Table of Contents

1. Who We Are
2. Purpose of the Civilian Employee Assistance Program
3. Stress Impacts Job Performance
4. The Impact of Productivity
5. How can the CEAP Help?
6. CEAP Benefits
7. CEAP Delivery Trends in Recent Times
8. Substance Abuse
9. Substance Abuse Issues
10. Voluntary Referrals (Safe Harbor)
11. CEAP Treatment Philosphy
12. Regulatory Issues

Who We Are

Inomedic Healthcare Services
Welcome to InoMedic, Inc. Established in 1994, InoMedic is a healthcare services firm providing a diverse portfolio of professional services. With its headquarters in Hampton, Virginia, InoMedic is a dynamic small company that is evolving into a national resource for professional services and technical support to clients.

Purpose of the Civilian Employee Assistance Program

The goal of the CEAP is to provide professional assessment and referral services centered on preventing, identifying and solving personal problems of employees that can negatively impact productivity and health of employees. Our Civilian Employee Assistance Programs help to identify, assess, and refer you to local community agencies for treatment, rehabilitation, or other assistance.

We provide confidential, professional assessment and referral on a wide range of subjects that can negatively impact the emotional and professional well being of employees in the workplace. Our counselors are state certified, Master's level.

Stress Impacts Job Performance

We focus many of our discussions with employees and supervisors around stress-related topics, because unchecked, or chronic stress leads to reduced productivity and increased tardiness or absenteeism.

Stress comes from a variety of sources. Some are non-job related, such as family pressures, separations and relocations, substance abuse issues, and other forms of anxiety.

Some are related to work issues, such as downsizing, relationships with colleagues and supervisors, retraining, career stagnation, or job obsolescence.

We talk about stress as being positive or negative. This is an oversimplification, and simply means that some stress can energize us, such as night school, or starting a new exercise regimen, while some negative stress may seem like a chronic, low-grade pain, or a growing sense of powerlessness.

With employees, job stress can be related to Workload Change or Relational Changes. Personal stress issues may come to your attention from an employee because they volunteer some information, or because you ask them about why something isn't getting done.

Often, you may learn that an employee is having a stressful time, without it impacting their work negatively. If their stress is related to something personal, it may be all you need to know, to suggest that they may want to take advantage of the CEAP benefit that is theirs as an employee.

The Impact on Productivity

According to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, employees who are unable to cope with a particular work/life problem or change tend to disturb the business process pretty significantly. They generally work at only 2/3's capacity; they cost business $100 billion yearly in lost productivity. Employees who are impaired collect 3 times as much sick pay, and use health insurance benefits 9 times more often. 49% of workplace deaths and 47% of accidents are related to the use of an illegal drug, so drug abuse is a major concern.

How Can the CEAP Help?

We provide telephonic assessment and referral on a variety of issues, including, for example:

1. Alcohol and Drug Issues
2. Marital, Parenting, Aging
3. Stress in the Workplace
4. Depression / Anxiety
5. Financial and Legal Problems

CEAP Benefits

A 1994 report published by Marsh McLennan Companies cites a survey of 50 major corporations that credit their CEAP with the following cost-savings:

1. 14% increased productivity
2. $1,750.00 lowered recruitment cost per employee
3. 21% reduction in absenteeism
4. 75% reduction in inpatient alcohol and drug abuse treatment costs

Also, according to the Civilian Employee Assistance Professional Association of America, a well run CEAP can give an employer the following savings:
1. 33% less use of sick leave benefits
2. 65% lowered incident of workplace accidents
3. 30% deduction in workers compensation claims
4. 35% decrease in health insurance expenditures

CEAP Delivery Trends in Recent Times

One major shift in the philosophy of CEAP services in recent years follows the medical model, and is a shift in focus from treatment to prevention. CEAPs are becoming more and more associated with Wellness, rather than just Treatment.

The other shift in treatment aims has been a broadening of the definition of what is treatable in the CEAP services. For a long time, people associated the CEAP with substance abuse treatment, and that is still an important function. But more and more it is accepted that
anything that is causing the employee stress on the job is suitable material for an CEAP counseling meeting.

Substance Abuse

On September 15, 1986, President Reagan signed Executive Order 12564, establishing the goal of a Federal Drug-Free Workplace. The Order made it a condition of employment for all Federal employees to refrain from using illegal drugs on or off duty. In a letter to all Executive Branch employees dated October 4, 1986, the President reiterated his goal of ensuring a safe and drug-free workplace for all Federal workers.

The Order recognized that illegal drug use is seriously impairing a portion of the national work force, resulting in the loss of billions of dollars each year. As the largest employer in the nation, the Government has a compelling proprietary interest in establishing reasonable conditions of employment.

There are two main classifications of addictive disorders:

Drug Abuse or Misuse: Intentional overuse in cases of celebration, anxiety, despair, self-medication or ignorance. and may become a chronic coping strategy.

Drug Dependence or Addiction: powerlessness and loss of control over the use of the drug, and apparent inability to modify drug use in spite of adverse consequences.

The intent of the Executive Order is to offer a helping hand to those who need it while sending a clear message that any illegal drug use is, quite simply, incompatible with Federal service.

Substance Abuse Issues

From: An Employer's Guide to Dealing with Substance Abuse
United States Department of Labor

There are some harsh realities regarding substance abuse in the workplace.

1. 1. Seventy percent of all illegal drug users are employed.
2. 2. This suggests over 10 million people are current users of illicit drugs.
3. 3. One in twelve full time employees self-reports current use of illicit drugs.
4. 4. One in every ten people in the United States has an alcohol problem

Voluntary Referral (Safe Harbor)

As part of the drug free workplace, when an employee seeks help voluntarily for a substance abuse issue, it activates a process called Safe Harbor. It is in effect when an employee voluntarily admits drug use prior to a scheduled test; follows the drug referral recommendation, and refrains from further drug use.

CEAP Treatment Philosophy

We don't believe there is any basis for the social stigma that sometimes gets attached to people who seek help for mental health issues. Records and discussions are kept completely confidential at all times, in compliance with existing laws and statutes.

Employees are encouraged to use their own initiative at every opportunity. The agency concerns itself only when the problem is one that affects job performance or employee behavior. Job security or promotional opportunities will not be affected if an employee chooses to use the CEAP services.

It is the employee's responsibility to maintain optimum physical and mental health. When a family member calls, we address the stresses that the employee's behavior is causing, but do not contact the employee at the family member's request.
Supervisors at all levels have access to this valuable CEAP tool to offer assistance to employees where and when it is needed.
Supervisors are not asked to diagnose employees, but to recognize problem behaviors that indicate there is a problem.

Regulatory Issues

We cannot provide any information about an employee's involvement with CEAP counseling unless we have the employee's consent in writing. No other disclosures are made without the client's consent.
The contents of the consent form include the name of the party that information can be released to, the purpose of the release, the precise information that can be discussed with the third party, the signature of the client (or the client's custodian if the client is a minor), and the date beyond which the form is no longer valid.

The difference between a self-referral versus third party referral is that with a self-referral, there is no discussion of the release of information, since only the client and the counselor will normally be aware that a counseling session has been conducted.

We strongly suggest that supervisors in a formal referral have the employee make the actual appointment for CEAP services. Also, keep in mind that an employee cannot normally be compelled to undergo CEAP counseling as a condition of continued employment.

We would be glad to discuss this further with a supervisor contemplating the referral of an employee to the CEAP.