Staff and Student Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
What is an EAP?
An Employee Assistance Program is a free, totally independent and entirely confidential counselling service funded by ADFA to help employees and post-graduate students deal with work and life issues.
ADFA has contracted Davidson Trahaire to provide your EAP.
Your EAP can help you deal with:
Marital and relationship problems |
Stress and pressure |
Work performance issues |
Financial and legal problems |
Alcohol and drug problems |
Anxiety and depression |
Child and family concerns |
Conflict at work |
Personal and career direction |
Personal trauma and grief |
Who can use the EAP?
The program is available to all ADFA employees, visiting academic and research staff approved by the Rector, civilian postgraduate students and the immediate families of these people.
The EAP is not available to military undergraduate or postgraduate students or current employees of the Department of defence as other services are available to these groups.
Is counselling confidential?
Absolutely
An important feature of the EAP is the high level of confidentiality and respect for the individual privacy. Our EAP counsellors work from a number of convenient off-campus locations around Canberra. No personal details about you or the nature of your visit will be forwarded to ADFA administration. General statistical information will be received quarterly to help us evaluate and review the EAP.
Confidentiality
A decision to seek counselling will not endanger a staff member’s job, promotional opportunities, leave or any other entitlement. Confidentiality means that neither your supervisor nor any senior manager will receive any information from the counsellor concerning your situation.
Cost
Access to the EAP is free for the people mentioned above.
In some cases a counsellor may refer you for more specialist assistance. In such cases, you are responsible for any costs involved.
How do I contact an EAP counsellor?
A staff member, post-graduate student or a family member may contact the EAP on her/his own initiative or at the suggestion of a friend, family member, colleague or union representative.
You can make an appointment to see a Davidson Trahaire counsellor by phoning 1300 360 364 from anywhere in Australia. In some cases you may be able to talk your problem through over the telephone. In other cases, face-to-face counselling will be appropriate.
You do not have to inform your supervisor that you are using the EAP – though you may if you wish. If your appointment with a counsellor falls within normal work hours you may use flex-time or any of the standard leave provisions to attend the appointment. You do not have to state the reason for your leave on the leave form.
If you choose to notify your supervisor before the appointment you will be deemed to be on duty during your appointment with the EAP counsellor.
The supervisor’s role
Supervisors should promote the EAP and ensure that new starters in particular are aware of it. Where requests are made for time off to attend EAP appointments, supervisors are requested to encourage its use and support such requests.
The EAP is not intended to replace the supervisor or to supplement the supervisor’s role by addressing performance issues that need to be resolved in the workplace.