A Workplace Benefit You May Already Have
Employee Assistance Plans (EAP) Explained
An Employee Assistance Plan is a * benefit offered by many employers to help employees and, depending on the plan, members of their household obtain short-term confidential support for personal, emotional, family, and work-related concerns.
* EAP plans should not be confused with employee health insurance plans. An EAP is a separate employer-sponsored benefit. Depending on the employer and the specific EAP, counseling benefits may also be available to eligible household or family members. Eligibility, the number of authorized sessions, and other EAP benefits vary by plan.
EAP support can meet people in many parts of life
Your need for support does not have to begin at work. EAP benefits may help with concerns involving stress, relationships, family life, grief, transitions, workplace difficulties, and other challenges covered by your particular plan.
EAP benefits differ by employer and EAP company. Your employer or EAP administrator can tell you exactly what your plan covers.
How to get your EAP benefit information
Contact your employer or benefits office
Contact Human Resources, your benefits administrator, or the employee-benefits office and ask whether you have an Employee Assistance Plan. You can simply say that you would like the information needed to use your EAP counseling benefit.
Ask who administers the EAP
Get the name of the EAP company or plan. Your regular medical insurance and your EAP are not necessarily the same benefit. If your employer directs you to an EAP website or telephone number, use that contact to request your counseling authorization.
Request your authorization
Ask the EAP administrator to authorize counseling with Cornwall Counseling, if the plan allows it. Write down the authorization information exactly as it is provided. Some EAPs send an authorization letter, email, reference number, or information through an online benefits portal.
Confirm how many sessions are authorized
Ask how many sessions the authorization covers and whether there are effective or expiration dates. The number of EAP sessions varies by plan and employer.
Give the information to Cornwall Counseling
Once you have the information below, provide it when arranging your appointment so the EAP benefit can be identified and verified before EAP services begin.
Before an EAP appointment can be scheduled, Cornwall Counseling will require:
- The name of your EAP plan
- Your authorization number or EAP reference number
- The number of authorized sessions
Please obtain these details from your employer, HR/benefits office, or EAP administrator before requesting an EAP appointment. If your authorization also lists effective or expiration dates, please provide those as well.
What happens after you provide the information?
We use the information to identify the EAP benefit and determine whether your authorization can be used with Cornwall Counseling. An EAP authorization is different from simply having health insurance. Having an insurance plan listed on our website does not by itself establish that a particular EAP authorization is valid for services.
When the authorized EAP sessions have been used, we can discuss the appropriate next step if you want to continue, which may include regular insurance benefits or another arrangement depending on your circumstances and coverage.