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FREQUENTLY ASKED
QUESTIONS (F.A.Q.)
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Your employer has purchased an
EAP benefit plan from Sobel & Raciti Associates. In order
to find out the exact benefits included under your EAP you can
either call us directly at 1-800-227-2195, or ask your Human
Resources Department for the latest brochure describing the employee
assistance program.
All S&R EAPs, however, have a number of common elements that you should remember:
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DID
YOU KNOW THAT OUR EAP SERVICES ALSO INCLUDE:
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At Sobel & Raciti Associates, "we have the time when you don't!" Call us so that we can help you simplify your life and uncover practical solutions to life's many challenges. | |||||
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS (F.A.Q.)
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A. Your EAP can be accessed 24 hours
per day, 7 days per week, by calling
1-800-227-2195 or logging on at www.sobelandraciti.com.
A. Your EAP is available to you by
phone around the clock. Simply call 800-227-2195. You will
be given a choice to speak to an available counselor, leave
a message for one of our staff, or receive at callback at
a more convenient time. Flexible appointment times are available
for face-to-face appointments. And we are always willing
to speak with you confidentially in the evening, or on weekends,
via the phone, as an initial point of contact so that we
can learn more about your specific need or request.
A. Yes! The EAP provides free, confidential
counseling, consultation and referrals with our qualified
clinicians. Your company has contracted with Sobel & Raciti
Associates, Inc., to provide professional guidance and referral.
A. Yes, the EAP is a confidential
service, within the limits of the law. The exceptions to
confidentiality are: 1) If we suspect child abuse, elder
abuse or handicapped abuse (whether by neglect, battery,
or sexual molestation); 2) If we believe that there is a
serious risk of your harming another person; and/or 3) If
we believe that there is a serious risk of you harming yourself.
Other than these exceptions we are not permitted to speak
with anyone about your contact with our staff unless you
sign a release form. Confidentiality is our number one operating
principle. No invoices are ever sent to your employer that
lists names or dates of service. We are paid on a fixed monthly
fee.
A. The EAP is available 24 hours a
day, seven days a week. During the course of the initial
phone conversation, the EAP professional and you will determine
whether a face-to-face visit with one of our counselors is
indicated. The decision is made with your needs in mind.
A. The EAP can help you deal with
such concerns as depression, job stress, marital concerns,
parenting issues, drug and alcohol abuse, family conflict,
career development, and work-related conflicts. The EAP also
provides advice and referrals for childcare, eldercare and
legal issues. Managers can also consult to the EAP staff
for their personal issues, or for help with people performance
issues. Your EAP staff responds to many life management issues
on a daily basis, and does not only work with serious problems.
A. All EAP counselors are licensed
senior level psychologists, social workers, or marriage and
family therapists. All of our counselors are experienced,
credentialed clinicians, with knowledge of human resources
and the demands of current business environments throughout
North America.
A. We have offices in all 50 states
and most provinces. Our goal is to have you meet with a licensed
counselor within a short distance from your office or home.
It is our ongoing objective to make it as convenient as possible
for you to obtain the services that you and your family need.
Call us or email us to schedule an appointment (1-800-227-2195
or EAP@sobelandraciti.com).
A. The EAP provides services at NO
COST to employees or their family members. Your employer
is not billed directly for individual contacts or sessions.
The EAP arranges an annual fee with your company based
on the number of employees covered. This allows us to provide
services to you without the need to share any identifying
information with your employer. We are paid the same fee,
each month, regardless of how many employees we work with
through the EAP.
A. No. The program is strictly confidential
within the limits of the law. The laws in most states require
us to break confidentiality only under certain limited, specific
situation. Generally, these situations involve an immediate
danger to self or others, or when child/elder abuse is present.
Also, an employee sometimes requests that we contact someone
at work on their behalf. We can only do this if you sign
a release of confidentiality that expressly allows us to
talk to certain parties about certain things.
A. If there is a personal or work-related
issue which YOU feel impacts your performance at work, and
you are willing to sign a release form with us, then your
counselor will speak to your manager. Since the EAP is a
confidential service by law, we cannot speak to anyone-including
family members-unless you authorize us, in writing, to do
so. Confidentiality is our #1 operating objective and we
will not breach this law unless you authorize us to do so.
