Are EA Program records the same as medical and mental health records, or are they different? What are the laws for maintenance of EA records?
Employee Assistance (EA) records normally are not the same as medical and mental health records. Although some EA records may contain medical or mental health information, others (e.g. those related to financial or legal difficulties) do not. Depending on the location (e.g. country, state, province) or design (e.g. internal, external, peer, hybrid) of the EA program, the qualifications of those creating and using the records may be very different. For example, some jurisdictions and/or programs require that individual clients be served by licensed Masters level clinicians; others require certification as an EA professional (CEAP), regardless of degree; still others have varying requirements depending on the type of problem (e.g. lawyer for legal records), etc. However, regardless of the location or design of the EA program, all EA records should comply with the EAPA Standards and Professional Guidelines for Employee Assistance Programs (available on the EAPA website). The Standard for
