Employee Assistance Programs - A Profitable Approach for Employees and Organizations (From Police Managerial Use of Psychology and Psychologists, P 63-84, 1987, Harry W More and Peter C Unsinger, eds. - See NCJ-105141)

• NCJ Number: 105145
• Author(s): J G Stratton
• Date Published: 1987
• Length: 22 pages
• Sale Source: Charles C. Thomas
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America
• Note: *This document is currently unavailable from NCJRS.

Annotation

Employee assistance programs (EAP's), designed to help personnel manage their personal and work-related problems, provide benefits to both employees and management.

Abstract

Early EAP's focused primarily on dealing with alcohol-related problems and on training supervisors to recognize the symptoms of problem employees and how to manage them. Since then, programs have become more comprehensive and many employ full-time psychologists or psychiatrists to help employees deal with a variety of problems such as job stress, substance abuse, family relationship problems, depression, and financial planning. While initially law enforcement managers displayed some resistance to EAP's, in recent years the number of EAP's in agencies has mushroomed. This has been the result of increased professionalism, more positive attitudes toward helping-seeking, the increased awareness of the stresses of policing, and the potential benefits to officers and the agency. In general, the most effective EAP's are credible, emphasize confidentiality, are voluntary, and are in an accessible off-site location. Among services offered by such programs are counseling and peer counseling, postshooting stress counseling, physical fitness programs, spouses and widows support groups, and preretirement programs. 21 references.