How to Become an EAP Advisor
As companies compete for and try to retain the best employees, better employee benefits are being offered to workers. In addition to the traditional medical and dental insurance for employees and families, programs called employee assistance programs (EAP) are on the rise. Because EAP benefits are specialized, companies are looking to hire EAP advisors to work closely with their human resources departments. Read on to learn more.
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Things You'll Need
- Bachelor's degree in human resources or a similar area
- Employee Assistance Professionals Association membership
Instructions
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Become an EAP Advisor
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Earn your bachelor's degree in human resources or a similar area. These similar areas include psychology, social work, sociology and the liberal arts. An advanced degree, such as a master's degree in social work, may be helpful in assisting employees in need of attention.
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Take enough classes in college to earn a minor in psychology if you major in human resources. These classes will help you better understand the needs of employees and what they are experiencing. Knowing these needs will better help you advise employees of their benefits and counsel the company on what benefits to offer.
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Become an active member in the community in which you work and educate others about the issues, which bring employees to use EAP programs. This may include speaking or writing an article related to mental illness, substance or spousal abuse.
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Make yourself accessible to employees where you work. Sometimes people are shy about using such programs because their problems are often personal. Be a visible employee who is dedicated to serving other employees.
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Learn about the different benefits programs in the community in which you work. Assess the benefits of each program against the needs of the company you work for. Prepare presentations and information for the company owners or board explaining the pros and cons of different employee assistance programs.
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Build your skills as a member of the human resources team while you work to become an EAP advisor. As an EAP advisor, you will work closely with the human resources department educating employees about their benefits and the program.
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Join the Employee Assistance Professionals Association (see Resources below). Here you can network with other professionals and find valuable information on being an EAP advisor.
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Tips & Warnings
As an EAP advisor, you are not in a position to counsel employees. Your job is to make the services available to them and advise them on how to utilize the services. Only a licensed practitioner, such as a licensed social worker or doctor, can counsel employees.
