Skip to main content (Press Enter).
 News
    
        Photos

    Week in Photos

    Air Force TV

    Commentaries

    Features

    Art

    About Us
    
        Air Force Senior Leaders
    
        SECAF

    CSAF

    CMSAF

    Biographies

    Fact Sheets

    SECAF Reading List

    CSAF Leadership Library
    
        CSAF Leadership Library 2022

    CSAF Leadership Library 2021

    CSAF Reading List Pre-2020 Archive
    
        2018 CSAF Reading List

    2017 CSAF Reading List

    2016 CSAF Reading List

    CSAF Leadership Library 2023

    CMSAF Leadership Library

    50 Years of the CMSAF

    Adjunct Professors

    Air Force Strategic Documents

    Arctic Strategy

    Empowered Airmen

    State Licensure Portability

    Careers

    AF Federal Advisory Committees

    AF 75th Anniversary

    Policy Updates

    AF Content Management

    Contact Us

    AF Sites
    
        Site RegistrationU.S. Air Force LogoAir Force

        Policy UpdatesNewsroomReoptimizationBIOGRAPHIESAF Senior Leaders      Assistance program provides GS employees counseling, morePublished April 29, 2015
                    
                    By Joanne Perkins
                    
                    
                    Kirtland Air Force Base Public Affairs
            **KIRTLAND AIR FORCE BASE, N.M. (AFNS) --**Personal and family problems can diminish a person's happiness, health and ability to be their best at home or at work. With help from the Employee Assistance Program, employees of authorized federal agencies can resolve these matters and become happier, healthier and more effective.
According to Ed Thomas, an EAP field consultant, "Working at a military installation can involve stressors that are not present in off-base workplaces.
"When an individual's work is the security and defense of our nation, that increases the amount of daily stress for that person," he said.
These stressors can often be compounded because employees are reluctant to visit their agency's human resource department.
"They are concerned that negative information might be included in their employee file," he said. "We assure them that our contact is confidential. Our duty to report is only in the case of harming oneself or matters of national security. Our counseling sessions are solution focused, and either the supervisor or employee can make contact with us."
Thomas said GS employees and their immediate family members are entitled to six counseling sessions for any issue causing stress in their life that may impact their work performance. Counseling beyond the six free sessions can include accessing the nationwide network of more than 17,000 affiliates to serve civilian employees, and often engages the employee's behavioral health insurance benefits. 
"Staff members are experts in behavioral health and work-related issues," Thomas said. "When we need to engage financial or legal help for an employee, we use the services of these professionals, such as attorneys and financial advisors."
Available financial services include family and college budgeting, buying or leasing a vehicle, debt consolidation, savings and investment strategies, buying a home and retirement planning.
In addition to providing help on an individual basis, covered agencies are entitled to four one-hour presentations per year. 
"We have 50 presentations available on topics such as conflict resolution, balancing work and life, time and stress management and civility in the workplace," he said. 
Ultimately, EAP is about empowering employees to do their best on the job.
"Our mission is to address any stress in a person's life that affects their work performance," Thomas said. "We want people to be happy in their job and we are here to help make that happen."
For more information on the EAP, call (800) 222-0364 or visit the website.Employee Assistance Program 



EAP 



counseling 



stress 



Kirtland AFB 



AFMC 



AF family Featured News
        Senior Leader Priorities
                DAF leaders talk budget, reoptimizing the force
                    
                    DAF leaders speak at National Character and Leadership Symposium
                    
                    DAF members recognized during BEYA STEM awards
                    
                    DAF senior enlisted advisors discuss Airmen, Guardians in the fight
                    
                    SecAF Kendall AFA Warfare Symposium Q&A: Reoptimizing for Great Power CompetitionInnovation
                AFWERX director discusses role of tech startups, quick innovation in Great Power Competition
                    
                    DAF delivers lethality at the speed of data during Project Convergence Capstone 4
                    
                    DAF welcomes industry partners to HQ development program
                    
                    DAF announces Spark Tank 2024 finalists
                    
                    Chief Digital, Artificial Intelligence Office to host hackathon in HawaiiMAJCOM News
                Safety enterprise announces new mission, vision, goals in 2024 strategic plan
                    
                    Air Combat Command welcomes new commander
                    
                    USAFE-AFAFRICA commander discusses Integrated Air, Missile Defense during Munich Security Conference
                    
                    Flosi to AFMC family: Embrace change, make every day count
                    
                    AMC rises to increasing global tension
 Quick Links
AccessibilityContact UsEqual OpportunityFOIA | Privacy | Section 508Information QualityInspector GeneralJAG Court-Martial DocketLink DisclaimerNo FEAR ActOpen GovernmentOSI Tip LinePlain LanguageQuestionsResilienceRSSSite MapVeterans Crisis LineCareers
Join the Air ForceAir Force BenefitsAir Force CareersAir Force ReserveAir National GuardCivilian ServiceConnect
            Get Social with Us
            
            Official United States Air Force Website
    Hosted by Defense Media Activity - WEB.mil