Recent Submissions

  • 2024 Trends - Boston College Center for Work & Family

    Lawler McHugh, Tina; Vinas, Keila (Boston College Center for Work & Family, 2024-01)
    While formal return-to-office mandates wane and hybrid work becomes more permanent, leadership is focused on in-person collaboration, optimizing distributed work, and developing talent. The latter half of 2023 was characterized by a significant push to return employees to the office with nearly all employers (99%) expecting employees to be in the office at least two days a week and 80% expecting three days, according to EY’s Future Workplace Index. RTO mandates are likely to drop off and, according to the Conference Board, only 4% of CEOs are prioritizing a full return to office in 2024. However, many still want to see employees in the office more and are experimenting with a blend of carrots (commuter benefits, raises and promotions) and sticks (tracking attendance) to achieve this. In-person opportunities and salaries reflect this trend. According to a Ladders Q4 High Paying Jobs report, six-figure hybrid job availability dropped 69% at the end of 2023, while in-person opportunities increased 93%. The report notes, “Companies want their highest earners in the office for collaboration and leadership.” That said, many teams - especially in large, global organizations - work in a distributed way. According to an Atlassian survey of Fortune 500 and Fortune 1000 executives, 100% say their teams work in a distributed way and are three times more likely to say that how teams work is a bigger problem than where they work. Their focus for 2024: low productivity, tracking progress against goals, and effective collaboration. With women, caregivers, Millennials and Gen Z employees among those who value flexible work the most, the most successful companies will be those who resist “proximity bias”, track outcomes across work arrangements and intersectional identities, and empower managers to lead distributed teams with a focus on results. “What return-to-office debates often miss is that how teams work has fundamentally changed, regardless of where individual team members sit. Whether a large organization is remote, hybrid, or fully in-office, most of their employees work in a distributed way”.
  • The New Imperative of Neurodiversity in the Workplace: What EAPs and Employers Need to Know

    Bruno, John; Routh, Corey (EAPA, 2024-01)
    If you did a Google search on the term “neurodiversity” three years ago, you would not have found much. Today, you would find over 30 million hits, hundreds of articles by researchers, academics, and numerous websites dedicated to the topic. The Society of Human Resources Professionals has added the topic to their website, to conference topics, and has requested whitepapers on the subject. Employers are receiving a surge of requests for accommodations based on neurodistinctions. They are receiving demands to add neurodiversity to their DEIA (Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility) programs, and supervisors are attempting to navigate conversations on the topic. As workplace mental health experts, EAPs too must be in sync with their employer clients and are also scrambling to understand this emerging area and its implications for EA practice. While recognizing the current elevated focus on this topic now, it is important to recognize that the neurodiverse population has been with us as long as there have been humans. Some DEIA experts believe the attention on neurodiversity is long overdue, pointing out that previous efforts by employers have been limited mostly to com- plying with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Neurodiversity (ND) and DEIA experts believe the ND community can benefit from more comprehensive employer support. There are some key facts that the authors think are most helpful for all EAPs and employers.
  • Impact of Trauma on Well-Being

    Rozell, Shannon; Buerkel, Stephanie (Newport Healthcare, 2024-01)
    Power Point Presentation on Trauma and its effect on Well Being: CLINICAL PHILOSOPHY • An integrated approach focused on primary mental health diagnoses that addresses the root causes of behaviors, not just the symptoms. • The goal of treatment: guide teens/young adults and their families to achieve long-term, sustainable healing by treating the underlying trauma and attachment wounds that cause depression and anxiety and manifest as co-occurring disorders. • Providing a team of expert clinicians assigned to each patient,
  • Measurement Tools During Times of Shifting Sands

