Do you have an Employee Assistance Program (EAP) yet? The U.S. Department of Labor reports employers get returns of $5 to $16 on each EAP dollar spent. Benefits come from increased productivity, lower absenteeism and employee medical costs, and “salvaging” of valuable employees [who have fallen victim of substance abuse].

Pretty good investment. But only if employees use your EAP.

The success of an EAP rests primarily on employee trust that information divulged to counselors is kept strictly confidential.

State and federal privacy laws apply to EAPs. The only exception to strict privacy: The client’s own permission to release information, or when the counselor is required by law to release information due to a threat of suicide or harm to others, crime (such as child abuse), or when subpoenaed in litigation.

Some steps you can take to encourage employees to use your EAP:

1) Make it convenient. Example: Your EAP provider is a five-minute drive from work and has a 24-hour, toll-free hotline.

2) Provide low-visibility access, where employees are not concerned they will be seen “going to the shrink.” Off-site is preferred.

3) Increase family awareness of EAP services. Have your EAP provider send workers’ families information advertising their services, hours and phone numbers.

4) Publicize the program continually. Display posters. Run a regular reminder listing the EAP office location and phone number in your newsletters.

5) Avoid stereotype depictions in EAP publicity. Example: Don’t use a poster of a disheveled-looking character holding a bottle and surrounded by spilled pills.

6) Introduce workers to your EAP with open sessions. Example: An EAP counselor offers your workers a free “brown bag” seminar on stress management.

7) Training. Train supervisors to recognize work problems and to offer EAPs as an option to improve job performance.

Kevin Rhymer works with companies around the country to help them set up EAP plans. He is based in Cleveland.