An Employee Assistance Program (EAP) consists of employer-sponsored services intended to aid employees with personal problems that may adversely affect their job performance. Initially developed to address alcohol-related problems, over the last fifteen years EAPs have emerged as a common response to the problems of ALCOHOL and drug abuse in the workplace. In addition, they provide a variety of services to help employees and their families resolve health, emotional, marital, family, financial, or legal concerns.

While the exact mix of services provided depends on a number of variables, such as size and type of company, EAPs generally offer, at a minimum, confidential client counseling, problem assessment, and treatment referral. A comprehensive EAP offers

1. assessment and referral—EAPs conduct psychosocial assessments to guide decisions to refer clients to treatment and the choice among treatment alternatives
2. treatment follow-up—client follow-up and reintegration into the...