    Herlihy, Patricia; Lennox, Rik (EAPA, 2024-01)
    Over the past few years, organizations and employees alike have turned their attention toward address- ing inequities in the workplace made starkly visible by the Covid 19 pandemic and renewed emphasis on social injustice acts. While some progress has been made in this space, the increased attention has also led to a recognition that diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programs can contribute, stall, or even backfire if not implemented thoughtfully (Catsouphes et al, 2022). In the fall of 2021, Chestnut Health Systems, the parent company of Chestnut Global Partners, created a psycho- metrically informed instrument, the Workplace Inclusion Scale (WIS), designed to survey and integrate the felt experience of inclusion into EAP service offerings. The WIS is a tool that organizations can use to quickly assess the impact of diversity and inclusion efforts as perceived by employees in the work environment. Specifically, it is a measurement tool for EAPs, as management consultants, to offer HR, benefit departments, and other stakeholders a unique lens to assess the perceived level of employee inclusion. The specifics of how this tool was developed and validated can be found in (Lennox et al, 2022).
  • Practical Ways to Create Psychological Safety at Work

    EAPA SA (2023-11)
    There is a large body of research that shows that leaders play a critical role in fostering employee motivation and satisfaction. The consequence is that it is not enough for managers to drive strong employee performance. They also need to take care of their team members’ wellbeing. This includes the belief that individuals will not be punished or humiliated for speaking up with ideas, questions and concerns – or owning up to mistakes. In teams, it refers to team members believing that they can take risks without being shamed by their colleagues. What is psychological safety? Dr. Amy Edmondson, a Harvard Business School professor, coined the term psychological safety in a 1999 journal article that explored its relationship to team learning and performance. She defines it as, “a belief that one will not be punished or humiliated for speaking up with ideas, questions, concerns or mistakes” and is quoted as saying, “Psychological safety means an absence of interpersonal fear. When psychological safety is present, people are able to speak up with work-relevant content.”
  • Navigating the Impact of AI on the EAP Industry in South Africa: Opportunities and Challenges

    EAPA SW (EAPA SW, 2023-12-03)
    The emergence of artificial intelligence (AI) in employee wellness programs marks a transformative period for the EAP industry, especially in South Africa’s diverse and dynamic workforce. As AI continues to evolve and integrates into our services, it has the potential to significantly enhance workplace wellness and productivity. However, it’s crucial to recognise that AI is still a relatively new tool that relies heavily on existing databases. Currently, there’s limited research and practice in South Africa (SA) specifically addressing AI in this context. Therefore, professionals in the field need to be diligent in curating content that is not only suitable for their audience but also maintains clinical integrity. This approach ensures that the implementation of AI in employee wellness programs is both effective and respectful of the unique needs and challenges within the South African workplace environment. “it has the potential to significantly enhance workplace wellness and productivity”
  • Attitudes Toward Medical Aid in Dying in a National Sample of Hospice Clinicians

    Becker, Todd D.; Becker, Todd; Cagle, John G. (2023)
    As of this writing, medical aid in dying (MAID) is available in 11 U.S. states and the District of Columbia, with further expansion projected. Legal protections for conscientious objection foreground clinician attitudes as substantial barriers or facilitators to MAID access for interested patients. Although upward of roughly three quarters of patients who use MAID are enrolled in hospice care, little is known about hospice clinicians’ attitudes toward MAID. The purpose of this three-paper dissertation was to examine attitudes toward MAID in a national sample of hospice clinicians. Participants were recruited from national hospice and palliative care membership associations representing the four core disciplines of the hospice interdisciplinary group (i.e., medicine, nursing, social work, chaplaincy) to complete a one-time, self-administered survey. Paper 1 examined the preliminary psychometric properties of a modified version of the only empirically evaluated scale on attitudes toward MAID. Confirmatory factor analysis results indicated that the Attitudes Toward Medical Aid in Dying Scale demonstrated factorial validity. Construct validity was established through correlation analyses targeting convergent validity (vis-à-vis a researcher-constructed measure of attitudes toward MAID) and discriminant validity (vis-à-vis a researcher-constructed measure of attitudes toward euthanasia and a scale assessing religiosity). High congeneric reliability estimates supported internal consistency reliability. Despite the favorability of these statistical results, conceptual mismatches between scale items and the U.S. practice context as defined by state laws caution against wider scale use. Further psychometric development is warranted. Paper 2 explored institutional factors tied to the hospice context of care as correlates of MAID attitudes. Using a 3-point version of Paper 1’s ordinal convergent validity item, results of a partial proportional odds model indicated that professional experience working in a state where MAID was legal and increased orientation toward patient-centeredness were both significantly associated with higher odds of more supportive MAID attitudes across each threshold of the dependent variable. Increased commitment to the hospice philosophy of care also was significantly associated with higher odds of more supportive MAID attitudes. Accounting for differing slopes across dependent variable thresholds, however, this association reached statistical significance only when estimating the odds of being in a category above the midpoint response option (neither support nor oppose). Findings support the assessment of ecological factors that drive hospice ethos and functioning when exploring attitudes toward MAID. Paper 3 explored attitudes toward being physically present throughout MAID in a hypothetical patient scenario governed by certain safeguards. The 74% of participants who indicated willingness to be present did so based on feelings of personally derived support for MAID, definitions of quality clinical care, and values from their professional training. This broad support, however, was conditioned by boundary setting though which participants described specific conditions required for their participation. In contrast, 15% of participants were unwilling to be present. These attitudes were attributed to objections to the concept of MAID, objections to participation in MAID, and perceptions that MAID is misaligned with health care. Merely 11% of participants were unsure, relating their hesitation to feelings of ambivalence and a lack of experience with MAID. The tensions that participants across samples reported experiencing with themselves, their profession, and broader society reflect a need for greater professional guidance on the safe and effective provision of MAID.
  • EAP Evidence: Marketing Myths and Truths Compared for Techno and Traditional Programs - Industry Survey Global Results

