Services for today s supervisors, managers and HR professionals

Transcription

1 Services for today s supervisors, managers and HR professionals Aetna Employee Assistance Program Management Services Management Consultation Services Critical Incident Support Educational Programs Coaching Management Services Line: Aetna EAP Line: AETNA-EAP (6/06)

2 Put your Aetna EAP to work for you and your employees At Aetna, we believe in a total health focus where an Employee Assistance Program (EAP) and other benefits are part of a continuum of care. Together they help you improve productivity, increase employee satisfaction and better manage health costs. Also, an EAP can serve as the early point of intervention for many problems and issues. Management Consultation Services Your Aetna EAP arranges for the provision of services not only for your individual employees, but also for you as a manager. As a leader of employees, your work team may face challenges related to group productivity, organizational changes, or disruptive dynamics. Whether you need to address the overall integration of your work group, or the impact of one or two individuals, your Aetna EAP is available to support you. If you are facing challenging situations related to employee work performance, substance abuse concerns or other workplace issues, contact the Aetna EAP for unlimited phone consultation. Managers, supervisors and human resources professionals can access the Aetna EAP workplace-trained professionals. And all consultations are held in the highest confidence where applicable. Aetna EAP staff will offer suggestions and guidance related to employee interventions, while always supporting any related state laws and local human resources policies. Aetna is the brand name used for products and services provided by one or more of the Aetna group of subsidiary companies, including Aetna Health Inc., Aetna Health of California Inc., Aetna Health of the Carolinas Inc., Aetna Health of Illinois Inc., Aetna Health Insurance Company of New York, Corporate Health Insurance Company and/or Aetna Life Insurance Company. The EAP Program is administered by Aetna Health of California Inc. and/or Aetna Health Management, LLC.

3 Voluntary Referrals Your EAP is an important resource for employees who juggle the demands of home and work. It offers a safe, confidential point of contact for information, the arrangement of counseling services and support. By recommending the EAP to your employees, you can offer a resource to help them address personal issues that may be impacting performance and productivity. Before meeting with the employee Review performance, attendance or any observable behavior changes you will address with the employee, noting specific concerns you have, such as: > Missed deadlines > Increased absenteeism > Changes in behavior If you haven t already done so, contact Human Resources to discuss policy guidelines and/or performance management process. Schedule the meeting in a private setting. Have the EAP phone number available to give to the employee: AETNA-EAP ( ), or your specific dedicated number. Suggested talking points during the meeting with the employee Inform the employee that his or her work is very important to the company. Address the employee by name and say that you would like to talk with him or her about some concerns you have about performance, attendance or behavior. Specifically discuss recent changes you ve noticed, and phrase your comments such that you directly address the employee s work performance. For example: > You have missed several deadlines. > The quality of your reports has not been up to the standard (explain how). > You have missed meetings. > I have noticed that you are making/receiving more personal phone calls during work hours. > You have been coming in late/leaving early. > Your behavior with colleagues (confrontational, argumentative, etc.) is impacting your ability to work in a team setting. Explain the impact of the performance, attendance or behavior, e.g., how it affects the team, the unit and the overall performance of the department. Listen to the employee s response, but stay focused on the issue at hand. Be mindful of employee attempts to deflect attention away from their behavior. Re-direct discussions back to the employee. Inform the employee of the consequences if he or she fails to address the stated issue: > We may need to discuss this again. > You may be subject to a verbal or written warning. > You may be subject to termination. Tell the employee that you will monitor his or her progress on these issues. Continued on next page 1

4 Voluntary Referrals (continued) Recommending the Aetna EAP to employees Address the employee by name, and tell him or her that the company has EAP resources available to help address some of the issues discussed. Let the employee know that if there are personal or other issues that may be impacting performance, attendance or behavior, the Employee Assistance Program is an excellent option to consider. Assure your employee that the program is confidential and provides access to a variety of resources that may be helpful. Reaffirm that the decision to use the program is completely voluntary. Provide the employee with a piece of paper or EAP wallet card with the number, which is AETNA-EAP, or your specific dedicated number. Conclude the discussion with your employee with an agreement for a follow-up meeting to review progress. The follow-up meeting should address only the performance, attendance or behavior concerns, not whether the employee has contacted the EAP. If you prefer to speak to the Aetna EAP prior to talking to your employee, you can call AETNA-EAP and speak to one of our clinicians who can guide you through the management referral process. Mandatory Referrals The EAP is generally most effective when employees access it voluntarily, but there may be circumstances, determined at your own discretion, where you may feel the need to require that an employee contact your EAP or face job jeopardy. The following steps provide guidance for using mandatory supervisory referrals through your Aetna EAP. As a supervisor, manager or HR representative, you may identify a job performance issue that you need to address with an employee. During that conversation, inform your employee of the consequences of not addressing his or her job performance issues, such as job jeopardy or status change. Inform your employee that you are requiring that he or she contact the Aetna EAP. Give your employee the following three Aetna documents to fill in and sign: > Consent for Release of Information to Employer > Consent for Release of Information to Provider > Statement of Understanding Provide your employee with the phone number for the Aetna EAP, AETNA-EAP, or your specific dedicated number. 2

