EAP Family Supports

What is an Employee Assistance Program?

An Employee Assistance Program (EAP) provides confidential short-term solution focused counselling that may be proactive or preventative, in order to support the emotional, mental, and overall psychological health of staff and their immediate family.

Benefits of an EAP:

Fast

Flexible

Accessible

Convenient

Confidential

Access is easy and quick (no GP referral required) you can get started with resolving challenges faster.

What are some reasons I can access counselling through the EAP?

All our EAP psychological support services, through qualified counsellors, social workers, or psychiatrists, are available to you.

Some of the life challenges you may wish to seek support for include:

Potentially Traumatic Events – Work Pressure – Emotional Distress – Loss or Grief – Substance Misuse – Family or Relationship issues – Domestic, Family or Intimate Partner Violence – Money Worries – Career Transition – Organisational Change – Navigating diversity in the workplace – Internship to Paramedic transition challenges

An issue could be anything that is causing you or your family distress, impacting on work performance or personal wellbeing.

Is there a cost?

SAAS will fully subsidise the costs associated with four (4) sessions per issue, per person, per calendar year for all SAAS staff (employees and volunteers) and their immediate family members.

If you require further support after this, your clinician will discuss options for ongoing care. This may be through public or private means.

Note: Some of our EAP providers offer add-on services, such as nutrition or financial advice. These add-on services are not subsidised by the SAAS EAP agreement and will come with a cost to yourself.

If you have any questions about what is or isn’t included in the subsidised services, please confirm with the EAP provider prior to making a booking.

What is the definition of immediate family?

An immediate family member of a staff member as defined within the SA Health Employee Assistance Program Policy Directive is:

The partner or parent

A sister, brother or child

Any other person dependent on the employee’s care

Any other person who, in the opinion of the EAP Coordinator, should be considered as family as described above.

What does four (4) sessions per issue per person per year mean?

An issue may be identified as any life stressor that is impacting on your or your family.

In a calendar year you can access up to four (4) sessions per issue per person. This means each family member may individually access up to four sessions per issue.

You may not require all four (4) sessions to come to a resolution. Your treating clinician will discuss your options if you require ongoing support.

Do I need a referral or approval?

No. Referrals or approval are not required for accessing EAP short-term counselling services.

When making a booking ensure that you mention you are the family member of a SAAS staff member to access the subsidised sessions under the SAAS Employee Assistance Program.

Please be aware of any cancellation policies.

Is EAP confidential?

Yes. Your confidentiality is upheld. No one will be informed of what you are discussing or even the fact that you are accessing support.

SAAS will receive a deidentified report of the number of sessions conducted by the EAP provider in a quarter. Nothing in the report can be related back to an individual.

Exceptions to confidentiality do exist if: you advise in writing that you wish your information to be passed on – i.e. to a new provider; or your file is subpoenaed, you disclose a criminal offence, you express an intention to harm yourself or another person, or if a child is at risk.

Where can I get more help

We recommend you explore options for ongoing support with your EAP provider before your final session.

If you have already completed your four sessions for the same issue, please reach out to your GP to discuss creating a mental health care plan, or other alternate options that may be available to you either privately or with a public provider.

Where can I go for Crisis support?

Many of our EAP providers listed below offer crisis support lines, however there are other services and support also available to you.

The South Australian Government has a comprehensive list of state-wide Crisis helplines and supports for a wide variety of topics.

Click here for other Crisis Helplines and Support