    Attridge, Mark (Employee Assistance Professionals Association, 2024-01-23)
    This third column focuses on a troubling trend in the marketing of workplace mental health services in the multi-billion dollar market for EAP services. In this article I explore the level of truth in the messages characteristic of the newer Techno-EAPs and compare them against those of the more traditional full-service employee assistance providers. The marketing from some of these newer technology-based companies tends to mischaracterize the purpose of EAPs, how much they are used, and how effective they are in supporting individual users and the larger work organizations they serve. To get some data on the accuracy of these marketing claims and try to discern fact from fiction, I conducted a survey of 141 experienced professionals active in the EAP industry in 2023. This study found that the newer technology-based vendors are perceived by 19% of the sample as taking a collaborative approach to act as business partners with other more established EAPs. Another 31% of the sample thought that Techno-EAPs have a business objective of trying to replace other existing EAPs altogether. This competitive tension is especially strong in the US market. This study documented substantial concerns among about the veracity of most of these kinds of marketing themes from seasoned professionals in the US who are knowledgeable about the field of EAP. On average, this data showed that the newer Techno-EAPs appear to be making untrue claims far more often in their marketing than do the more established Traditional EAPs (39% vs. 6%, respectively)
  • Fentanyl and Medication for Opioid Use Disorder (MOUD)

    Ludwig, Zach (Bradford Health Systems, 2024-01-05)
    Incredible presentation by a seasoned treatment provider for Fentanyl and other Opiod Use Disorders... Overdoses Increased • Largest increases in rates of overdose deaths during the pandemic: • Men • Individuals who had lost jobs • (2x increase compared to 2019) • People with mental health diagnoses • Also noteworthy was an increase in people overdosing/dying at home CDC estimates 107,622 drug overdose deaths in 2021 • Up nearly 15% from 2020 (93,665 deaths) • From 2019 to 2020, overdose deaths rose 30% • Deaths involving opioids increased from an estimated 70,029 in 2020 to 80,816 in 2021
  • William White Papers Emeritus Senior Research Consultant, Chestnut Health Systems

    White, William (Chestnut Health Systems, 1970)
    Professional and Advocacy Writing This section contains the full text of more than 300 articles, 8 monographs, 30+ recovery tools, 9 book chapters, 3 books, and links to an additional 18 books written by William White and co-authors over the past four decades as well as more than 100 interviews with addiction treatment and recovery leaders. This is a single location where such material may be located by those interested in the history of addiction treatment and recovery in the United States. Those papers selected for inclusion contain all of the articles and monographs authored by William White on the new recovery advocacy movement, recovery management and recovery-oriented systems of care. It is hoped that this resource library will serve present and future generations of addiction professionals, recovery coaches and recovery advocates. Blogs and Recent Posts Celebrating Recovery Research Progress Mapping Career Pathways and Professional Development for Recovery Coaches The Future of William White Papers Website Randolph "Randy" Muck September 14, 1955 - April 21, 2021 in Memoriam A Recovery-Oriented Systems of Care Case Study: Hancock County, Ohio
  • Models In Mentoring

