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National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency 

INSTRUCTION 

NUMBER 1426.1

27 January 2015 

HD

SUBJECT: Employee Assistance Program (EAP) 

References: See Enclosure 1. 

1. PURPOSE. This National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA) Instruction (NGAI):

a. Establishes policy, assigns responsibilities, and provides procedural guidance to

assist employees and employees’ families in resolving personal and work-related 

problems in order to achieve optimal job performance. 

b. Incorporates and rescinds NGAI 1400.1, same title, 19 November 2012; and

NGA Manual (NGAM) 1400.1, same title, 14 January 2013. 

c. Addresses EAP client services, counseling, referrals, and follow-up in

accordance with References (b) through (f). 

2. APPLICABILITY. This NGAI:

a. Applies to NGA civilian employees.

b. Does not apply to:

(1) Other government agency (OGA) personnel permanently assigned to NGA 

(affiliates). OGA personnel should contact home agency for counseling, rehabilitation, or 

other required therapy. 

(2) Military members assigned to NGA. Military members should contact their 

respective military service for counseling, rehabilitation, or other required therapy. 

(3) Contractors assigned to NGA. Contractors should contact their respective 

companies for counseling, rehabilitation, or other required therapy.

(4) All other employees on Joint Duty Assignments to NGA from other 

Government agencies should contact their respective agencies for counseling, 

rehabilitation, or other required therapy.

3. DEFINITIONS AND ACRONYMS. See Glossary.
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4. POLICY. It is NGA policy:

a. To provide free services designed to help employees, managers, and components 

meet life challenges and remain healthy, engaged, and productive. EAP services 

include, but are not limited to, confidential counseling for stress due to divorce, job 

burnout, and financial or legal matters, as well as referrals to professionals for help with 

these issues and others that impact the employee’s ability to work.

b. That all levels of management recognize when an employee’s personal or workrelated problem may require a referral to EAP.

c. To respect the confidentiality of EAP services and records unless given explicit 

written consent by the employee or additional exceptions stated in Enclosure 3.

d. To assist and advise managers and supervisors concerning appropriate actions to 

take, including EAP referrals and disciplinary actions.

e. That the use of the EAP referral and assistance service is voluntary, and that 

employees may refuse EAP assistance without fear of disciplinary or adverse action.

f. For EAP counselors to be licensed mental health professionals.

5. RESPONSIBILITIES. See Enclosure 2.

6. PROCEDURES. See Enclosure 3.

7. EFFECTIVE DATE. This NGAI is effective on the date of signature.

Enclosures

1. References

2. Responsibilities

3. Procedures

Glossary
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ENCLOSURE 1

REFERENCES

(a) Title 21 United States Code, Part B Schedule I and II, “Controlled Substance Act”

(b) Public Law 96-180, Title 41, Section 6(a)(3), “Comprehensive Alcohol Abuse and 

Alcoholism Prevention, Treatment, and Rehabilitation Act Amendments of 1979”

(c) Public Law 96-18,1 Title 21, Section 8(a)(4), “Drug Abuse Prevention, Treatment 

and Rehabilitation Amendments of 1979”

(d) Public Law 92-255, Title IV, Section 413(c)(2), “Drug Abuse Office and Treatment 

Act of 1972”

(e) Department of Defense Directive (DoDD) 1010.9, “DoD Civilian Employee DrugFree Workplace Program,” 22 June 2012 

(f) DoD Instruction 1010.04, “Problematic Substance Use by DoD Personnel,” 

20 February 2014 

(g) DoD Manual 6400.01, Volume 2, “Family Advocacy Program (FAP): Child Abuse

and Domestic Abuse Incident Reporting System,” draft

(h) NGAI 1010.1, “Drug Abuse Testing,” 18 September 2013

(i) NGAI 1020.2, “Reasonable Accommodation,” 01 October 2005

(j) NGAM 1010.2, “Drug Abuse Testing,” 18 September 2013, Administrative 

Revision 02 April 2014

(k) NGA Manual 1402.1, “Leave and Other Absences for Civilian Employees,” 

03 September 2013

(l) NGA Manual 1455.1, “Disciplinary and Adverse Actions,” 26 August 2013, 

Administrative Revision 05 May 2014

(m) NGA Manual 5200.2, “Personnel Security,” 10 July 2014
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ENCLOSURE 2

RESPONSIBILITIES

1. Director, NGA.

a. Empowers all levels of leadership and employees to recognize when an 

employee’s personal or work-related problems may call for referral to EAP.

b. Advocates use of EAP to assist with resolving problems affecting an employee’s 

or team’s conduct or performance.

