Q: What is an EAP?

A: EAP stands for Employee Assistance Program. As the name indicates, EAP is an expert comprehensive problem-solving resource to help employees and their family members accurately identify personal problems and work to resolve their difficulties. To use the service, employees and family members may contact a Claremont counselor at (800) 834-3773.


Q: What kinds of problems do you handle?

A: Employees and their family members call for a wide variety of personal, work or family issues. Examples include job burnout, co-worker conflict, substance abuse, depression, marital stress, anxiety, parent-child conflict, life transitions, unresolved grief, single parenting, domestic violence/abuse, situational conflict, relationship/communication issues, legal, financial, medical, dependent care and other issues.


Q: What is Claremont's definition of an eligible family member?

A: Eligibility includes all family members living in the immediate household, regardless of age, including domestic partners and children away at college. To the extent that any family member, whether living in the household or not, significantly impacts an employee's functioning and well being, coverage is generally extended on a case-by-case basis.


Q: Is someone actually available 24 hours a day to answer calls, or is answering automated?

A: Yes, a trained counselor is always available to talk with you or your family member, day or night. Claremont's normal office hours are 7:30 AM - 5:30 PM Monday - Friday (Pacific Time). For non-emergencies, it is best to call during these hours. However, a licensed EAP counselor is available to answer calls 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. We guarantee that a live voice will answer your call promptly.


Q: Who answers the phone calls?

A: Phone calls are handled by Claremont's intake counseling staff, which is made up of specially trained counselors who have extensive experience and familiarity with employee and managerial issues and Claremont's local and national provider panel. Any serious issues or emergencies are referred immediately to Claremont's expert supervisory clinical staff or medical director.


Q: Who are the counselors who provide in-person counseling services?

A: Claremont's counselors are Marriage and Family Therapists, Licensed Clinical Social Workers, and/or Psychologists, with a minimum of 5 years post-licensure, clinical experience. Claremont maintains its own network provider panel, which consists of pre-screened, highly professional clinicians. We administer a rigorous admission process before we invite a clinician to join our panel and we monitor and rate provider performance. Our diverse network includes all necessary clinical specialties and many clinicians who speak other languages in addition to English.


Q: How long does it take to get an appointment?

A: After the initial telephone call, employees/family members are instructed to contact the Claremont provider directly to schedule an appointment. We see to it that the therapist will return your call within one (1) business day and an appointment is offered within three (3) business days. In more urgent situations, Claremont will arrange for an immediate response, same day appointment or refer you to the nearest emergency services.


Q: Is my involvement with the EAP confidential?

A: Yes! All employees and their family members are afforded the maximum confidentiality permitted under the state and Federal law. The only exceptions to confidentiality include child/elder abuse, danger to self/others, and releases signed by the employee/family member allowing Claremont to communicate with the employer and/or other persons. (Normally, employees/family members sign a release only under special circumstances, e.g. if there is a work performance problem and attending counseling is a condition of continued employment).


Q: Does the EAP coordinate with my health plan?

A: Yes, Claremont keeps records of the other provider panels in which Claremont's clinicians participate, and whenever possible, we will refer you to providers who are also in your health plan. If coverage is extended through the health plan, clients may be able to continue with the Claremont provider and receive maximum benefits. Claremont can also assist if you need help in dealing with the transition from a Claremont provider to another clinician in your health plan. (However, Claremont cannot make eligibility or benefit determinations for any health plan.) We can assist you if accessing your health plan benefits for mental health or substance abuse benefits becomes a problem.


Q: I'm already seeing a therapist; can I see the same person through your program?

A: If the clinician is part of our panel already, there is no problem. If the counselor is not a part of our panel, we are willing to authorize visits to such an out of network clinician, as long as the counselor is licensed and agreeable to our reasonable EAP network reimbursement rates.

Q: What if I am referred to a therapist I don't like?

A: Claremont's telephone counselors are trained and experienced in matching employees and their family members with the best practitioner or program to fit an individual's particular needs and requests. Every effort will be made to find someone who is geographically convenient and is a specialist in your specific area of concern. If you are not happy with a practitioner to whom you have been referred, please contact us at (800) 834-3773 as soon as possible and we will refer you to a new clinician and replace the visit.


Q: What happens if I need more than the visits provided in our plan?

A: Claremont's network EAP counselors are trained in short-term treatment and often the sessions provided are enough to stabilize and resolve the issue. Continued treatment with Claremont's network EAP counselors is available at our negotiated rates.