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Human Resources Manual - 1219 - Employee and Family Assistance Program

Contents

Introduction

  1. The Government of the Northwest Territories (GNWT) supports its employees by providing for short term confidential counselling services to employees and their dependents that need assistance with personal or work issues.
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Application

  1. These guidelines and procedures apply to all public service employees and their dependents, except those casual employees employed for less than four months of continuous employment.
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Definitions

  1. Client is the employee or any of his or her dependents that has a formal, documented relationship with an Employee and Family Assistance Program (EFAP) professional for the purposes of receiving case assessment and/or counselling services.
  2. Contractor, Service Provider or Administrator are terms used to refer to the Government’s Employee and Family Assistance Program service provider.
  3. Counselling Session is one hour of case assessment and/or counselling time between the client and EFAP counsellor.
  4. Dependent means:
    1. The spouse of an employee who is residing with the employee.
    2. Any child (including stepchild or foster child) of the employee who:
      1. is attending school or is a student at some other institution, and is under 21 years; or
      2. is under 21 years and dependent upon the employee for support; or
      3. is 21 years or older and dependent upon the employee because of mental or physical infirmity.
    3. Any other person who is permanently residing with the employee and:
      1. is under 21 years of age and is dependent upon him/her for support; or
      2. is 21 years of age or more and dependent upon him/her by reason of
        mental or physical infirmity.
  5. EFAP means Employee and Family Assistance Program.
  6. Employee is any indeterminate or term employee or a casual employee employed for a period of four months or more.
  7. Toll Free 1800 # refers the 24 hour toll free number that eligible employees and family members can call from anywhere in order to access the EFAP.
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Guidelines

  1. The GNWT recognizes the value and importance of the continued good health and wellbeing of employees. To promote optimum health, to improve the quality of work life and to increase productivity in the public service, the Government provides an Employee and Family Assistance Program.
  2. An EFAP Advisory Committee oversees the program and is responsible for:
    1. Advising on policy and procedures;
    2. Evaluating objectives and service;
    3. Contractor selection; and
    4. Financial accountability and reporting.
  3. A service provider is obtained on a threeyear basis through Government contracting procedures.
  4. The EFAP is a voluntary service. This means that the client voluntarily seeks assistance for his/her personal or workrelated counselling needs. The Employer will not attempt to force employees to attend counselling.
  5. The EFAP is a strictly confidential service. Client information remains with the EFAP service provider. The service provider does not give an employee’s supervisor, or anyone associated with the employee’s place of work, specific information regarding an employee’s participation in the program.
  6. Each eligible client is entitled to a maximum of six counselling sessions for each issue at no cost each fiscal year.
  7. Counselling is available for a variety of personal and work related issues such as:
    • Personal wellbeing
    • Depression, grief and loss
    • Managing anger
    • Managing relationships and family
    • Credit/debt management
    • Nutrition
    • Addictions (smoking, gambling, etc.)
    • Communication skills
    • Financial problems
    • Physical, emotional and sexual abuse (child/adult)
    • Workplace challenges
    • Legal issues

      Details on all counselling services and information on how to access the service
      provider are available on the Department of Human Resources website at
      http://www.hr.gov.nt.ca/workplace/efap/.
  8. Clients who are unable to attend their scheduled appointments are asked to contact the service provider 24 hours in advance where possible. If 24 hours notice is not possible, a courtesy call is still requested.
  9. In situations where clients fail to notify the service provider at least 24 hours in advance that he or she cannot attend their scheduled appointment, the missed session will count as one of the six eligible sessions.
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Procedures

  1. To access the EFAP program for an appointment, the client calls the service provider’s 24-hour toll free number from anywhere at any time.
  2. When a call to the toll free number is made, a qualified intake counsellor greets the caller and asks a few assessment questions in order to determine the nature and urgency of the situation. The intake counsellor refers the case to one of the trained designated EFAP counsellors.
  3. Within 48 hours of the initial call to the 1-800 number, an EFAP counsellor will contact the client to set up the appointment that will take place within the next three to five working days.
  4. In situations deemed to be an emergency, a trained EFAP counsellor will make contact as quickly as possible.
  5. In a crisis situation or a situation requiring immediate attention, the client will be referred to an appropriate professional such as law enforcement, ambulance, health centre, hospital staff, or mental health professional.
  6. Further information on the Employee Family Assistance Program may be obtained
    by contacting:

    Corporate Human Resources
    Department of Human Resources
    Yellowknife Centre 5th floor
    P.O. Box 1320
    YELLOWKNIFE NT X1A 2L9
    Phone: (867) 920-3398
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Authorities and References

Contract between the Government of the Northwest Territories and Employee and Family Assistance Program service provider.
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Last Updated: April 2007