Supervisors have the ability to refer State employees who face personal matters that adversely affect their job performance to the Employee Assistance Program. Supervisors are encouraged to refer employees when an employee’s personal matters may negatively impact work performance. The goal of the Program is to provide assistance to the employee and maintain satisfactory job performance. PARTICIPATION IN THE EAP PROGRAM AS THE RESULT OF A SUPERVISORY REFERRAL IS COMPLETELY VOLUNTARY AND IS AVAILABLE ONLY TO EMPLOYEES.
Employees who are referred to the EAP at their supervisor’s request will be scheduled for an initial assessment with an EAP counselor. When scheduled during an employee’s work hours, the initial assessment session(s) are considered worktime and no fee or leave is charged to the employee for attendance. However, an employee who continues treatment beyond the initial assessment period, may become responsible for any fees associated with subsequent treatment and the employee must begin to use accrued leave if receiving treatment during work hours.
As announced, employees may now access free and confidential counseling and support services directly from BHS throught the MyMCARES program without a referral from their supervisor or management. Employees can contact MyMDCARES 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, by dialing toll free 1-844-405-8200 on the phone, or via the internet at: Portal.bhsonline.com. If using the website, the User name is: mymdcares. Employee spouses and dependent children may also access MyMDCARES free of charge. For more information, visit MyMDCARES.
The EAP is also an essential part of the State’s initiative to eliminate the impact of Domestic Violence issues. Employees experiencing domestic violence are encouraged to contact the EAP Office for guidance. Employees may also find helpful resources through Judiciary's Domestic Violence Webpage.
Please be assured that job security and promotional opportunities will not be jeopardized by an employee’s participation in the EAP. Other than notice of whether the employee attended the EAP session in the case of a supervisory referral, information about the employee’s participation in the EAP program will not be released without the expressed written consent of the employee.