Publications

The Sandia National Laboratories’ (SNL) Corporate Behavioral Health Program is a workplace based program that 1) assists in the early identification and resolution of personal concerns which may impact job performance, 2) assists managers and the organization in addressing productivity issues, and 3) supports the SNL commitment to provide a safe and healthful work environment. The program is offered to approximately 10,711 employees in New Mexico. The Behavioral Health Program is a corporate program combining services in NM and CA. It is integrated with other occupational health and clinical services including disability, disease management and preventive health programs. In addition, Sandia’s Behavioral Health Program interfaces with external organizations in Human Resources, the Department of Energy and Security through the Clinical Evaluation (CE) Human Reliability Program (HRP) and Workplace Violence programs. The program supports Sandia National Laboratories’ mission to safeguard national security, the environment, the public and is a proactive approach to early identification, intervention and assessment. Last, it reduces barriers to accessing mental health services and assists with reducing health care costs attributed to illness or injuries related to unhealthy lifestyles and behaviors. The EAP team is comprised of a professional staff including a licensed Clinical Psychologist who has a NM state license for psychotropic medication prescriptive authority, is board certified in Clinical Neuropsychology, and a Certified Employee Assistance Professional (CEAP), a licensed professional clinical counselor NM State Licensed (LPCC) and a licensed Marriage and Family counselor (MFT) who is also a Certified Employee Assistance Professional and who holds a doctorate in counseling psychology.

Depression is a major workplace concern with significant impact on employee productivity, attendance and “presenteeism” and often affects the company bottom line in areas such as cost impact, employee morale, worker turnover and affected families. However, despite the frequent challenge of depression in the workplace, EAPs are often not well-equipped to fully address these employees. Often, the individual will either be directed to a 24 hour call center or seen briefly onsite by an EAP professional and referred to a treating provider without a full assessment or comprehensive approach. Diagnostic practices may be informal without use of validated tools and without a full assessment of risk or identification of appropriate level of care. However, the EAP may be ideally placed within an organization to have a significant positive impact on this condition. This article will summarize my recommendations regarding EAP strategies for optimizing assessment and care for employees who are struggling with depression. I will also briefly review a working model for the assessment and treatment of depression that we have developed at my company using best practices and a collaborative model for tracking outcomes.

Abstract not provided.