For EAPs: Press Release from American College of Cardiology (ACC)

I am going to start sending printable press releases to EAP Employee Assistance Programs and those who sign up on this blog, so if you wish to tell people about this blog, please do so they can get this content.

I subscribe to hundreds of news feeds, and when something comes through that's useful, I will pass it on to you.

This one is on Cardiac Health and Exercise. It was issued two days ago by American College of Cardiology (ACC). These press releases I post here can be printed and copied, and should be. You can distribute them to your employees and wellness customers so you add value to what you do.

PRESS RELEASE: EXERCISE CRITICAL TO CARDIAC HEALTH

Employment Practices Liability Education of Supevisors by (EAP) Employee Assistance Programs

Everyday, supervisors face the need to resolve difficult and critical people problems. Intermingled with their decisions in managing these situations are tripwires that can cause large legal problems for themselves and the organization. Serious and unintentional mistakes can lead to severe organizational crises of a legal nature. So, it makes sense to educate yourself as an EAP Employee Assistance Program about "employment practices liability", all the possible forms it takes, and consider claiming the high ground as an educational resource if no one else in your organization (or the organization you serve) is playing this crucial and preventative role.  Here's the bottom line: If EAPs (meaning true core technology programs, please!) are primarily responsible for consulting with supervisors about troubled employees, and within the organization are seen is the front line contact for such assistance, then EAPs also have the most strategic role for reducing risk of employment practice related lawsuits as consultants to front line managers. So, let me ask if you have a good, solid, in-depth book on supervision malpractices, employment practices liability, and the proper approach to handling the many different types of difficult people problems?  I recommend you getting Joseph D Levesque's book, "The Human Resource Problem Solver's Handbook." It is a thick, highly detailed book on tons of issues managers face. You don't have to be a heart surgeon to share healthy eating information with employees so they can have a healthy heart. Right? So the same is true for legal issues. Educate supervisors about improper and questionable supervision practices that can get them and the company sued. You don't have to hire an employment law attorney to do a seminar. You can educate yourself as an EAP about all the various supervision practices and related interactions managers experience with employees and help them steer clear of those practices that can get them in trouble.

#EAP employee assistance programs

You're Nothing Without Confidentiality

As an EA professional, do you acknowledge clients in the hallway when they say hello? What about public settings like groceries stores? If a client approaches you in the hallway, do you fail to minimize the amount of time engaging with him or her? Do you accept invitations to Christmas parties? Are you an assistant Scout Master with the local Boy Scout or Girl Scout Troop that happens to be the same troop where an employee (not a client) in your organization also volunteers? Would you attend the wedding of an EAP client--you know, the one you helped get sober three years ago who is now an outstanding worker and is so grateful for you "single-handily" saving his life?" There is nothing inherently wrong with engaging clients in the community, but this activity--the appearance, no matter how slight, of having a different kind of relationship with one employee over another can destroy your EAP's confidentiality in a flash, demotivate and cause would-be clients to stay away, and increase risk to your organization because these same employees might also be the most at-risk. There are only three types of employees in the entire world of work on planet earth--supervisors, employees, and employee assistance professionals. This metaphor exaggerates the point I am trying to make here. You can't afford to look and be more friendly or emotionally close with clients or potential clients in your organization. And every employee is a potential client. Doing so creates a dual-relationship that undermines your appearance of neutrality-a source of confidential help. This happens because it instantly appears that you a have closer non-professional relationship with some over others. This makes you suspect as to being unable to keep a secret to some employees who have different or no relationship with those same employees. The thought will cross an employee's mind, "Can you be trusted?" Being friends or having informal social engagements with clients, employees, or supervisors is a recipe for frightening away potential clients and undermining your program. If employee X does not trust employee Y, but you appear to be friends with employee Y, what happens? Answer: X stays away from the EAP. The dominoes fall from there.


#eap employee assistance program

DOT Drug Alcohol Treatment Supervisor and Suspicion Education Training

http://bit.ly/traindot

Should We Stop Recommending Client's See a Doctor Before Starting an Exercise Program?

There is no need to tell employees to see their doctor before starting an exercise program. Research appears to show it is a harmful idea and contributes to fewer people exercising and thereby contributes to morbidity. In other words, the recommendation is a roadblock that health professionals and EAPs often mention in articles and presentations -- one medical society recommends stopping this practice. One issue they do not discuss is the litigiousness of society problem, and the desire to sue others, which I suspect is really what motivates health professionals to recommend that a client or patient or employee see their doctor before starting an exercise program. (i.e. "You told me to exercise and I had a heart attack. I blame you.") Here's a link to the study.
http://journals.lww.com/acsm-msse/Fulltext/2015/11000/Updating_ACSM_s_Recommendations_for_Exercise.28.aspx

Depression in the Workplace Awareness Video Motivates Employees to Seek Help

View a Sample of a Web Course with Explanation of Benefits and Features

Imagine giving us any PowerPoint presentation or any sort of presentation, and letting us turn it into an Online Training Program-- a Web course.  How much leverage would this give your program. What advantages. What monetary payoff? See an example of such a program below.

Online training can leverage almost every skill and ability you possess and it can lead to increased utilization, better outreach, reduced risk, better competition, more opportunity, and endless ideas for improving the value proposition of your services.


Click the Web Course Image below IF:

• You need enhanced program/services or EAP utilization
• You need to add value to your EAP or workplace consulting practice
• You need to reduce costs associated with third party subscription content
• You want the prestige of "your own stuff" on your Web site.
• You need to improve your image with your logo on the content, not a 3rd party provider.
• You need to reach more family members to educate them and improve access to your services
• You need to stop the subscription fees, per user fees, licensing fees, restrictions, and rules on rented third-party content for your Web site
• You need to stop worrying about what else you can do to add value to your services
• You need to compete more successfully with other providers/vendors
• You need to make more money from your program’s services, find new revenue channels, or be able to charge for more features added to your core services
• You keep asking staff for new ideas about program improvements, but only getting blank stares.

See the Sample Web Course and link to the order form which gives you price information starting about $17 a slide -- you send your PowerPoint and we return a Web Course in three formats.

Here’s what you’ll get back below, but fill out the form to get a complete estimate.

Typically, your course can include:

• Professional narration,
• Animated and voice syncing of the program
• A link to your handouts, policies
• Special links within the program to anywhere you want viewers to go on your Website or on the Internet
• At the end of the course, learners are forwarded to anywhere you would like them to go next.
• Test questions of any kind—T/F, multiple choice, matching, fill in the blank, and more;
• Your logo on your content
• No mention of our name, our logo, or the origin of the online training program
• Your copyright on your content
• 100% ownership of the final product
• Web course files that easily load to your server (restricted so learners can’t jump ahead)
• A second form of the same course with unrestricted movement (for your use),
• CD of the course that runs on any laptop for live stand-up presentations
• A Web Video(movie) of your course.

If you don't have a PowerPoint topic to turn into a web course right now...talk tome about doing the same for your easel notes, sheets of paper, video of any presentation, or scratches on a napkin!

See a short example of a web course

Daniel Feerst, MSW, LISW-CP
Publisher

1-800-626-4327    Updated Catalog

CLICK IMAGE