And certainly there are times when involving your employer
makes sense; but we will follow your instructions if this
is to occur. Your employer cannot makes us disclose any private
information, including whether or not you are receiving consultation
services from the EAP.
A. Yes. The benefit is available to
spouses and unmarried, dependent children still living at
home… the same people that would be included in the typical
health insurance "family plan".
A. No, your family member may call
on their own to schedule an appointment. In fact, we prefer
to speak directly with them to understand their concerns
and explain our services.
A. Direct counseling with children
and teenagers generally requires many sessions over a long
period of time. Therefore, your EAP plan will work with you-as
parents-to assess the type of intervention or counseling
that best matches your child's current problem. If direct,
face-to-face counseling is needed for your child, the EAP
will locate the best child specialist that is offered through
your insurance plan or through a community agency in your
area. The EAP engages in a great deal of parental guidance
work, but generally does not meet with children or adolescents
directly. There are some exceptions to this approach. For
example, if your teenager can benefit from an initial evaluation
or just needs a few sessions of counseling to clarify a particular
issue, then an EAP professional will meet with him or her,
or with the entire family at your request. Many child development
issues can be resolved through parental guidance sessions
between you and a licensed counselor. These sessions are
free as part of your EAP/LifeScope plan
A. Your EAP staff will locate available
childcare in your area. We will search for local, licensed
childcare centers, home daycare, nanny services and other
childcare help. We will also identify which resources have
current openings at your request. In addition to these services,
we will provide you with a set of guidelines by which you
can evaluate the resources you’re considering. You can request
help in finding childcare by calling 800-227-2195 or emailing
your request to EAP@sobelandraciti.com.
A. The employee assistance professional
can assess referral sources. We can help with information
regarding level of care for your elder loved one and resources
for you, the caregiver. We also have websites we can recommend
addressing eldercare estate planning questions. As baby boomers
head into retirement, we can help you plan thoughtfully for
that stage. So often a physical crisis will precipitate an
emergency placement, which we can guide you through as efficiently
as we can.
A. The EAP can provide referral services
and problem-solving help to employees with financial concerns.
EAP counselors can help identify local resources for help
with financial-planning, debt management, or emergency funds.
We also provide support in helping to manage the stress often
associated with financial problems. However, the EAP does
not have money to loan. It is important to keep in mind that
many financial issues can be traced to other personal problems,
such as over-spending, addictions, failure to keep a budget,
etc.
A. The EAP will provide referral information
and problem-solving help to employees with legal concerns.
EAP counselors can help identify local resources for help
with legal matters and provide support in helping manage
the stress often associated with legal problems. The EAP
does not employ attorneys and therefore, may not be able
to answer complicated legal questions. If your company provides
a legal assistance component to your EAP, then you will have
access to a free ˝ hour phone consultation with an attorney
in your area and discounted fees for any additional legal
help. Give us a call if you are uncertain of your specific
EAP benefit plan.
A. In a majority of cases, we can
help people without ever needing to access their health insurance
benefits. When someone has a need for ongoing counseling,
for inpatient hospitalization, or for specialized therapies
(e.g., child therapy, medication, long term counseling),
we will contact the health insurance company on your behalf
and make arrangements with them to get the necessary authorization
of treatment and the names of qualified, nearby therapists.
We know many of the providers personally and will try to
make the best client-counselor match.
A. The process for arranging inpatient
hospitalization really is the same as for outpatient counseling.
In either case, we gather the necessary demographic information
and health insurance numbers directly from you over the phone
and then call the health insurance carrier for authorization.
They often will send you to one of the local hospitals with
which they have contracted. We save the client-in-crisis
from the stress of having to call the insurance company,
navigate their phonemail system, and talk to case managers
on the phone.
A. Every day of the year our professional
staff spends many hours consulting to managers and our Human
Resources partners on a variety issues. This component of
the EAP is free and unlimited to all managers and executives
at our client companies and colleges throughout North America.
We consult, coach, and offer solutions to many employee relations
issues, challenges to organizational development, termination
processes, team building, training, mergers and general HR
concerns. This is an important and value-added benefit of
your comprehensive EAP/LifeScope plan.
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Copyright
2007
Sobel & Raciti Associates, Inc.
Sobel & Raciti Associates, Inc.
All
Rights Reserved