Employees

The Washington State Employee Assistance Program (EAP) supports public employees and/or family members to help identify and resolve personal concerns that may affect job performance. EAP provides services that ultimately promote individual and workplace wellbeing. Services available to all covered employees and/or family members include counseling, work/life, 24/7 support and awareness, education and resources - all described below.

If you have questions about EAP services, please review the Frequently Asked Questions or call EAP at 877-313-4455.

Counseling

EAP provides short-term, solutions-focused counseling services that are easy to access. Your benefit includes up to 3 sessions per concern, and covers all household adults. And, EAP can be used multiple times a year if you have a new concern to address. Concerns for which EAP offers support include:

  • Workplace concerns
  • Grief and loss
  • Interpersonal conflicts
  • Addiction and recovery
  • Anxiety, depression, or trauma
  • Stress management
  • Mental wellness
  • Parenting or eldercare support
Eligibility

Employees in Executive Cabinet agencies, employees in contracted public organizations and the adult household family members of the employees are all eligible. The EAP does not provide direct services to anyone under 18 years old, but the caregivers can use the EAP in a consultative manner to problem-solve and identify referrals and resources.

Not all public employers contract with the EAP and the EAP is not the EAP for any for-profit organizations. Please contact your human resources department for information on how to access your organization's EAP.

Get Started with Individual Counseling
  1. Please review and understand your eligibility for services. (see above eligibility section). We get many requests from people not covered by this EAP.
  2. Submit a Client Intake Form.
  3. Within 1 business day of receipt of your intake form, we will send you a link to the EAP Intake Calendar to schedule an intake appointment.
  4. Schedule your intake appointment and receive an automated appointment confirmation and Teams link for the appointment via email.
  5. You will attend the intake appointment through Teams and meet with a Masters-level, licensed EAP Intake Counselor.
  6. At the intake appointment, you and the EAP Intake Counselor may:
    • Spend 5 to 10 minutes discussing what brings you to the EAP and what you hope the EAP can provide
    • Discuss the concern’s current impact on your wellbeing
    • Discuss resources and referrals
    • Identify next steps to support you in your efforts to improve your wellbeing
Get Started with Relationship Counseling

EAP provides for short-term, solutions-focused relationship counseling. Free short-term, 3-session counseling would be beneficial for some situations, including:

  • Brief premarital counseling
  • Conflict resolution skills
  • Communications skills
  • Work-life-relationship balance issues
  • Parenting skills

Longer-term relationship counseling would be beneficial for other situations, including the below. For longer-term relationship counseling, EAP recommends - and can help you with - finding and engaging with a therapist/counselor in the community. Many therapists/counselor provide a sliding-scale fee structure and, in some cases, might be able to bill your insurance company if clinically indicated.

  • Infidelity
  • Trauma
  • Addiction challenges
  • Attachment concerns
  • Separation/Divorce
  • High conflict in the relationship

To get started with relationship counseling:

  1. Please review and understand your eligibility for services. (see above eligibility section). We get many requests from people not covered by this EAP.
  2. Each person must submit a Client Intake Form. In the What brings you in? section of the form, please include the person's name related to your intake. Each intake form must be submitted before the intake and referrals process can move forward.
  3. Within 1 business day of receiving the required forms, an EAP Intake Counselor will contact you to process your request.
Privacy and Confidentiality

Your participation in EAP is voluntary and strictly confidential. We do not report back to your employer about the things you discuss in private counseling conversations. To learn more about how we protect your privacy and the limited exceptions to confidentiality, review the Notice of Privacy Practice for the Washington State EAP.

Awareness, Education & Resources

EAP provides opportunities for personal and professional growth and improved wellbeing.

Publications

Publications

EAP monthly employee and supervisor newsletters cover work and personal life topics related to professional, personal and workplace wellbeing. You can subscribe to newsletters here..

Webinars

Webinars

EAP offers live and on-demand webinars on a variety of topics, including stress management, self-care, resilience and leading teams through change. Current and past webinars are here.

Resources

Resources

Visit EAP’s Resources page for a variety of resource, including suicide prevention, grief & loss, racism & mental health and COVID-19.

Work/Life

EAP's Work/Life is an additional benefit available to employees of organizations that contract for Work/Life services. If you are unsure if your agency or organization offers Work/Life, contact your HR office for verification. If your organization offers this benefit, log in using your organization code, which your HR office can provide.

Legal Assistance

Free half-hour consultation with an attorney by phone to discuss your situation. Referrals to local lawyers and discounted rates for ongoing legal services if needed.

Financial Consultation

Free consultation with a financial expert to help you get your finances in order, whether you need a monthly budget, are working to reduce debt, or saving for a big expense.

Web Resources

Resources to help you solve life's problems: articles with expert advice, webinars, an online will-maker, DIY legal forms, financial calculators and resources to help you find childcare, pet sitters and more.

24/7 Support

All covered employees and their household adult family members have access to in-the-moment crisis counseling and referrals, no matter the time of day and including weekends and holidays. For in-the-moment support, call EAP at 877-313-4455.

When you call and if you hear the phone system greeting and need to speak to someone right away for in-the-moment support, select option 2. Inform the staff member that you need in-the-moment support.

Frequently Asked Questions

Review our Frequently Asked Questions.