Workshop on Wellness Policies and EAPs

Hopeful Way Foundation is looking into the possibility of conducting a workshop on Employee Assistance Programmes (EAPs) or more broadly on wellness policies and employee assistance. The workshop will be conducted if it is determined that several organisations will be interested in sending participants and paying for some of the costs of the training. One or two resource persons from outside Ghana would be brought for the training which could take place in August or September, 2009. EAPs are designed to meet the needs of the particular organisation concerned. They can be very simple or complex. Some programmes deal primarily with workplace problems related to alcohol.

The National Council on Alcohol and Drug Dependence in the U.S. defines alcoholism this way:

"Alcoholism is a primary, chronic disease with genetic, psychological, and environmental factors influencing its development and manifestations. The disease is often progressive and fatal. It is characterized by impaired control over drinking, preoccupation with the drug alcohol, use of alcohol despite adverse consequences, and distortion in thinking, most notably denial."

Alcohol is the single most used and abused drug in America. According to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), nearly 14 million Americans (1 in every 13 adults) abuse alcohol or are alcoholics. Several million more adults engage in risky drinking patterns that could lead to alcohol problems. The costs to society in terms of lost productivity, health care costs, traffic accidents, and personal tragedies are staggering. Numerous studies and reports have been issued on the workplace costs of alcoholism and alcohol abuse, and they report costs that range from $33 billion to $68 billion per year. Alcohol is a major factor in injuries, both at home, at work, and on the road. Nearly half of all traffic fatalities involve alcohol.

In the workplace, the costs of alcoholism and alcohol abuse manifest themselves in many different ways. Absenteeism is estimated to be 4 to 8 times greater among alcoholics and alcohol abusers. Other family members of alcoholics also have greater rates of absenteeism. Accidents and on-the-job injuries are far more prevalent among alcoholics and alcohol abusers.
Employee Assistance Programmes (EAPs) in the U.S. deal with all kinds of problems and provide short-term counseling, assessment, and referral of employees with alcohol and drug abuse problems, emotional and mental health problems, marital and family problems, financial problems, dependent care concerns, and other personal problems that can affect the employee’s work. This service is confidential. These programs are usually staffed by professional counselors and may be operated in-house with agency personnel, under a contract with other agencies or EAP providers, or a combination of the two.

The EAP counselor will meet with the employee, assess or diagnose the problem, and, if necessary, refer the employee to a treatment program or resource. With permission of the client, the EAP counselor will keep the client informed as to the nature of the problem, what type of treatment may be needed, and the progress of the employee in treatment. Before releasing this information to the client, or anyone else, the counselor would need a signed written release of information from the client which would state what information may be released and to whom it may be released. The EAP counselor will also monitor the employee’s progress and will provide follow-up counseling if needed.

Sometimes, the employee will contact the EAP on his or her own. However, in some cases, the employee will be referred by you because you have noted a decline in the employee’s conduct, attendance, or performance and/or seen actual evidence of alcohol use or impairment at work.
If you or your organisation are interested in attending a workshop on EAPs, please contact Hopeful Way Foundation.

If you or your organisation is interested in participating in a workshop on EAPs, please contact Hopeful Way Foundation at 024-355-8412 or E-mail: danagnes1@yahoo.com.