What is an Employee Assistance Program?

An Employee Assistance Program (EAP) is a benefit offered to employees to assist them with work-related and/or personal issues. Most if not all EAPs have support for mental and emotional well-being, while also offering financial, legal, and additional help. Their services are geared to provide support to employees that make a positive impact on their job performance. An EAP is typically accessible 24 hours a day, 365 days a year via an intake number or an online chatbot within their designated portal. EAPs are confidential for employees to access, providing them with a safe outlet to seek support when in need of assistance.

Challenges with EAPs?

One of the main challenges with an Employee Assistance Program is receiving mental and emotional well-being support in a timely manner. It is relatively standard for an EAP to consult a third-party counseling organization to provide services to its members. Since the United States health system is a pay-to-play model, people will typically seek out free sources before having to pay out of pocket, which is why an employee's 3-10 free counseling sessions within an EAP are the first resource they access.  With the current mental health epidemic in the United States, it’s not uncommon for mental health services to be backlogged with patients, causing a 3-week to 3-month wait to receive services. When an individual needs mental health support they need to be delivered quickly, which is where WEconnect can assist. 

How WEconnect Bridges the Gap?

WEconnect Health is a confidential first-line of defense mobile app that provides employees with real-time support for mental health and/or substance misuse challenges. Embedded directly in the app are Peer support specialists that employees have direct access to when challenges arise. The Peer specialist is an individual with lived experience in recovery from mental health and/or substance use and is certified on a National and State level. They are trained in crisis prevention, wellness planning, resource finding, as well as additional services to support the employees they serve. The app complements mental health services within an EAP because the app serves as a first line of support while an employee is waitlisted for their free counseling sessions. 

In conclusion, an Employee Assistance Program (EAP) is an essential benefit that provides employees with the support they need to overcome work-related or personal issues. While EAPs offer various types of assistance, mental and emotional well-being support is one of their primary services. However, the current mental health crisis in the United States has created significant challenges, resulting in backlogs and long wait times for services. This is where WEconnect Health comes in, bridging the gap by providing employees with real-time support through a mobile app that connects them with trained peer support specialists. By complementing traditional EAP services, WEconnect Health ensures that employees receive the help they need in a timely and confidential manner, ultimately improving their overall well-being and job performance.