ISP for employee assistance programs, organizations and workplaces

Many people are reluctant to seek help, especially through services offered by their employers. They may worry about confidentiality, fear that admitting their need for help will jeopardize their employment, or believe that their problems will resolve on their own. Research shows that:

• An estimated 10% of workers suffer from depression, substance abuse, and other psychological disorders that can severely impact their ability to function.
• Lost productivity due to mental health conditions costs the U.S. over $100 billion each year.
• Only one in five people with a mental health condition receive the care they need to treat the condition.

ISP serves as a convenient and safe way for employees to connect with an experienced, caring mental health professional through their organization’s Employee Assistance Program (EAP) or other mental health services. Offering employees a way to anonymously communicate with a mental health professional about available service options through their EAP or with a local service provider allows them to address their mental health concerns before they escalate.

Each Employee Assistance Program (EAP) or counseling service provider for the organization or workplace receives its own, fully customized ISP website where employees can:

• Take a brief questionnaire for stress and depression
• Receive a personalized response from an EAP counselor
• Exchange messages with the counselor – ask questions and learn about available services
• Get feedback and encouragement
• Request an appointment or referral

Outreach

Employees receive an email encouraging them to use the secure, confidential ISP website to complete a short questionnaire designed to help them find out how stress and depression may be affecting them, and how they can get support for these problems through their EAP or other mental health services. Employees create a self-assigned User ID and password to anonymously take a brief Self-Check Questionnaire.

Connection

Within 24-48 business hours of submitting the questionnaire, based on the level of distress reported in their answers, employees receive a personalized response from an EAP counselor.

Engagement

Employees review the counselor’s response and can exchange messages with the counselor over the program website, providing them the opportunity to ask questions and learn more about the services that are most suitable for them. Employees receive personalized feedback, recommendations, and support, and explore service options in a safe and confidential way.

ISP can be implemented for a variety of organizations and workplaces, from large and small corporations, to law enforcement agencies, professional assistance programs, hospital systems, and community-based mental health service agencies.

Each workplace or organization provides the clinical staff to support ISP, typically through their Employee Assistance Program or other mental health service provider offered to all employees. EAPs can also license the program to provide ISP to a variety of their clients.

ISP is licensed for a 3-year program term. The license provides:

• Dedicated AFSP staff to support program implementation
• Ongoing technical support
• Customized ISP website
• Counselor training in all program functions
• Assistance with data reporting and evaluation

Complete the interest form, and ISP staff will contact you to discuss how ISP can be implemented as an integral part of your organization’s efforts to support your employee’s mental health and wellness. Our team will work with you to tailor the program to meet the needs of your clinical team and the individuals you serve.

For questions, please contact the Program Director at isp@afsp.org.