Administrative Policy 3-08 Employee Assistance Program

SUBJECT: EMPLOYEE ASSISTANCE PROGRAM

PURPOSE: To establish procedures and guidelines for an Employee Assistance Program for City of Lawton employees.

BACKGROUND: The City of Lawton recognizes there is a need for an Employee Assistance Program to aid in counseling troubled employees with personal problems which affect their job performance. An Employee Assistance Program offers counseling in such areas as drug abuse, alcohol abuse, family martial, emotional, financial and legal concerns. This program is supported by the mayor and Council by Resolution No. 88-25.

PROCEDURES: 1. Scope - It is the policy of the City of Lawton to seek help for troubled employees though effective treatment. Enlightened attitudes and honest acceptance of human problems is acknowledged and endorsed by the City of Lawton to encourage employees to take advantage of the Employee Assistance Program. To the extent possible, the City encourages self-referrals.

2. Confidentiality - All records of employees seeking assistance through self-referral or supervisory referral shall be kept strictly confidential and maintained by the Director of Medical Records. no mention of referrals will be noted in an employee's personnel file.

Confidential records on all referrals will be maintained (by the Director of Medical Records) for a period of three (3) years. The only persons with access to individual client files will be individuals with an individual confidential doctor/patient relationship and those minimum staff members (Director if Medical Records, Director of Intake and EAP consultant) of the Employee Assistance Program agency required t have access to compile periodic composite reports for the City of Lawton. These reports will contain statistical data only, and willnot be a part of an employee's personnel file. Records of individual City of Lawton employees shall not be written consent of the employee. Client records of the Employee Assistance Program agency will adhere to federal regulations on the confidentiality of alcohol and drug abuse records (42 CRF Part 2).

3. Types of Referrals - Referral to the Employee Assistance Program agency will be either by (1) a self-referral or (2) a supervisor referral.

4. Supervisors' Responsibility: Supervisors at every level shall be responsible for implementing the program developed by this policy.

It is recognized that supervisors do not have the professional qualifications to diagnose specific problems of an employee. Referral for diagnosis and treatment will be based on unsatisfactory job performance which cannot be corrected through standard corrective procedures or through the employee's individual efforts.

All supervisors will be trained by the Employee Assistance Program agency or by the Personnel Department on policy, procedures and implementation.

Supervisory referrals must be coordinated through the contact person designated by the Employee Assistance Program agency.

The process of a supervisory referral will be in accordance with the flow chart provided as appendix A.

5. Employees' Responsibility: It is the responsibility of the employee to comply with any supervisory referrals for diagnosis and to cooperate with prescribed counseling or therapy.

Employees with unacceptable job performance will be handled in accordance with standard administrative and disciplinary policies regardless of whether they refuse evaluation/ diagnosis and treatment, as indicated, or if they do no respond to treatment.

The City of Lawton will not be obligated to pay fees of referral agencies, except to the extent that the employee's health plan provides. There is no cost to the employee for the Employee Assistance Program agency.

Employee self-referral shall be in accordance with the flow chart provided as Appendix B.

6. Leave - Sick leave will be granted to employees for treatment or rehabilitation as in any other illness. Additional leave will be considered on an individual case basis following established leave policies.

7. Dependents - Since employee work performance can be affected adversely by the problems of the employee's spouse or other dependents, the Employee Assistance Program will be available to the immediate family of the employee. Consideration of payment for any required treatment shall be in accordance with the provisions of the employee health plan.

8. Contract Coverage - The Employee Assistance Agency contract established with Resolution No. 88-25 is in effect until March 8, 1989. Renewal will be reviewed annually based on program performance and employee need. This administrative policy will be revised accordingly or as procedures require.

9. Record Keeping - The employee Assistance Program agency will have a record keeping system carefully designed to protect the identity of each employee while facilitating proper case management, follow up and proper statistical information reporting to the City of Lawton.

10. Reporting - The Employee Assistance Program agency will provide monthly statistical reports through the Personnel Director to the management team of the City of Lawton. The monthly statistical reports shall provide a composite reporting of the numbers of City of Lawton employee referrals each month distributed by classifications, nature of the problem, EEO category, type of referral, age, race, and sex. The Employee Assistance Program agency shall also make available an annual report which provides composite statistical information and also provides any recommendations which the agency may have for improvements for the next year of program operation.

REFERENCES: Resolution No. 88.25

RESCISSION: This Policy becomes effective March 8, 1988, and will remain in effect until rescinded.

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Melissa Byrne Vossmer

City Manager