Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
What is EAP?
EAP is a counselling service provided by an employer for their employees. It helps employees address issues affecting their ability to lead a happy and productive life, both at work and outside of work.
Improved employee wellbeing leads to happier, more productive workplaces.
Employers recognise that mental health care is as important as physical health care.
EAP encourages proactive use before crises occur and helps employees debrief, problem solve, and cope with challenges.
Outback Care
Outback Care (formerly a service from Boab Health Services) has EAP agreements with several employers in the Kimberley. Being locally based, we understand the challenges faced by employees living and working in the region. We are recognised as a Gold Standard Healthy Workplace and have a solid reputation as a primary healthcare organisation.
Our EAP counsellors are qualified mental health professionals with relevant tertiary training, counselling experience, professional membership, and AHPRA registration. They also have expertise in culturally competent practice.
We offer face-to-face counselling whenever possible, as well as telephone and telehealth counselling.
FAQs
What type of issues can I talk about in EAP?
Does it have to be work related?
People typically access EAP counselling when they need to debrief, are feeling down or stressed, or when facing a particular life challenge. Often such challenges are impacting work productivity but the issue does not have to be work related.
What to expect from an EAP session?
EAP Counselling provides a safe place to talk things through, clearing the way for you to focus and decide what to do next.
As EAP counselling is limited (between 3 – 6 sessions depending on the employer) the approach taken by the counsellor is called short-term, solution-focussed counselling. The counsellor will ask you questions around your current issues and the idea is to provide you with a sense of direction in working through your problems and some coping strategies.
Some people are uncertain about accessing EAP counselling. There can be thoughts about trying to resolve things by yourself, or concerns about wasting a counsellor’s time or depriving other ‘more deserving’ people from getting help. We try to reassure people who call that their concerns are valid, and that many people are relieved and ‘helped’ after just one visit.
Is it confidential?
One barrier to using an EAP service is the uncertainty about privacy and confidentiality.
Boab Health Services understands confidentiality is crucial, especially in small communities.
EAP attendance and information discussed in an EAP session will not be disclosed to the Employer.
How much does the service cost and is there a limit?
EAP counselling is provided at no cost to the employee.
Boab invoices the Employer directly.
The invoice does not indicate the employee’s name in order to protect confidentiality. The number of sessions available to the employee varies depending on the Employer.
Making an appointment
To request an EAP Counselling session or to make further enquiry you can contact Outback Care directly
You can speak to one of our friendly receptionists or ask to be put directly through to a Mental Health professional to make an appointment.
What if I need urgent support?
Outback Care aims to be highly responsive to EAP requests, typically responding to an EAP enquiry by phone within 2 business days.
Please note however we are not a crises service. If you are suicidal, you should immediately contact your GP, Kimberley Mental Health Service or local Hospital.