    Ora Lobell, Kylie (SHRM, 2024-01-20)
    While traditional, one-on-one mentorship programs have long been the gold standard, today’s professionals are tailoring them to fit their unique career goals. Successful mentorships can be career-defining and life-changing. Paired with a good mentor, mentees can learn the ins and outs of their chosen field, expand their professional networks and accelerate their career growth. According to a survey by the American Society for Training and Development, a full 75 percent of executives say mentoring has been critical to their career development. A CNBC/SurveyMonkey Workplace Happiness Survey found that more than 90 percent of workers who have a mentor say they’re satisfied with their jobs, including more than half (57 percent) who say they are “very satisfied.” To meet the professional goals of today’s diverse workforce, many mentorship programs are tailored to benefit specific groups of people, including people of color, first-generation college graduates, women business owners and women in traditionally male-dominated fields. Businesses win, too. Many companies that have made an investment in quality mentoring programs have found that they help retain valuable employees.
  • The “Shifting Phenomenon” Among Black Women & other Women of Color

    Eugene, Carla (2024-01-09)
    This is a power point presentation introducing the notion of "shifting": Black women . . . shift to accommodate differences in class as well as gender and ethnicity. From one moment to the next, they change their outward behavior, attitude, or tone, shifting “White,” then shifting “Black” again, shifting “corporate,” shifting “cool.” . . . shifting has become such an integral part of Black women’s behavior that some adopt an alternate pose or voice as easily as they blink their eyes or draw a breath – without thinking, and without realizing that the emptiness they feel and the roles they must play may be directly related. (Jones & Shorter-Gooden, 2003, p. 7)
  • Leader Perceptions of EAP: Highlights of Research Study and IFEBP Member Surveys

    Bennett, Joel B.; Stich, Julie; Attridge, Mark (2023-12-08)
  • The Silent Killer in the Construction Industry

    Bauer, Brian (EAPA, 2023-01)
    The Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 (OSHA) and construction organizations work to main- tain safe ojb sitesybreducing injuries and deaths. Muhc focus has ben on hte "Fatal Four" injury ca-t egories (falls, being struck by objects, electrocutions, and being caught in or between), but something else quite dangerous is being overlooked. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) reports the suicide rate for construction workers as the second highest of al industries (farming, fishing, and forestry were ahead). A silent killer looms and rages, taking even more construction workers' lives than these four categories. Should the Fatal Four be the Fatal Five? The Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 (OSHA) and construction organizations work to main- tain safe ojb sitesybreducing injuries and deaths. Muhc focus has ben on hte "Fatal Four" injury ca-t egories (falls, being struck by objects, electrocutions, and being caught in or between), but something else quite dangerous is being overlooked. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) reports the suicide rate for construction workers as the second highest of al industries (farming, fishing, and forestry were ahead). A silent killer looms and rages, taking even more construction workers' lives than these four categories. Should the Fatal Four be the Fatal Five?
  • Disrupting Workplace Violence: Critical Opportunities for EAPs in Healthcare Settings