2. Director, Human Development (D/HD).

a. Develops and establishes an EAP consistent with the provisions of applicable 

laws and regulations.

b. Appoints an EAP manager.

c. Ensures relevant training or orientation for managers, supervisors, and employees,

including those at geographically separated locations.

d. Approves exceptions to the procedures detailed in Enclosure 3 of this policy. 

Exceptions to procedures may be made for medical, operational, security, or other 

reasons when not in conflict with the Federal regulations cited in the references. 

3. General Counsel. Provides advice and legal assistance concerning the release of 

EAP records and the interpretation of applicable laws and regulations.

4. Director, Security and Installations (D/SI). Takes action on any EAP-related security 

issues reported by employees or supervisors to include any serious information 

regarding an employee’s ability to maintain a security clearance. 

5. EAP Manager.

a. Acts as the central point of contact for EAP matters and EAP resource referral 

services, such as child or elder care, and coordinates NGA-wide efforts to assist 

employees.

b. Periodically assesses the overall effectiveness of the EAP and proposes changes 

or additions to the program as necessary.

c. Identifies and coordinates local preventive education and training programs for 

employees and employees’ immediate household family members.

d. Advises and assists managers and supervisors on EAP issues.
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6. HD Employee Relations (ER) Specialists.

a. Advise managers and supervisors concerning appropriate actions to take in 

reference to EAP-related issues, including EAP referrals and disciplinary actions.

b. Provide information regarding EAP to respond to inquiries concerning alcohol

abuse, drug abuse, and work-related or personal problems.

c. Assist managers and supervisors with incorporating EAP information into 

applicable disciplinary actions or formal EAP referrals.

7. EAP Counselors.

a. Assist EAP managers in coordinating educational, training, and information efforts.

b. Develop working relationships and serve as liaisons with community organizations 

such as the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, National Institutes of 

Health, Community Credit Counseling, Depression and Related Disorders Association, 

Alcoholics Anonymous, and others that promote mental health as a public service.

c. Provide assessment, problem solving, short-term counseling assistance, and as 

appropriate, referral to community resources. When referral is made to community 

treatment providers, coordinate activities between employee and provider.

d. Notify and advise employees that it is their responsibility to notify the Office of 

Security (SIS) within the SI Directorate for any reportable security issues as defined in 

Reference (n) and on SI’s homepage, at “Reportable Information.”

8. Managers and Supervisors:

a. Recognize when an employee’s personal or work-related problems may call for an 

informal or formal referral to the EAP.

b. Use the EAP to assist with resolving problems affecting an employee’s or team’s 

conduct or performance.

c. Inform employees about EAP services.

d. May authorize accrued leave or leave without pay for current employees for the 

purpose of outpatient treatment and rehabilitation. Supervisors may grant advanced 

leave in accordance with Reference (l). Supervisors also have the authority to grant an 

excused absence for initial and subsequent counseling sessions in accordance with 

Reference (l).

e. Must report any reportable security issues of an employee’s ability to maintain a 

security clearance to SIS. Per Reference (n), reportable information can be found on 

SI’s homepage, at “Reportable Information.”

9. Employees with challenging life issues may seek free EAP services.
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ENCLOSURE 3

PROCEDURES

1. EAP Services. NGA reserves the right to deny EAP services if it is determined at any 

point in the process that a person is seeking services in a fraudulent manner or under 

improper circumstances.

2. Who and when EAP is sought. Employees or immediate household family members 

can seek assistance for personal or work-related problems from the EAP on their own 

initiative (self-referral). An employee may also seek assistance from the EAP after 

receiving a formal written referral to the program (manager or supervisor referral) for 

help in resolving a personal or work-related problem. Managers or supervisors can also 

seek assistance through the EAP regarding a specific employee or situation. EAP 

assistance includes:

a. Self-referral. An employee or immediate household family member may contact 

the EAP directly for assistance, information, or an appointment to discuss a problem. An 

appointment is usually scheduled within 3 working days or sooner in cases of 

emergency. Meetings normally take place in EAP offices, though flexibility exists to 

meet in a hospital, treatment center, or other alternate site when desired. For purposes 

of recordkeeping and statistical reporting, if an employee seeks assistance through the 

EAP as a result of a suggestion or recommendation by a medical official, the contact 

with the EAP is considered a self-referral.

b. Manager or supervisor referrals may be either informal or formal. Employees may 

decline a manager’s or supervisor’s referral to EAP without adverse personnel or 

security action. However, if warranted by the employee’s performance and conduct, a 

manager or supervisor may take adverse personnel or security action in accordance 

with References (m) and (n) and “Reportable Information” guidelines on SI’s homepage.

Whether the employee uses EAP services or not, the manager or supervisor requires 

the employee to bring performance and conduct up to standard.

