Employee Assistance Program (EAP) Sub-Specialization at the University of Maryland School of Social Work Chair: Jodi Jacobson, PhD, LCSW-C, CEAP
Contact Information: (410) 706-3607 or jjacobson@ssw.umaryland.edu Overview
The Employee Assistance Program curriculum is nationally and internationally recognized. In recent years, there has been rapid growth in the demand for human services in the workplace. EAP social workers provide services for employees and employers, including, but not limited to assessment and short-term counseling for mental health and wellness issues, drug and alcohol counseling, and assistance with work-life balance. These relatively new social work specialists are a support to management and a resource to employees and their family members. The Employee Assistance Program (EAP) sub-specialization, available within the Mental Health specialization, has a special emphasis in EAPs, work/life programs, and managed behavioral health care. Faculty members at the School of Social Work are recognized experts in EAP and related fields. EAP social work specialists collaborate with program administrators and company management overseeing employee assistance programs and helping to develop and implement workplace policies. Graduates of this program join a rapidly expanding field and are well qualified to implement or staff an employee assistance program in a business or public organization. Employment opportunities also exist at all corporate and government levels, as well as in international settings. Coursework
Students must complete all coursework required for the Mental Health specialization for their chosen concentration (MACO or CLINICAL). All EAP students will take SOWK 725 “Industrial Social Services and Social Policy” for their advanced policy course and SWOA 736 “Administering Employee Assistance Programs” for their advanced methods course. While fulfilling these requirements, students who pursue a primary or secondary CLINICAL (CLINICAL, CLINICAL/maco, or MACO/clinical) concentration will need to complete SWCL 705 (Clinical Social Work with Addictive Behavior Patterns). While SWCL is not required for MACO students, it is strongly recommended as much of the EAP field was derived from occupational alcohol and substance abuse. Additional Information about the EAP Field For additional information about the EAP field see: The Employee Assistance Professionals Association (EAPA) website: www.eapassn.org and The Employee Assistance Society of North American (EASNA) website: www.easna.org
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