    McNutt, Bryan; Hughes, Dan; Berg, Mark (2023-10-20)
    The continuing aftereffects of the COVID-19 Pandemic have presented the EA field with many complex challenges, including escalating levels of social unrest and violence that inevitably impact the workplace and its employees. The healthcare workplace, in particular, has experienced unusually high levels of workplace violence (WPV), thus compounding the psychological stressors that many health care workers already face. In addition, The Joint Commission (TJC) has recently implemented WPV standards which all healthcare organizations are mandated to meet. This has created new opportunities for EA practitioners to support organizational efforts to prioritize workplace violence prevention and intervention programs within healthcare settings. This panel presentation reviewed the implications of workplace violence (WPV) on EA practice in healthcare organizations. The presentation was moderated by Dr. Bryan McNutt, who provided an overview of current WPV trends and statistics, as well as relevant models of organizationally based Threat Assessment and Management practices. The presentation’s panelists, Mark Berg and Dr. Dan Hughes, discussed how their embedded EAPs have responded to the complex crises of rising incidents of WPV within their respective healthcare settings. Each panelist provided a brief description of how their EA practices have adapted to the complex challenges of WPV trends within healthcare organizations. Learning Objectives: Discuss a brief review of current trends of WPV, specifically within healthcare settings. Explore the basic principles and concepts of the practice of Threat Assessment and Management, including an applicable understanding of the Pathway to Violence Model. Identify opportunities for EAPs to support organizational efforts of disrupting and responding to incidents of WPV. Explore relevant clinical approaches such as Psychological First Aid and Trauma Informed Counseling.
  • ADDRESSING THE UNIQUE NEEDS OF MARGINALIZED COMMUNITIES THROUGH SPECIALIZED EAP PROGRAMS

    Marcellin, Sahrah (2023-10-19)
    In the evolving landscape of mental health support, there exists a commitment to enhancing the emotional well-being of minoritized individuals and populations. Specialized employee assistance programs (EAPs) set out to tackle the stigma surrounding mental health by ensuring increased access to therapists specializing in specific minoritized communities. As they delved into the challenges faced by their client population, a realization emerged – workplace-related stress, fueled by microaggressions, biases, and discrimination, became a significant concern. This revelation prompted a shift towards offering services to organizations with the aim of fostering inclusive and supportive work environments. This poster explores how the unique approach of specialized EAPs can be adapted into traditional EAP models to serve marginalized populations better.
  • Beyond the Frontlines: Exploring Burnout Among Healthcare Executives

    Swanson, Steven (Vital WorkLife, 2023)
    The Mayo Clinic describes “job burnout” as a state of physical, emotional and mental exhaustion that may involve feeling useless, powerless and empty. In the context of healthcare, there is abundant literature describing the corrosive effect of burnout on the performance of front-line healthcare providers including physicians, nurses, therapists and hospital staff that can lead to sub optimal patient care. To reduce employee burnout, many health systems are now providing support to improve the work environment and offering other well-being solutions to help their staff cope with the stressors that can lead to burnout. Only recently has there been any recognition that burnout could impact the performance of senior healthcare executives. This group is often thought to have the power, influence and decision rights that protect them from the types of stressors that impact front-line workers. In 2018, the healthcare executive search firm WittKieffer surveyed nearly 400 healthcare executives, of whom about 60 percent reported some degree of burnout. More than half said that the stress and demoralization might cause them to leave their positions.
  • Recovery-Ready Workplace Toolkit: Guidance and Resources for Private and Public Sector Employers.

    United States Department of Labor, 2023-11
    We are pleased to release Recovery-Ready Workplace Toolkit: Guidance and Resources for Private and Public Sector Employers. Developed through the efforts of the Office of National Drug Control Policy, the Domestic Policy Council, and 12 federal departments and independent agencies, this toolkit supports efforts in the fourth pillar of UPresident Biden’s Unity Agenda for the NationU, beating the opioid and overdose epidemic. The toolkit also supports the implementation of President Biden’s inaugural National Drug Control Strategy, which calls for National Drug Control Program Agencies to expand employment opportunities for people in recovery from substance use disorder and to promote Recovery-Ready Workplace (RRW) policies. This toolkit provides information, tools, and resources to help employers from all sectors—government, for-profit, non-profit, and not-for-profit—effectively prevent and respond to substance misuse in the workforce, and reduce its impact on employers and on the broader community. Made available through the Recovery-Ready Workplace Resource Hub, which is hosted by the Employment and Training Administration at the United States Department of Labor, this toolkit is intended to be useful across sectors and industries. It offers employers and local or statewide RRW initiative leaders a range of resources to help them effectively address substance use in the workforce and successfully hire, onboard, and retain people who are in or seeking recovery from substance use disorder.

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