5 Call the Aetna EAP at AETNA-EAP, or the Aetna EAP Management Services number at Inform the Aetna EAP call center that you are making a mandatory referral. (Be sure to use the word mandatory. ) Fax a copy of the signed release forms to the Aetna EAP call center at (or ask the clinician at the Aetna EAP call center for the fax number where the form should be sent). After you notify the Aetna EAP of the mandatory referral, your employee also must speak with the Aetna EAP. If your employee is in the same room with you when you call the Aetna EAP, you can put the employee on the phone to complete the referral. If your employee is not in the same room with you when you call the Aetna EAP, your employee will have to call the Aetna EAP directly. Once your employee calls the Aetna EAP, we will help to find a local counselor. We will schedule an appointment, or your employee can make his or her appointment (depending on the urgency of the situation). Your employee needs to attend the counseling sessions and comply with the treatment plan outlined by the EAP counselor. Please note that the treatment plan outlined by the EAP counselor may or may not be covered under the Aetna EAP, or may or may not be covered under the employee s benefit plan. If it is covered under the Aetna EAP, your employee can attend up to the designated number of counseling sessions specified in your EAP. Anything beyond that would have to be certified through your employee s medical insurance plan if it is covered, or it may be the responsibility of your employee to pay for the treatment if it is not covered under their benefit plan. To ensure confidentiality of services, the Aetna EAP will designate a specific workplace-trained clinician to work with you. Your designated workplace-trained clinician will monitor your employee s progress for an agreed upon period of time and will provide you with regular updates regarding your employee s attendance and compliance with his or her specific treatment plan. As long as the release form has been signed and sent to the Aetna EAP, you as the supervisor, manager or HR representative can contact the Aetna EAP to confirm: > That your employee contacted the Aetna EAP > The dates of kept and missed treatment sessions > The treating provider s recommendations > Compliance with the treatment plan While the Aetna EAP or the treating provider cannot perform a formal fitness for duty assessment, the treating provider can advise you as to whether your employee has been sufficiently compliant with the treatment plan to return to usual functioning. Only you as the employer can determine if your employee is suited to perform the specific job to which he or she is assigned. 3

6 Critical Incident Services If a traumatic workplace event occurs, where a group of employees is impacted and is distraught, your Aetna EAP can help. The Aetna EAP can consult with you to determine the best approach and can provide you with resources and guidance. If on-site services are needed, your Aetna EAP can arrange for a counselor to come on-site to meet with your employees, often within 24 to 48 hours, or sooner if necessary. Typically, we provide critical incident support services when a workgroup experiences the death of a co-worker or a workplace accident. These services are also available for a wide variety of circumstances, including organizational changes or downsizings, accidents and customer-related traumas. Critical incident services are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, through the same toll-free number, AETNA-EAP, or the dedicated Aetna EAP Management Services number, Additional fees may apply. Educational Programs The Aetna EAP offers many training seminars that can be tailored to meet your organization s needs. Aetna s Nationwide Affiliate Educator Network of experienced trainers, educators and professional subject matter experts can deliver your sessions face to face or by phone. Setting up a seminar is easy. Simply contact your Aetna EAP account representative directly, or call the EAP call center at AETNA-EAP. Be prepared to designate a local contact person and share any relevant workplace or company information that will be helpful to the trainer, such as new policies, changes in the worksite, or recent incidents/accidents. We will work with you to identify the most appropriate seminar for your training goal. To best meet your needs, we ask that you request training programs four weeks in advance of the requested session date. 4

7 Seminars are generally 1 to 1-1/2 hours in duration and work best with a group of 15 to 25 participants. For a full catalog of available topics, go to EAP/ihtEAP/r.IHAVEEAP/st.59338/ t html or contact your Aetna EAP account representative. Your Aetna EAP is a valuable resource partner for your managers, supervisors and HR professionals in supporting your workplace goals. To access any of the Management Services described in this brochure, call our dedicated Management Services line at Additional fees may apply. Coaching Services You can add Coaching Services to your Aetna EAP program for an additional cost. Coaching is provided by phone by specifically-trained Aetna EAP staff. They ll work one-on-one with an individual or manager to create a personal development plan, with telephone follow-up discussions of that plan. Coaching is generally offered to individuals who seek to identify their strengths and weaknesses in order to improve interpersonal skills, prepare for professional advancement or improve leadership skills. If you want to add coaching services to your program, contact your Aetna EAP account representative. 5

8 For more information, call our dedicated Management Services Line at or AETNA-EAP. This information is provided for informational purposes only and is not intended to direct treatment decisions or offer medical advice. Aetna arranges for the provision of health care services. However, Aetna itself is not a provider of health care services and, therefore, cannot guarantee any results or outcomes. Aetna assumes no responsibility for any circumstances arising out of the use, misuse, interpretation or application of any information supplied by Aetna. All patient care and related decisions are the sole responsibility of the treating provider (6/06) 2006 Aetna Inc.