What is an EAP Emissary?
In 1996, Employee Assistance Program (EAP) Advisory Board started discussing ways to increase utilization by employees of the EAP. It seemed that employees had forgotten the EAP was available to them. We needed to focus on ways to bring it alive.
In September, the Advisory Board requested volunteers to become EAP Emissaries – individuals in the trenches who were willing to help us promote the EAP.
We currently have approximately thirty emissaries campus wide. The emissaries meet quarterly to talk about the EAP and ways to increase awareness as well as provide information to individuals who might need it. They attend training programs tailored for the emissaries on topics such as Dealing with Difficult People and Violence in the Workplace.
You’ve probably seen your emissary. He or she is the person who regularly changes the EAP poster on your department bulletin board, posts flyers advertising EAP Training and Brown Bag Programs, and makes sure there is a supply of brochures available. The emissaries are also available to answer general questions about the EAP. Their role isn’t to "diagnose" problems, counsel you or pry into your personal business. In fact, they have been trained extensively on the confidentiality of this program and they are very committed to maintaining that confidentiality.
Anyone interested in becoming an EAP emissary for their area should contact Kimberly Elms, Human Resources Associate Director of Business Affairs and HR Policies, at 577-2129 or aa4934@wayne.edu.