Employee Assistance Programs for Substance Abuse
When someone experiences addiction to drugs or alcohol, it can cause tremendous difficulty at work and even cost them their job. Some companies provide employee assistance programs (EAP) for substance abuse that can make a real difference in saving a career.
Retreat of Atlanta can be the answer to someone’s need to get sober and return to work. Our residential detox programs offer comprehensive care that changes lives. We help people identify and resolve issues that contribute to their reliance on drugs and alcohol. We also offer prescription medications that help ease withdrawal symptoms. Call us today at (762)309-2628.
What is an Employee Assistance Program?
Approximately 48 million people aged 12 and older in the United States had a substance use disorder in 2023, making it a real threat to those who have one. Many employers understand how detrimental drug and alcohol addiction can be when it impacts the lives of people who work for them. Rather than writing off the staff members, many companies offer employee assistance programs for substance abuse. Doing so recognizes that substance use disorders are treatable, and someone who has one can get help for it to continue their job and thrive.
In fact, EAP offers help for situations beyond addiction that may include mental health disorders, family emergencies, and more.
How Does An EAP Work?
EAP programs are free and confidential. Information can be obtained by contacting the Human Resources Department, a supervisor, a manager, or by looking on the company’s website. The program’s intention is to help employees who are struggling with a crisis, such as addiction, so they can get the valuable help they deserve and keep their jobs.
Meetings with an EAP representative are typically confidential to help the individual have an open and honest discussion. Resolutions may include phone calls, emails, meetings, counseling, and referrals for things like residential or outpatient care.
Using an EAP For Substance Abuse
When someone chooses to use an employee assistance program for substance abuse, they begin a process that typically follows a path of ways to provide assistance. Some EAP programs provide staff members who have completed training or certification that teaches them specific ways to assist employees with substance use disorders.
Help begins with determining if the individual has an addiction, which may include seeing a professional to obtain a diagnosis. A plan for treatment may include short-term therapy, education, and referrals to an outpatient program or residential treatment center. An EAP professional may provide check-ins to follow up on how the employee is doing and provide information to family members about how to support their loved one.
Benefits of Employee Assistance Programs
While asking for information about employee assistance programs for substance abuse may feel intimidating at first, many benefits can come from doing so. These include the following:
- The service is free
- Discussions and actions taken are private and confidential
- Participating in an EAP can help save a person’s job and allow them to continue working and even go on to receive promotions
- Company EAP personnel are trained in how to offer compassionate help and the right types of service suggestions
- Objective observations and suggestions about what steps to take
- Referrals to short-term and long-term treatment programs that can help the employee become sober and live a substance-free life
- Relieve the stress of constantly worrying someone at work will discover the employee has an addiction and may lose their job
How Do I Utilize My Employee Assistance Program for Treatment?
Employees often are excited to learn that their company provides employee assistance programs for substance abuse, but they don’t know how to get started. If the company has a Human Resources Department, start there. Otherwise, ask a manager or supervisor the first step to take. As well, if the company provides a handbook or has a website for employees, the information will likely be there.
Before reaching out to the person’s contact, they should gather any information they think may be required. This includes documentation of a substance use disorder, insurance information, and difficulties that need addressing. The employee should also prepare a list of questions to ask so they don’t forget any of them.
Make sure to ask how long any recommended road for treatment or care lasts and if that includes taking time off from work for some of it. Remember that embracing the sober life takes time and will challenge the individual at first. The longer they participate in recovery, the easier it gets.
Insurances We Accept
Retreat of Atlanta accepts several types of insurance plans to help make getting treatment reality for those who need it. We currently work with the following types of insurance:
- Anthem/Blue Cross
- Aetna
- Beacon Health Options
- Carelon Health Insurance
- Private Health Care Systems (PHCS)
- TRICARE Detox in Georgia
- Tufts Health Plan
Find Employee Assistance Program Coverage For Substance Abuse Today
Retreat of Atlanta offers highly effective residential care for people who want to stop abusing drugs and alcohol. Our staff of compassionate and skilled therapists works with each person to help them discover their inner strength and ability to live a substance-free life. We also help them get through the challenging detox process without needless suffering.
Contact us today to find out more about how we can help you reclaim your life and return to doing well on the job. Help is close at hand.