No organization is immune to the human and financial costs of workplace and personal troubles that adversely affect an employee’s productivity. Today, over 88% of U.S. companies¹ are taking steps to increase their productivity and manage their health care costs by providing employees and family members with access to Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs).

Ten years ago, the objective of the EAP was merely to reduce distress and provide members with the skills necessary to manage their problems more effectively. However, today’s EAP needs to offer more. In order to maximize the effectiveness of the program, an EAP needs to be core component of a company’s Population Health Management (PHM) strategy. Why? First off, the EAP’s fundamental knowledge of the workplace is greater than any other benefit. Furthermore, productivity costs, which are directly addressed by an effective EAP, cost U.S. companies four times as much as direct medical costs for unhealthy employees². Finally, wellness is a behavioral condition, not a physical condition. The behavior change that is needed for an unhealthy employee to lead a healthier lifestyle can be addressed or enhanced by an Employee Assistance Program. While the EAP of ten years ago can still be effective, the EAP of today plays the roles of organizational developer, productivity manager, proactive case-finder and, of course, behavioral health coach.

CuraLinc’s EAP, provided under the brand name SupportLinc, provides employers with an organizational approach to working constructively with employees who experience personal and work-related problems, without becoming directly involved in their personal lives. It provides well-defined and specific channels for EAP counseling and referral beyond the EAP, when needed. The SupportLinc program can also integrate seamlessly with the other weapons in an organization’s PHM arsenal, particularly if a client chooses to implement CuraLinc’s EmpowerLinc services. With all CuraLinc programs, confidentiality is a basic cornerstone, ensuring that employees will feel comfortable accessing the program.

CuraLinc strives to strengthen client organizations and, in partnership, will identify EAP objectives to be accomplished before a program is rolled out. These objectives will be measured through CuraLinc’s Continuing Quality Improvement (CQI) benchmarks. Quarterly management reports provide stratified information on program and component utilization, measuring the plan’s effectiveness, account services and integration with other benefits. Satisfaction surveys are provided to the key client liaison and to the individual participants to assist in measuring the program’s impact on the organization. In addition, CuraLinc has the unique ability to measure program performance through a series of pre- and post-case outcome measurement tools.

CuraLinc provides the SupportLinc program to clients and client members with EAP Core Technology in mind. This “technology” represents the seven essential components of the employee assistance profession, as specified by the Employee Assistance Professionals Association (EAPA). These components combine to create a unique approach to addressing work organization productivity issues and “employee client” personal concerns which affect job performance.

“Cura” is the Latin word for “care”. CuraLinc’s caring attitude permeates every encounter that client members have with the organization, be it with a SupportLinc EAP counselor or an EmpowerLinc wellness coach. Through programs like SupportLinc and EmpowerLinc, CuraLinc strives to make organizations healthier – one member at a time.

For more information on CuraLinc’s SupportLinc program, contact us at info@curalinc.com or call 224.534.2900. You can download a one-page description of SupportLinc by clicking here; and a one-page description of CuraLinc's Pharmacy Intervention Program, PharmaLinc, by clicking here.