Capital City Properties: Portable EAP/Employer Services Pilot

Purpose: To bring together services for low-income working parents and services for their employers, to help both parties meet more of their needs

The partners in this project proposed a model that combines services to individual workers to help strengthen their soft skills and reliability as employees, with services to help the individual’s employer learn how to better utilize the employee’s skills. Services to the individual are provided by Family Service Employee Resources through an “intensive portable EAP” (Employee Assistance Program) tied to the individual worker, not the employer, and hence transportable if the individual should change employers. Services to the employer are provided by Employer Solutions, Inc., and include a free first consultation and individual retention and advancement plan for each program participant, and the possibility of developing individualized, specific consulting services for a fee. To address problems recruiting participants individually through community agency referrals, the program has been modified to begin with employees of one cooperating employer, although plans continue to call for the services to follow the individual if he or she changes jobs. Because of recruitment-related delays in program enrollment, this report does not include information about program operations or participants.

	Partners: (As of April 2003)
		Education: None
		Employers and business organization: Employer Solutions Inc.; Regions Hospital (employer); Capital City Properties as fiscal agent
		Non-Profit Organizations: Family Service Employee Resources
		Public philanthropic, and other organizations: None
	Participants: Low-income workers and their employers
	Recruitment: The program found it difficult to recruit participants one by one through community agencies and programs. They are now enrolling through one large employer
	Training: Individualized intensive soft skills training provided through the counseling relationship, assessment, counseling (individual and family), help with work issues, financial issues, and domestic abuse. Services to employers to help them better utilize skills of employees and develop retention and advancement strategies (one free consultation, individual retention and advancement plans for each employee, and individualized fee-based services).
	Support Services: Advocacy and referrals for other supports (e.g., child care, health care, elder care) or immediate problems (e.g., chemical dependency, in-depth mental health treatment), provided through intensive EAP services
	Job placement, retention and advancement: Services to individuals focused on enhanced job performance; will follow them if they change employers. New employers, if any, will be offered employer services. Specific strategies for retention and advancement will be developed with the employer and Employer Solutions, Inc. Family Service will coordinate with the EAP provider to assure employer expectations are considered in soft skills training and counseling interventions