EARF: Moving Forward

National Behavioral Consortium

February 27, 2013

Bernie McCann, PhD, CEAP

EARF Development Consultant

Founded as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit foundation with a generous matching grant from the Tisone Family Trust, the Foundation was formed to stimulate innovative, rigorous, and theory-based research activities to demonstrate the ability of EAPs and related behavioral health & work-life products to transform individual lives and maximize employee contributions to organizational success.

What is EARF...?

Unfortunately, there is simply an insufficient amount of ongoing, credible research to prove the valuable contribution of EAPs and related services to workplace productivity.

The EARF seeks to fill this research gap to re-establish the value of EAPs, and stop the commoditization of EAP services.

…and why now?

To promote excellence in the design and delivery of Employee Assistance services throughout the world

To promote and support effective measurement practices, performance tools, and outcome criteria

To bridge the gaps between knowledge and policy by translating valid research findings into practice

To assist in the attraction and recruitment of outstanding scholars to conduct relevant research

Mission Statement

Carl Tisone – PresidentJohn Burke – Vice PresidentDavid Sharar – Secretary/TreasurerPaul Roman – Senior Advisor to the BoardElizabeth Merrick – Research Chair

Dale MasiJohn MaynardJeff Christie

Board Members

Dennis Derr Karen OsillaRon Manderscheid

Chestnut Global PartnersClaremont Behavioral Services

Harris Rothenberg InternationalNew Directions Behavioral Health

Optum Behavioral HealthORCAS (Oregon Center for Applied

Science) Perspectives, Ltd.Psychcare

ValueOptions

Organizational Donors

Desired Outcome: To re-define value of EAPs Transparent performance

metrics are routinely collected and reported

Credible, effective services are priced equal to their true value

Purchasers are able to correlate price and quality

Desired Outcome: To re-invigorate EAP research Increase emphasis on evidence-

based practice

Encourage a pipeline of next-generation EAP and workplace productivity researchers

EARF becomes a leader in promoting, funding, and disseminating research in the EAP field

Priorities for Action

Fund new, relevant research

Investigate trends in practice

Aggregate and communicate findings

Collaborate to improve quality and value

Creating a Benchmarking Resource of Metrics for the External EAP Field, is a descriptive study of basic metrics and service characteristics that describe 82 external EAP vendors located in North America & 10 other countries.

Principal Investigator is Dr. Stan Granberry, Director of the National Behavioral Consortium (NBC) a trade association of 17 member EAP, managed behavioral health, and work-life firms.

First Research Grantees report results

The Eureka Project - EAPs in Continental Europe: State of the Art and Future Challenges was conducted by Dr. Debora Vansteenwegen of ISW Limits & the University of Leuven in Belgium and Dr. Manuel Sommer of Clinica CAPA & the Universidade Autonoma de Lisboa in Portugal.

The multi-national research team surveyed HR managers and employees in 6 European countries, examining characteristics of existing EAPs and investigating the future potential for EAPs in Europe.

First Research Grantees report results

What’s Next..? Round 2 of Grant Applications RFP - Workplace-related Outcomes

released 9/12

Latest research funding level at $100,000.00

Four finalists invited to re-submit

Deadline for re-submission: Friday, March 1, 2013

Grant award announcement May 1, 2013

The Value Proposition for Supporting EARF Visibility for your organization as a

advocate for EAP viability and sustainability

Tangible business benefits of better data on EAP contributions to workplace productivity

Demonstrate leadership in leaving the EAP field better off then when we entered it

Total contributions to the Foundation have totaled approximately $250,000 to date

Total amount of research grant funding and current commitments is $180,000.

Current research funding levels are unsustainable without additional support

The Bottom Line…

How You Can HelpThere are multiple ways YOU can support the Foundation’s mission:

1. Organizational contribution

2. Personal contribution

3. Planned contribution

4. In-kind contribution

5. Assist in fundraising and/or publicity efforts

Contact information:

Bernie McCann, PhD, CEAP

Development Consultant, EARF

mccannbag@gmail.com

Cell: 781.264.6211

Skype: mccannbag

Website: www.eapfoundation.org