(1) Informal referral. A manager or supervisor may suggest an employee seek 

assistance through the self-referral EAP process. A manager or supervisor may choose 

to use the informal referral when an employee’s performance or conduct has not been 

corrected through other supervisory procedures or when on-the-job incidents suggest 

the presence of personal problems affecting job performance or conduct.

(2) Formal referral.

(a) A manager or supervisor must contact the EAP for initial case consultation 

prior to issuing a formal referral. During the initial contact or in a later meeting, the EAP 

staff acquires problem details, reviews management’s documentation, discusses the 

case, and provides oral EAP recommendations for future case handling and referral.

(b) All formal referrals must be coordinated with the HD ER Specialist and 

Office of General Counsel prior to issuing. Formal referrals are written and contain the 
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phone number of the EAP and a timeframe for scheduling an EAP appointment, 

normally within 14 days. The formal referral is given to the employee by the initiating 

supervisor or manager during a meeting in which ample time is provided for the 

employee to ask questions and address the issues that led to the formal referral. The 

employee signs the referral to indicate receipt only. The employee is not required to 

state an intention to take action on the referral nor must he or she indicate agreement or 

disagreement with it. The written referral clearly states the performance or conduct 

problems and that the employee will be held accountable for his or her actions. Formal

referral is especially useful if disciplinary or adverse action is contemplated and is later 

reviewed at a higher level.

(c) Supervisors retain a copy of the signed referral and forward a copy to the 

EAP office point of contact. The supervisor also continues to assess the situation and 

maintain contact with the HD ER Specialist, whether or not the supervisor is aware of 

any employee action. Supervisors continue to track items such as improvement, 

problematic incidents, and performance levels throughout the process.

(3) Illegal drug use referral. For employees referred by the NGA drug abuse 

testing program coordinator as a result of illegal drug use, EAP counselors refer 

employees to an outside treatment facility. EAP refers these employees to a community 

treatment provider and maintains regular communication with the provider to monitor 

the employee’s progress only while he or she remains an employee (References (i) and 

(k)).

3. Confidentiality and Release of Information.

a. EAP services and records are confidential. All requests for release of EAP client 

information must be approved by the EAP manager. Information regarding an 

employee’s participation in EAP must not be released without the employee’s written 

consent unless one or more of the following exceptions apply:

(1) The employee says or does something that seriously threatens his or her 

own, or someone else’s, health or safety.

(2) There is a reason to suspect abuse or neglect of children or other vulnerable 

persons.

(3) Records are court ordered by a judge, compelling disclosure.

(4) The employee presents a clear and present danger to the safety and security 

of the community, workplace, or nation.

(5) Records regarding drug or alcohol abuse may only be released in cases of 

medical emergency, for scientific research, for audit or evaluation, or under court order.

b. The EAP counselor advises managers and supervisors regarding client 

confidentiality requirements. Employees who use EAP services through self-referral are 

not ordinarily asked to sign a consent form to release information regarding their EAP 

cases to a supervisor. If the employees choose, they may sign the consent form 
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authorizing the release of EAP-related information to a supervisor. No information is 

shared with managers and supervisors in the absence of a properly executed release.

c. In the case of a formal referral, the only information that can be shared with 

managers and supervisors is whether or not the employee kept the initial appointment. 

An employee may sign a written authorization to release additional information to the 

supervisor or manager.

d. Except in connection with the NGA drug abuse testing program, no Agency 

record, other than confidential EAP files and a supervisor’s note of the EAP referral, is 

maintained. Neither the files nor any written or oral representations of what was 

discussed on the subject are releasable to third parties, including SIS, unless authorized 

in writing by the affected employee or immediate family member, or ordered by a court 

of competent jurisdiction, or situations noted in paragraph 3.a. above.

4. Problem Intervention. Early intervention is generally the most successful approach to 

resolving problematic situations and returning employees to full productivity. Appropriate 

and timely intervention could lead to identification and treatment of unknown medical, 

mental health, or substance-abuse problems underlying performance or conduct issues, 

some of which could be life threatening. The following principles and issues are 

reviewed and considered when a supervisor or manager believes that an employee is 

suffering from an issue that EAP may be able to provide some assistance.

a. Supervisors have specific job performance and behavior expectations of their 

employees. When an employee fails to fulfill these expectations, supervisors have both 

the right and the responsibility to bring the deficiencies to the attention of the employee 

and to provide opportunities and guidance necessary to correct the problem, regardless 

of origin. To identify problematic situations, supervisors should:

(1) Be alert, through continuing observation, to changes in the work or behavior 

of assigned employees.

(2) Document specific occasions when an employee’s work performance, 

behavior, conduct, or attendance fails to meet standards or instances when the 

employee’s pattern of performance appears to be deteriorating. Supervisors should 

counsel employees regarding such observations.

