Who Are EAP Providers?

Who Are EAP Providers?

EAP Providers can assist employers in finding support for their employees. An EAP Provider is an organization that provides employees assistance. The typical employee assistance program consists of a telephone hotline, online counseling, mental health screenings, referrals to treatment facilities, and/or outpatient therapy sessions.

EAP providers are different from Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs) because they are not connected with anyone particular employer or industry. There are several organizations that provide EAPs to employers “in general” rather than solely to companies in specific industries. In addition, many insurance companies offer EAP services as well. Some of the most common providers of EAP services include:

The typical cost of an individual session of counseling through an EAP provider ranges between $75 – $150 per hour of service, though some more expensive plans are available.

EAP providers can keep the confidentiality of all information obtained during their services, such as medical or mental health records, pending an employee’s permission to share that information with the employer. On the other hand, EAPs that employers provide must comply with state and federal laws requiring them to maintain confidentiality and protect employees’ medical/mental health records from disclosure. For example, The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) is a U.S. law concerning access to and sharing of protected health information. HIPAA requires healthcare providers, insurers, etc., to protect anyone’s identifiable health information (name, SSN, birth date, or medical record number).

Every employee assistance professional must have a master’s degree from an accredited professional counseling or social work school and 2+ years of professional experience in a related field.

In the United States, there is no government certification for EAP providers. The Employee Assistance Professionals Association (EAPA), an international membership association for employee assistance professionals, does provide voluntary credentialing to its members who meet certain education and experience criteria. These credentials include Certified Employee Assistance Professional (CEAP) and Certified Clinical Employee Assistance Professional (CeCAP). Most states regulate the provision of EAPs by licensed mental health professionals such as psychologists, psychiatrists, marriage & family therapists, etc. Still, not all states regulate other EAP providers such as social workers, nurses, or industrial /organizational psychologists.

EAP providers can assist employers in finding support for their employees. An EAP, the typical employee assistance program, consists of a telephone hotline, online counseling, mental health screenings, referrals to treatment facilities, and/or outpatient therapy sessions. Several organizations provide EAPs to employers “in general” rather than solely to companies in specific industries. In addition, many insurance companies offer EAP services as well.

Chris Avatar

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

No comments to show.

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua.

Insert the contact form shortcode with the additional CSS class- "wydegrid-newsletter-section"

By signing up, you agree to the our terms and our Privacy Policy agreement.