Employee Assistance Programs – An Important & Underutilized Benefit: A conversation with Mark Attridge, PhD.

Historically, about 1 in 4 working adults in the United States met clinical criteria for having a behavioral health condition. The consequences of leaving anxiety, depression, alcohol, drugs, and other common behavioral disorders unidentified and untreated have negative impacts in several areas relevant to employers. These problems influence absenteeism, presenteeism, health care treatment costs, workplace safety risks and more. Many of these behavioral health conditions became more prevalent since the start of COVID-19 pandemic and organizations are focusing like never before on providing support for mental health to their employees.  This episode focuses on an underutilized mental health resource that has been around for decades – the Employee Assistance Program also known as an EAP. My guest for this episode is Dr. Mark Attridge, a thought leader with deep expertise in the mental/behavioral health field. Mark brings a unique scholarly approach to his consulting and this discussion. We start with the basics – what is an EAP and then move on to steps employers can take to insure they are maximizing their investment in their EAP as a component of a broader culture strategy to support mental wellbeing in the workplace. Connect with Mark Attridge Email: [email protected] LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/markattridgephd/ Connect with Susan Morgan Bailey Email: [email protected]  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/susanmbailey/