Should EAPs commit to long-term support cases?

Should EAPs commit to long-term support cases?

EAPs have stepped up to meet the challenges of a new era of demand for mental health support. They’ve had to, even if that hasn’t meant additional budget to develop services.

The context has changed: with the increased awareness and willingness of people of all ages to talk about their mental health, to look for professional help — and via an EAP, expect to have access to counselling. This change to the wider culture has been accelerated by the use of social media, and the combination of pressures and encouragement to share stories and speak out this has led to. It’s no surprise then, that it’s among younger people that there have been sharper rises in problems with stress and anxiety. And those cases can have much wider implications for families, affecting parents in particular, who then may have their own issues with mental wellbeing.

EAPs have been evolving quickly to continue to keep in meeting the changing needs of employers, ensuring high quality, end-to-end services, and the best possible clinical outcomes for employees. With limited availability of support via the NHS or other public services, the work of EAPs has become crucial for the lives of individual staff, and in turn, their employer.

The evolution of EAP services has included more 24/7 and digital services that guarantee immediate access to advice, and so that cases can be triaged. That’s been backed up with forms of earlier engagement and intervention to help pre-empt worsening issues: more awareness campaigns, more psychoeducation, self-management interventions, ICBT, as well as access to short-term counselling. What matters in this situation is that EAP providers keep to EAPA UK guidelines and best practice standards in terms of delivery.

In the past, EAPs would have signposted people in crisis situations and with serious, longer-term mental health conditions to public sector services. But this can mean delays in access to services like counselling and CBT — and more employers are looking for their EAP partner to provide ongoing support.

Investment is needed from governments into the kinds of preventative care that will reduce  pressure on services, as well as reducing waiting lists and ensuring more immediate access to counselling for more urgent cases. In the meantime the issue is the extent to which EAPs and employers work together to fill the gaps, making sure employees with ongoing needs aren’t left without support. EAPs have taken on the important job of encouraging earlier conversations and interventions to address lower-level concerns. And there’s the opportunity for partnership over the provision and funding of high level clinical interventions over time.

But the question for the coming years will increasingly be around the limits to what an EAP can and should deliver.

Dr Emelina Ellis, Chief Clinical Officer, Spectrum.Life