(3) Consult with the EAP counselors and medical staff, as needed, regarding the 

documented problematic situations and discuss options for dealing with the situations, 

to include the possibility of an EAP referral. Supervisors must be able to describe the 

behavior to the EAP staff, but should not attempt to diagnose or draw conclusions 

regarding that behavior.

(4) Conduct a meeting with the employee to discuss the performance or conduct 

issue. If the employee believes that a health or personal problem underlies the 

performance or conduct problem, advise the employee of available EAP counseling 

services.
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(5) When an employee’s performance or conduct remains unsatisfactory, remind 

the employee of the consequences that could result if no improvement is made. The 

employee is informed that the EAP remains available to help develop problem-solving 

strategies that could help improve performance or conduct.

(6) Supervisors who are aware of an employee receiving treatment for a mental 

health or substance abuse problem should consult with an EAP counselor. 

Consultations may be used to educate the supervisor regarding general information 

about such problems, the treatment, and the reasonable expectations to hold in general 

for employees in treatment. If the employee is coordinating treatment with an EAP 

counselor (some employees may choose to seek treatment without EAP involvement), 

and has provided a written release, the EAP counselor could provide the supervisor 

more specific information for that employee. Active supervisory involvement can be 

especially useful in facilitating the employee’s return to work if he or she has had a 

period of absence for treatment of a mental health or substance abuse problem.

(7) Supervisors may consult with the EAP, in conjunction with other HD offices, to 

assist with communication on traumatic and critical incidents (for example, grief and 

loss counseling), change management, co-worker relationships, balancing work and 

family demands, and other upsetting or troubling topics to employees.

b. EAP counselor. 

(1) The EAP counselor conducts the initial interview with the employee. Having 

determined the nature of the problem, with or without outside assistance, the EAP 

counselor may provide direct counseling assistance or refer the employee to an outside 

source of assistance appropriate to the problem.

(2) The EAP counselor should report any perceived security threat identified in 

paragraph 3.a. above to the appropriate SI stakeholder based on the nature of the 

concern.

5. Relationship to Security. The EAP counselor will notify and advise the employee that 

it is the employee’s responsibility to notify the SIS for any reportable security issues as 

defined in Reference (n) and on SI’s homepage, at “Reportable Information.”

Supervisors should not try to diagnose an employee with a mental health or substance 

abuse problem, but should recommend EAP as a resource.

6. Training. EAP training and awareness seminars are available upon request. 

Requests should be submitted in writing to the EAP manager.

7. Other Resources. EAP counselors identify and establish working relationships with 

individual mental health and substance abuse treatment providers, community 

programs, and other resources that provide information, education, treatment, and 

rehabilitation. Current information on local problem resources is maintained and readily 

available to employees.

8. Expenses of Rehabilitation. Employees must personally pay for the cost of treatment 

at non-NGA referral programs, some of which may be covered by insurance.
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9. Reasonable Accommodation. Employees requesting a reasonable accommodation 

for a disability to assist in performing their essential job functions should engage the 

reasonable accommodation process in accordance with reference (j).

10. Internal Promotion and Awareness Seminars.

a. EAP promotion. EAP is promoted using pamphlets, posters, briefings, and other 

innovative techniques. Information distributed explains the purpose of EAP and how an 

employee can use EAP services.

b. Health promotion and employee awareness. In conjunction with the HD Wellness 

Program administrators, EAP administrators assist in planning and conducting health 

awareness seminars and activities. Awareness activities include exhibits on health and 

consumer matters, stress reduction briefings, wellness fairs, smoking cessation classes, 

on-site health risk assessments, and fitness information programs.

11. Reporting System. EAP counselors maintain and manage an automated reporting 

system and furnish summary reports of EAP activities and services to the EAP manager 

on a quarterly basis. The EAP manager furnishes an annual report covering EAP 

activities for the previous Fiscal Year to D/HD.
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GLOSSARY

 

DEFINITIONS

Immediate household

family member

Any legal dependent, regardless of home address, or 

significant other living in the employee’s household. 

Illegal drugs Mood- and behavior-altering substances that include drugs, 

materials, and other chemical compounds identified and 

listed in the Controlled Substance Act of 1970, as amended. 

For example, marijuana or cannabis, depressants, 

narcotics, stimulants, hallucinogens, inhalants, and other 

similar substances.(Reference (a)).

Personal problem Any personal difficulty that may or may not cause an onthe-job employee conduct or performance problem. Mental 

and emotional difficulties, chemical abuse and dependency, 

stress, depression, anxiety, marital issues, family issues, 

domestic violence, and financial problems are some 

examples of these difficulties.

Substance abuse Any use of illegal drugs, or irresponsible use of alcohol or 

another substance, that results in unacceptable social 

behavior or impairs the individual’s performance of duty or 

job-related conduct, physical or mental health, financial 

responsibility, or interpersonal relationships.