Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

The Employee Assistance Program (EAP) is a free service provided by the county to all county employees to use for help with work-related problems.

Anyone who is an active employee can use the EAP, regardless of status as full-time, part-time, temporary or seasonal. Individuals who are contracted by an outside firm to do work for King County are not eligible to use King County's EAP.

King County's EAP is for active employees only. However, there is a different program for you and your family members called Making Life Easier. See below for more details about that program.

King County's EAP is here to help employees, supervisors and managers resolve almost any issues that might be affecting work or work performance. If we aren't the ones to come to for a particular issue then we'll get you connected to the right resource.

Managers and supervisors often times come to us for help figuring out how to address employee performance problems, like chronic absenteeism or tardiness, conflict between two or more workers, inability or refusal to carry out tasks, various kinds of disruptive behaviors, genuine concern about an employee's well-being or ways to enhance group cohesion.

Employees use EAP for help with just about anything that might be affecting them or their performance at work. It may be an on-going conflict with a co-worker or supervisor, unwelcome conduct by others, concern about another employee who's afraid to ask for help directly, loss of interest or motivation in work, coping with unwanted changes, even problems from his or her personal life that are starting to interfere with work.

If in doubt about whether EAP can help with your particular issue, call us and find out.

Yes, what we discuss at the EAP is treated confidentially. Release of any information generally requires your knowledge and consent. However, federal and state laws require some exceptions to total confidentiality as well as county policy guided by concern for public safety. During your initial meeting, we will review these exceptions with you.

There are generally two ways individuals come to the EAP: on their own or because their supervisor referred them to us.

If you come to the EAP on your own we are under no obligation (except as noted above as the exceptions to confidentiality) to disclose anything to your supervisor and will not do so without your consent.

If we know your supervisor referred you, we will automatically place a "courtesy call" to your supervisor to let them know you kept the appointment and whether you are working with EAP to address the issues for which you were referred. Any further information can only be released with your consent.

We'll talk with you about that and you can decide what's in your best interest. You retain the right to tell us whether you want more information released or not.

Use of the EAP should generally be voluntary (even when you think the employee should come to us.) There may be an occasional exception when requiring them to come to us is appropriate but we always ask that you call us before you require someone to come in and discuss that particular situation.

You must call and let us know you have asked the employee to come in. We will consider that a "supervisor referral," let your employee know you called ahead and as explained above, call you after his or her scheduled visit only to let you know s/he did or did not come in and whether s/he is working with us to address the issue(s) you made the referral about.

There are two EAP Coordinators with whom you can talk, Pam Wyss (684-2103) or Tom Friedel (263-4572).

Pam and Tom are both Certified Employee Assistance Professionals, Certified Substance Abuse Professionals, and have bachelors and/or masters degrees in mental health related fields. Both also have 18 - 25 years experience as EAP counselors.

The EAP is located in downtown Seattle on the 5th floor of the Yesler Building at 400 Yesler Way. Let us know if you need specific directions.
Hours at the EAP are from 7:30am - 4:30pm, Monday - Friday. The office is closed for regular holidays.

It's generally best to make an appointment as we cannot guarantee our availability for walk-ins.

The EAP is a no cost service to all employees of King County who are having problems that appear to be affecting their work or work performance.

Making Life Easier (MLE) is a no cost service available to all benefit-eligible employees, their dependent family members (even those living away from home) and anyone living in the employee's household, for help resolving personal problems that are not having a serious impact on the employee's work performance.

There are actually a number of different services available under the MLE umbrella.

• Personal Counseling - because all of us have problems in our lives and sometimes, in spite of our best efforts, we need some professional help resolving them. They might include stress, depression, anxiety, relationship problems, being a parent, being the child (of any age), alcohol or drug abuse, spending or eating disorders, bereavement, balancing work and home or school and life, etc. You know… for "Life!"


• Child Care - perhaps you've moved and need to find a new day care provider or the one you've been using is closing its doors. Maybe your child (17 and younger) with special needs is going to come home to an empty house because you just started working at King County and you're concerned about her being unsupervised. Whatever the issue, MLE has a component especially designed to help you with your child care needs.


• Adult & Elder Care - for any of us who have older or disabled adults (18 and over) we need to help care for, MLE includes a program specially designed for us. Whether it's locating day care resources here, looking for extended care facilities, addressing day to day life management issue or even identifying reputable resources for older parents who live across the country this service can be of great assistance.


• Mildly Sick Child Care - available through Virginia Mason Medical Center, your young children (12 and under) who are not well enough to stay at home or go to school but who do not require close care may spend the day at this medically supervised program at only a very minimal cost to the King County employee/parent. For this service ONLY call them directly at (206) 583-6521 for more information.


• Legal Issues - talk or meet with a local attorney about child custody, civil/criminal disputes, estate planning, divorce, immigration, taxes, wills, etc. for up to 30 minutes at no cost to you and then receive a 25% discount from that attorney's standard fees if you continue to work with him or her for the issues about which you consulted. Please note, the legal services of Making Life Easier do not include consultation or legal assistance involving the client's employer (regardless of the employer).


• Financial Concerns - talk by phone to a financial advisor for up to 30 minutes at no cost to you about bankruptcy, credit, mortgages, retirement planning, taxes and other issues that affect your money.

All personal counseling done through MLE is confidential EXCEPT in circumstances involving:

• threat or endangerment of others
• evidence of child/elder abuse or neglect
• records are subpoenaed or ordered into court
• reporting a death
• research program evaluation or health oversight activities authorized by law
• coroners/medical examiners, funeral directors or public health authorities authorized by law
• law enforcement officials in an emergency situation or for national security activities

No, not unless you tell him or as stated in the previous question/answer.

If you take time off work to see a counselor or attorney or use other MLE services supervisors and managers are encouraged to regard that time the same as any time-off request that is made for "personal" reasons, therefore requiring the employee to use sick or vacation leave, comp time, etc. according to current department practices.

There are over 130 counselors and therapists in the tri-county MLE network of providers. When you make your initial call to set up a meeting you will have options for choosing the right person at the right location at the right time (which may even include weekday evenings.)

All counselors and therapists in the MLE network have at least a Masters degree in a mental health related field. Providers in the other areas of child and elder care assistance, legal and financial consulting, and caring for your mildly sick child are all appropriately qualified for the work they do in their respective fields.

One call does it all! Just dial 1-888-874-7290 anytime, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

The web site is www.apshelplink.com. (instructions for logging in are available on the intranet)