We contract directly with small business to provide therapy, counseling and prevention services without the cost, hassle and waste that can result from contracting with managed care or insurance company.  Unlike insurance companies, there is not layer of wasted management between us and your employees.  This allow us to provide services at rates that are substantially below that of the average managed care company or insurance agency.  Not only do we provide the counseling and therapy services, but we also try to help people before they have big problems by getting to them with the issues are small.  We accomplish this by our outreach and prevention activities--These activities are included in all EAP contracts!

Key Benefits

• Lower cost to companies and employees
• Getting services when the problems are small--Getting help before the need of a diagnosis.
• We work to KEEP HEALTHY PEOPLE HEALTHY!
• Increased employee satisfaction
• Increased employee productivity
• Decreased employee turnover

Capabilities

Employee Assistance Programming (EAP) Services (currently offered in Michigan only)

  The WBC Employee Assistance Program (EAP) services are custom tailored to the needs and wants of the businesses served.  This document contains a brief outline of the services offered, and a typical plan for their use with the employees of a small retail company (under 50 employees). 

 Prevention is at the heart of the EAP services offered by WBC.  In this light, our EAP program pairs educational and self-help classes with individual support, counseling, and therapy services designed to lessen the overall life-stress levels of employees.  Overall decreases in life stress should have positive impact on employee productivity and satisfaction. 

 How it works.  WBC will initially survey your employees and managers to determine the areas of life stress they perceive as impacting their productivity and overall level of satisfaction.  WBC will then provide quarterly self-help and educational classes to your employees targeting these areas.  These classes are designed to equip your employees with the tools necessary to help them improve their lives.  These classes should be company mandated to eliminate any barriers to self-referral, and will focus on a number of inter-related issues.  Each class will last approximately 3 to 4 hours, and should be conducted either at the work site, or at a neutral, easily accessible, location to be determined and arrange by your business.  Brief class descriptions are listed below:   

1.  Financial Planning:  This class will cover the basics of personal financial success.  A number of inter-related topics will be discussed.  By the end of the session, participants will have been provided instruction in the following topic areas: 

   ØBudgeting

ØWhen and how to borrow

ØPreparing for the future

ØHow investments work. 

2.  Communication and Relationship Building:  Business success and happiness are both, in part, based on effective communication and healthy/adaptive relationships.  This class will focus on the dynamics of inter-personal relationships, and will teach participants the basics of effective communication.  Given that both professional and personal relationships can either negatively or positively impact employee productivity and satisfaction, the following topic areas will be covered in this self-help module: 

ØRelationships at work

Communication

Problem Solving

Conflict Resolution

Relationship roles and boundaries

Sexual Harassment

ØRomantic/Couples relationships

Problem Solving

Communication and Conflict Resolution

Division of Labor

Finances

Romantic to Companionate Love

Why relationships end

How relationships grow and prosper

3.  Stress management:  Given that the complete removal of stress from the lives of your employees is impossible, this self-help class focuses on effective, scientifically-based approaches to managing and coping with stress.   Since individuals’ emotional, physical, and cognitive (thought) reactions to stressful events often determine the amount of negative impact experienced, these areas are stressed during these sessions.  Various versions of this self-help class have been taught by the staff of WBC over the course of the last five years, and each version has been met with wide acclaim and customer satisfaction.  Topics to be covered include: 

ØReconizing Stress

ØThe impact of stress

The role of thoughts

The role of emotions

The role of behaviors

ØStress management techniques

Strategies requiring props

Brief strategies that can be used anywhere

The relaxation response 

4.  Parenting Skills Enhancement.  A wise man once said that “Parenting is like being pecked to death by ducks—No single peck is a big deal—it’s the relentless quality of it that is so difficult!”  Worry about the progress or well being of a child can negatively impact all areas of an employee’s life.  On a related note, when parents and children aren’t “getting along” it is often difficult for family members to be successful in other areas of their lives, such as work or school.  Over the course of the last 5 years, WBC has improved the lives of families via the presentation of our parenting skills enhancement class.  This course has been widely appreciated and acclaimed by parents of children struggling with the normal challenges of life, as well as the parents of children with psychological and behavioral difficulties.  The topics covered in this course include

      ØUnderstanding parent-child difficulties

ØTeaching new behaviors and Problem Solving

ØEffective discipline

ØBlended families in addition to the regular stuff. 

The gains made by your employees as a result of participating in the classes listed above will be supported by the availability of individual counseling sessions paid for by your company, and provided to employees at no cost.  Employees will have the opportunity to take advantage of the counseling services before they develop a serious problem or disorder—which is not the case with the medial insurance plan covering your employees.  In other words, in order to seek services from your medical carrier, your employees must wait until the problem is severe enough for them to be diagnosed with a disorder.  By the time this happens, employees typically have been struggling for some time, often with significant negative impact to both their personal and professional lives.   

Cost of Services:  A variety of EAP service categories are offered by WBC.  While counseling services alone are available, we believe that the most cost-effective approach is to pair the counseling services with the educational and self/help classes offered.  Service costs during this introductory offer are listed below (service rates may change without notice). 

                                                                                   Total for all four classes:  $1330.00 

                                                                                         Total depends on plan chosen 

Advantages to Employees:  Given the severe limitations of managed care, employees may use the EAP sessions to their advantage.  For example, many plans refuse to pay for psychological testing (or only cover a fraction of the cost)—consequently, individuals and families needing testing go without.  The employee covered by an EAP program offering 4 free sessions would have the option of having the testing completed by our licensed psychologist—the results of which they could take to their managed care provider. 

Final Note:  There are fewer statements more true than “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.”

If you would like to learn more about whether our EAP services may be right for you, simply submit the form below and we will contact you by the next business day.  Thank you!