Using Existing Employee Assistance Program Case Files to Demonstrate Outcomes

Abstract

Demonstrating outcomes and highlighting the value of employee assistance (EA) services are critical, especially in today's difficult economic climate. This study reports findings from an exploratory study of Employee Assistance Program (EAP) outcomes using existing EAP case files from 20 different U.S. employers. Research questions examined the effects of EAP services as measured by three commonly used indices: the Level of Functioning Scales at Home and at Work, and the Global Assessment of Functioning. Significant changes in scores on all three measures were found at posttest, suggesting an overall positive affect from employee participation in EAP services. Recommendations for EAPs with little to no resources for research and limited experience with research are discussed.

KEYWORDS:

• Employee Assistance Program
• global assessment of functioning
• outcomes

This research study was supported by the University of Maryland, Baltimore, School of Social Work through Designated Research Initiative Funds. The authors would like to acknowledge the contributions and partnership of First Advantage Workplace Services, specifically, their collaboration with the research team and commitment to advancing the EAP field through empirical study. Finally, the researchers would like to acknowledge the contributions of Dr. Tracy McPherson of the George Washington University Medical Center on this study.

Notes

Due to restrictions placed on the researchers by the Institutional Review Board to protect the rights of human participants, only adult EAP clients, defined as 20 years and older, were included in the study.