- EAP professionals know the important differences between psychological evaluations performed for treatment purposes and forensic psychological Fitness for Duty/Violence Risk Assessments. An assessment for treatment is to give, recommend or coordinate employee medical/psychological health care. In providing these services, healthcare professionals establish a doctor/patient alliance. In contrast, psychological Fitness for Duty/Violence Risk Assessments are primarily to help employers make managerial decisions, based in part on employee psychological status. These evaluations should be performed following forensic standards and satisfy demands of the courts. The forensic professional’s primary allegiance is usually with the employer.
- EAP professionals should prevent dual relationships and conflicts of interest from occurring in respect to forensic Fitness for Duty/Violence Risk Assessments. A dual relationship and conflict of interest might occur when, for example, a treating doctor performs a psychological Fitness for Duty or Violence Risk Assessment on his/her own patient.
- EAP professionals realize that many employers are unfamiliar with the nature and purposes of forensic psychological Fitness for Duty and Violence Risk Assessments. They should therefore be able to educate their employer clients about the unique practices followed during these assessments, thus protecting employers, employees and EAPs from risk.
Fitness for Duty Evaluations
EASNA Issues Call for Presenters for 2012 Institute, Submission Due by September 23
Release 11-05
Arlington, VA, June 28, 2011—The Employee Assistance Society of North America (EASNA), the employee assistance industry’s trade association, has issued a call for presenters for its 24th Annual EASNA Institute, April 25-27, 2012, at the at the Fairmont Palliser Hotel in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. The schedule has been substantially changed with a much earlier deadline for submissions. Completed forms are due September 23. Speakers and panelists selected will be notified the first week in October and the final curriculum will be posted on the Institute website on October 11.
The submission form is a single document that may be used for submitting proposals for any of the three types of presentations. To download the submission form or to read about additional details regarding the Institute, go to the EASNA website (http://ww.easna.org) and click on the Institute banner at the top of the page.
For the 2012 Institute, the Curriculum Committee is particularly interested in the following proposal topics:
- Best practices and innovative approaches in global employee assistance
- Employee Assistance involvement in the safe work environment
- Addictions – Identification, relapse prevention, policy
- Innovations in service delivery such as social media, on-site services, and technology to engage employees
- Employee Assistance advocacy
- Employee engagement strategies
- Identifying and measuring employee assistance quality
- Using EAP to develop and support a culture of health
- Building resources for managing stress and resiliency
- Addressing the intersection of physical and mental health to build high-performing businesses
- Program evaluation and metrics
Proposals will be accepted for the following:
- Full-day Pre Institute Professional Development training (April 25)
- 90 minute Plenary (General) Sessions (April 26-27)
- 90 minute Peer Presentation (Breakout) Workshops (April 26-27)
The committee judges proposals on the following criteria:
- use of subject matter expert panels, rather than individual speakers;
- promoting innovative dialogue and highlighting research which advances the employee assistance, behavioral health and human resource fields;
- relevance of content to employee assistance professional practice or business;
- collaborative presentation topics and examples of successful workplace partnerships that include the voices of employers, labor, and other stakeholders; and,
- creative use of presentation formats that maximize adult learning interactions and opportunities for professional educational and practical skill development.
The goal of the event will be to bring together exemplary employer representatives, industry-leading employee assistance providers and other human capitol experts to engage in informative discussions for the benefit of employers, employees/workers, unions, human resource professionals, and benefits consultants in successfully addressing the new dynamics of today’s global workforce.
As the employee assistance industry’s trade association, EASNA advances the competitive excellence of its members by fostering best practices, research, education, and advocacy in behavioral health and wellness that impacts workplace performance. EASNA has more than 800 members in Canada, the United States, Mexico, and other countries. The 2011 Institute’s attendance was nearly 50% larger than the last US-based conference.
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EASNA Announces 2011 Corporate Award Winners
Arlington, VA, March 31, 2011—The Employee Assistance Society of North America (EASNA) announces its 7th Annual Corporate Award winners. Each year EASNA acknowledges one American and one Canadian company that demonstrates excellence in their use of EAP programming and service delivery. This year’s winners will deliver a presentation on their programs at the 23rd Annual Institute, EASNA’s Annual Conference, April 27-29 in Las Vegas.
The following companies have been selected as the 2011 winners:
- In Canada the winner is Atomic Energy of Canada Limited; their EAP is Shepell.fgi.
- In the US the winner is The Home Depot; their EAP is ValueOptions.
An independent three-member panel of judges reviews submissions and evaluates them on a series of criteria that underscore the importance of integrating the services of an EAP provider to ensure the health and well-being of the company’s workforce.
For the first time the winning companies or the EAPs will deliver a formal presentation as part of a 30-minute program during the Institute. The presentation will be held at 9:30 a.m. PT on Friday, April 29. Information on the winners will also be posted on the EASNA website (http://www.easna.org).
EASNA is an association focused on advancing knowledge, research, and best practices toward achieving healthy and productive workplaces. Comprised of thought leaders and change agents, EASNA focuses on ensuring that the EA field continues to grow and flourish by broadening its base of engaged and committed stakeholders.