FORT RUCKER, Ala. -- Life can be hard, and when its challenges start creating problems for federal employees and their family members, they can voluntarily reach out for a free and confidential helping hand through the Employee Assistance Program.
The following is a Q&A session with person who runs the program at Fort Rucker, Myliekia Francois, EAP coordinator.
Q: What is the mission of the EAP?
A: The mission of the EAP is to provide an extensive range of free and confidential services to support employees – including managers – to work through various life challenges that may adversely affect job performance, health and personal well-being, and optimize organizational success.
Q: How do you accomplish that mission?
A: The mission is accomplished through providing free, confidential, voluntary services such as screenings and assessments to help identify challenges in the workplace or personal life. We also connect people to community resources, as needed, to help support them with specialty needs such as anxiety, depression, financial stress, grief and loss, etc.
The EAP program also can provide short-term, solution-focused counseling as appropriate to help people address and resolve minor stressors that may impact their job performance. We can also engage with management to facilitate training on various topics such as time management, workplace violence, stress management, etc.
Supervisors can also utilize the program to assist in conflict resolution through informal mediation.
Q: Who can use your services?
A: The EAP is available to all federal civilian employees, including non-appropriated fund, Defense Commissary Agency, Army and Air Force Exchange Service, and DOD Education Activity employees and their family members ages 18 and older. The program is also available to spouses and family members ages 18 and older of active-duty and retired military members.
Q: Why should people make use of the program?
A: People should engage with the EAP because it is a free service that is created solely for the purpose of assisting the individual. The program is easily accessible and is completely voluntary. This program is a hidden gem that is focused on helping people be advocates for themselves and their wellbeing as it relates to their lives.
Q: Do people take advantage of the program at Fort Rucker?
A: Currently the program is underutilized. We are shifting our focus into becoming more accessible to people through providing appointments over the phone when necessary, following the initial in-person screening. Some people who are eligible for EAP services are unable to make in-person appointments because of where they are geographically located.
We are also placing more effort into being more visible. Many people who are eligible to receive services do not know the EAP exists. This is why we are amping up our marketing tools and building stronger working relationships to ensure that people know who we are and what we offer.
Q: How do people find out more about the program?
Contact me at 334-255-7678.
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