Employee Assistance Program (EAP)

The employee assistance program (EAP) is a service provided by Henry Ford College that offers help with personal and work-related issues. Professionally trained consultants are available to help with family problems, marital concerns, financial and legal matters, stress, depression, and other problems affecting your personal or work life. Consultants are available to help 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year.

The EAP is free
The EAP is a service provided by your employer at no cost to you. That means that you pay nothing to use it. However, if you accept a referral to services outside the EAP, you will be responsible for those costs. For example, if the EAP consultant refers you to an outside attorney for a legal matter, you would be expected to cover those costs. If the EAP refers you to a counselor for ongoing counseling and the referral is covered by your medical benefits, co-pays or deductibles may apply; if the referral is not covered by your medical benefits, you would be responsible for all fees charged by the specialist or counselor. The EAP consultant will work with you to find the most appropriate and cost-effective help to address your needs. The EAP consultant can also assist you in obtaining information from your health insurance provider. Below is information on how the EAP can help and how it works.

The EAP is confidential
EAP services are confidential. The EAP will not inform your employer or anyone else of your contacting them unless you grant your consent in writing.  No one - not your manager or supervisor, not even your partner or spouse - will know you contacted the EAP unless you want them to know. The only exception to this rule of confidentiality is if the EAP consultant learns that someone is at risk of harming him- or herself or others. In this case, the consultant may be required to report the situation to the appropriate authorities. 

The EAP helps with personal and work issues
The EAP provides resources and help around many issues. No problem is too big or too small. The EAP encourages employees and those close to them to seek help early, before a minor problem turns into a major one. The EAP is designed to address short-term issues and to identify resources and referrals for emergency and long-term issues. The EAP can help with:

  • depression
  • anxiety
  • stress
  • separation and divorce
  • relationship issues
  • child care
  • parenting issues
  • elder care issues
  • alcohol and drug abuse
  • concern about another person's alcohol or drug abuse
  • domestic abuse
  • gambling and other addictions
  • budgeting, financial worries, reducing debt
  • landlord/tenant problems
  • job stress
  • conflict at work
  • job burnout
  • workplace change
  • grief and loss
  • crisis and trauma

When in doubt, call the EAP. The EAP will help you find the help you need.

The EAP is easy to use

Contacting the EAP is easy:

1. Simply dial the EAP's toll-free telephone number - 800-272-7255.

2. When you contact the EAP, be prepared to give your name, address, and the name of your employer. Remember that your name and any other identifying information will be kept confidential. Your employer's name is important because it allows the EAP consultant to identify the specific type of service your employer is providing along with other important health insurance and benefits information. If you don't wish a return call to be made to your home or place of work, you may make arrangements with the consultant about how, when, and where you want to be contacted. 

The EAP consultant will discuss your needs and concerns with you, listen, and assess the situation. Depending on your situation, the EAP consultant may

  1. work with you and help you make a plan to resolve your issues or concerns
  2. refer you to a self-help or support group
  3. guide you to helpful resources in your community
  4. refer you to a specialist or local counselor for ongoing counseling
  5. send you helpful materials to read and recordings with helpful information

3. Alternately, you can browse the EAP's resources and/or contact one of their counselors via e-mail by visiting their site.  Simply click on the following link and you will be transported to their log-in/registration page:

To establish your own personalized account there, you'll need to click on the "first-time user" link on the lower right side of the page.  You will then be transported to a registration page where you can create your own log-in ID and individual password.  You will, however, need to prove your are eligible for services by entering  HFCC's Account ID - COM589 - in the appropriate box while creating your own account.