PULLMAN, Wash. – With the possibility of a tobacco-free campus as early as summer 2015, employees at Washington State University Pullman may want to make use of smoking cessation treatment available through the Employee Assistance Program (EAP).
Students voted in March to make the campus tobacco-free. An administrative task force is gathering information to present for a vote of the WSU Board of Regents, probably in spring, with a policy potentially taking effect in the summer.
“It is critically important that our employees have the best support we have the means to provide,” said Scott Case, licensed psychologist and assistant director of the program.
The EAP is located in suite G60 on the ground floor of the Washington Building. For more information or to schedule an appointment, call 509-335-5759 or visit http://www.eap.wsu.edu.
WSU employees who are not in Pullman can visit the website to learn about statewide services.
A variety of work or family concerns that cause stress can interfere with focus, productivity and satisfaction at work, he said. The EAP offers free, confidential, short-term counseling and support to help employees develop coping strategies so they can handle problems constructively.
“Having support for maintaining balance in our life, problem solving and managing stress – and sometimes just having a safe, non-judgmental place to talk in a confidential environment – can make a huge difference,” he said.
In addition to individuals, the program assists administrative and academic groups, units and departments on advance request through consultation, outreach and workshops. In some cases, the program can assist with resolution of problems and conflicts.
Rather than finding a community provider and covering costs with health insurance, “sometimes these issues are easier to discuss with someone who is already familiar with the university work environment,” Case said.
“Most of us need our jobs now more than ever, and the better each of us is able to perform our job, the better our university functions,” he said.