Many employees are aware of the existence of an employee assistance program (EAP) at their work.  They may have seen posters and brochures scattered around their workplace or even been informed of the service by their HR team or manager. But knowing all this doesn’t mean employees actively use the service.

EAPs are designed to assist staff to deal with the many challenges associated with everyday work and life, with the added benefit of helping to maintain healthy, happy and productive workplaces.

Mental health and wellbeing is important.  Anxiety and depression are two of the most common mental health conditions, but things like stress, difficult co-workers, bullying and harassment and career crisis can all affect your mental health and general wellbeing.

Seeking help

Many people find discussing mental health scary, particularly when it’s their own.  Perhaps you wouldn’t think twice about taking some paracetamol for a headache or going to the doctors for a lingering cough; while seeking help from a psychologist, or discussing mental health concerns with a friend or employer is something you’d rather avoid.

The Caraniche at Work EAP service provides professional support delivered by experienced psychologists and social workers. It’s independent of your workplace and will help identify issues affecting your mental health, and provide strategies to manage and prevent these issues in the future.

Concerned about confidentiality?

Once you’ve identified that you’d like to seek some help, the next hurdle may be your fear of people finding out.  There’s nothing wrong with needing support, but it’s also understandable that you may have some concerns associated with the confidentiality of using your EAP service.

Identifying information about you will not be disclosed to your workplace without your permission or prior disclosure. This means you  decide with whom you feel comfortable discussing your mental health and the support you’ve received.

Caraniche at Work only collects personal information that is related to the service delivery of your treatment. This information is kept and owned by Caraniche at Work and is not owned by your employer.  Your employer may require some information around service access, however this will always be non-identifying.  Even the information retained by Caraniche at Work is thoroughly protected and will be destroyed or made de-intentifiable once no longer required.

How to access your Employee Assistance Program

Accessing EAP is easy. You can phone, email or book online via the Caraniche at Work website 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.  Services can be provided face-to-face, over the phone, or via video.  And we promise there’s no need to be nervous.

If you have more questions about confidentiality that we haven’t answered here, you can chat with our team about your specific concerns: call 03 8417 0501 or email work@caraniche.com.au