USC Health Now

Q. I’m feeling stressed out at work and someone told me that my company offers an employee assistance program (EAP). What is an EAP, how can it help me and is it confidential?

A. EAP stands for employee assistance program. According to Jason Sackett, a licensed clinical social worker and employee assistance professional at the USC Center for Work and Family Life, the goal of an EAP is to improve the employee’s quality of life, and to promote the overall effectiveness and satisfaction of the work environment. While programs may vary depending on your company, EAPs are typically free and confidential work-based programs available to all benefits-eligible faculty, staff and their dependent family members. “For example, USC’s EAP, the Center for Work and Family Life, is staffed with a team of licensed mental health professionals who helps employees optimize their emotional health and wellness, enhance their functioning on the job and at home, and maintain balance between their work and personal lives,” says Sackett. Professional staff offer brief, solution-focused counseling on a diverse range of personal and work related concerns affecting employee performance, consultative support for faculty, supervisors and managers, health and wellness promotion, educational seminars and training, and an extensive network of additional referral resources. “Confidentiality is of the utmost concern, says Sackett. “Professional staff conduct services with maximum confidentiality, as they understand employees’ concerns about sensitive information.”