Discussion and possible action on any and all matters regarding a contract with Counseling & Family Resources, Ltd., for Employee Assistance Program Preferred (EAPP) for administration assistance of the mandatory traumatic event counseling for police and firefighters.  ITEM CONTINUED FROM REGULAR BOARD MEETING HELD FEBRUARY 13, 2019.  (Monica Castro, Director of Finance and Kay Marion Macuil, City Attorney)

A.R.S. §38-673 (attached) mandates that cities offer up to 36 counseling sessions to police and firefighters who have been exposed to a statutory list of traumatic events.  The statute also requires an extensive amount of record keeping and reporting to the Governor and State Legislature.  Police and firefighters exposed to traumatic events are not required to attend counseling.

Summary of EAPP Services for Traumatic Event Counseling
(Contract attached)

1. Eligibility and Referral Process:
   1. provides the counseling sessions (up to 36 visits with psychiatrist or psychologist of the police or firefighter’s choice) at the employer’s cost (by statute first 12 without restriction, 13^th through 36^th visit as recommended by the counselor);

 

2. provides a phone number and email for police and firefighters to use and determines the eligibility of the police or firefighter (for ease of reference will call police or firefighter “employee”),

 

3. allows the employee to choose to use the general Employee Assistant Program sessions first before tapping into the Traumatic Event Counseling Program (however, if the employee is using the Traumatic Event Counseling benefit, the employee must use a counselor who is an Arizona licensed psychologist or psychiatrist);

 

4. provides referral service of licensed psychiatrists or psychologists and will schedule appointments if the caller needs assistance with that;

 

5. allows telemedicine if conducive to the counselor and participant’s needs;

 

2. Tracking and Reporting Service:
   1. employee name, employer name, and dates of sessions from counselors in compliance with HIPPA may assign ID numbers when communicating to Employer;
   2. receive from counselors coded billings  – capped by amounts allowed under Arizona Workers’ Compensation as required by the new statute;
   3. receive billing from counselors in or out of the EAPP network and process for appropriate billing and pay claims;
   4. invoice the employer monthly for claims under the program plus administrative fee per counseling session.
   5. report to the employer annually for the statutorily required report to the State :
      1. number of participants,
      2. average number of visits per employee,
      3. average number of months that an employee participated in the program,
      4. number of employees deemed fit for duty,
         1. fit-for-duty evaluations are not covered but must be tracked,
         2. counselors will inform the employer of if a fit-for-duty evaluation is recommended and up to the employer to follow-up,
      5. Percentage of employees who received more than 12 visits within a year of the first visit.

 
WILL NOT track the required annual reporting on
 

• Work missed by category of leave benefit,
• Average days that participant missed work,
• Participants that filed workers’ compensation claims and number approved and number denied

Recommendation
This contract is to administer the counseling that is only available for police and firefighters for exposure to traumatic events.  In fairness to the rest of the employees, it is recommended that this cost be part of the Police and Fire Departments and not a cost to the Trust..