Employee Assistance Program has options for civilians

  • Published
  • By Diane Betzler
  • Staff Writer
EDWARDS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. --  Most people who live or work at Edwards are aware of the Employee Assistance Program, but not too many are aware of the depth of services the EAP has to offer to federal civilian employees and their immediate family members.

The program is staffed by accredited professionals who provide comprehensive services that cover everything from dealing with legal and financial issues, to highly confidential personal counseling at no cost to all federal civilian and Non-Appropriated Fund employees and their family members.

"Our counseling program is basically a short-term solution focused on solving the problem within six sessions," said Dr. William Vail, a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist.

Dr. Vail said if someone comes to his office with a more serious problem that will likely take more than six sessions to resolve, he will refer that person to an appropriate treatment or community resource.

Outside treatment services are not free, but the client's medical insurance will usually pick up the bulk of those treatment costs.

Services from EAP are available to all DOD civilian and Army and Air Forces Exchange Services employees and their family members.

At his office, located at the rear of the Base Theater building, Dr. Vail offers counseling for supervisors or managers who are experiencing difficulties with a member of their workforce. He offers presentations on about 30 different subjects that range from work or family pressures that can cause a lot of stress, legal and financial problems, alcohol and drug use or just about anything the client needs to talk about.

For those dealing with financial issues or other legal issues, Dr. Vail will set up a 30-minute session with legal services. "We'll serve most legal issues, but we won't serve someone who wants to sue the Air Force," Dr. Vail said. He said his office also refuses to get involved with employees who want to sue their boss.

"We never get between a boss and employee," he said.

A licensed attorney handles legal consultation, and professionals with experience in accounting, banking and insurance handle money matters.

Dr. Vail also counsels people about something he calls critical incidences. "That's when someone has experienced the loss of a loved one, whether it's a relative or friend," he said.

All counseling matters are held in confidence within strict laws; regulations and ethical standards protect the client's privacy.

The EAP has one main focus. "That's getting people back to work." Taking advantage of any EAP service is voluntary, "We have no mandatory services here."

The main improvement the doctor sees from people who take advantage of EAP services and get their problems resolved, is that stress goes down and people no longer miss a lot of time from work.

"We're very successful here with helping people solve their problems," Dr. Vail said.

In addition to offering counseling services, the EAP offers a variety of informational resources including online resources to help people live a healthier and more rewarding lifestyle.

The EAP is also available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year through telephone-based crisis intervention services.

People can call toll free 1-800-222-0364, and speak with a highly qualified counselor for immediate attention.

All EAP services are free of charge and can save thousands of dollars in legal expenses and countless hours of valuable time.

For more information on these and other EAP services, resources and tools, visit the EAP website at: www.foh4you.com or call the tool-free number, 1-800-222-0364, or call Dr. Vail direct at 277-1184.