to help an employee deal with any personal issue affecting them at work.

Using EAP can enhance your job situation if it allows you to function better at work. However, going to EAP does not mean you will not be subject to further discipline. That depends on how well you are performing your job.

Yes! Most of our referrals are self-referrals and often involve employees who want to discuss things unrelated to work. For example, employees call when they have seen our brochures, posters, newsletters, or other promotional materials. Co-workers also refer clients when they have had a positive experience with the program.

We currently have two EAP Counselors in our program one has a Masters degree in Social Work and is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker; the other has a PhD in Psychology and is a Licensed Clinical Psychologist. Our counselors are experienced in dealing with general mental health and substance abuse issues, as well as workplace concerns.

The EAP Counselor will conduct a thorough assessment of a client’s problem to determine if longer-term treatment is necessary. Oftentimes a few sessions with the EAP Counselor are all that is needed for the client to make a plan to resolve the personal issue.

However, in other situations, it may be clear that a referral is needed for specialized or longer-term Counseling or support. When a referral is made, the EAP Counselor will follow up with the client to ensure that the client found the resource helpful.