Employee Assistance Programme - staff counselling

The HSE Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) is a work-based support service for staff and the organisation. This is a confidential independent service. It supports employees with psychosocial issues (psychological and social factors that influence mental health). These issues may be personal or work-related, affecting your job performance or home life.

The service is free and available to all HSE employees.

Call 0818 327 327 to speak to someone who can help.

Inspire Workplaces are the external staff counselling partner of the HSE. All HSE employees have access to Inspire Hub. You can log onto Inspire Hub at any time to access a host of online resources that may be also helpful to you while you are awaiting your appointment with a counsellor or deciding if you want to proceed. Access the suite of useful resources here and get instructions on how to sign up here (PDF, 350KB, 1 page)

Your manager can make a referral for you, with your agreement, if they have concerns for your wellbeing.

Referral Form Employee Assistance Programme (PDF, 521 KB, 2 pages)

Services provided by the EAP programme

• Counselling
• Consultation to managers on staff wellbeing and psychosocial issues
• Critical Incident Stress Management (CISM) Response - individual and group support and pre-incident training
• Workshops on staff wellbeing issues

Number of counselling sessions you can have

EAP counselling is usually a short-term service.

If you use the EAP service, initially you will be offered up to 6 sessions.

Managers making an employee referral to EAP

Managers can use the EAP service to get advice on staff wellbeing and welfare issues.

Use the EAP referral form to refer a staff member to the EAP service. Return the completed form to your regional EAP office, which can be found on page 2 of the form.

For managers with concerns about your staff’s mental health it might be helpful to take the module:

Supporting Your Staff's Mental Health: A Programme for HSE Managers which is available on HSeLanD

A confidential service

EAP counselling is a confidential service. No information about your issue will be given to anyone without your written consent.

Confidentiality is strictly maintained, except where:

• the client, other employees, or the public are at serious risk
• a criminal offence is committed
• ordered to disclose by a court of law
• there is a child protection concern

EAP and professional standards

The EAP counselling service uses internal and external practitioners.

EAP counsellors are accredited and maintain continuous professional development standards.

The counsellors attend regular clinical supervision with an accredited clinical supervisor.

Feedback and complaints

EAP feedback and complaints process

Related topics

• Critical Incident Stress Management (CISM)
• Managing work-related stress

Related content

• Guidance for healthcare workers affected by the death of a colleague due to COVID-19 (PDF, 772KB, 4 pages)
• Safer Better Care: National Standards for HSE Employee Assistance Programme (PDF, 852 KB, 40 pages)
• Employee Assistance Programme leaflet pdf (400.5KB, 6 page DL pdf)
• Employee Assistance Programme EAP Service User Leaflet (PDF, 1.2MB, 2 pages)
• Guide to face to face EAP services in the context of Covid-19 restrictions (PDF, 435KB, 1 page)
• Guide to EAP services by telephone or video (PDF, 586KB, 2 pages)
• EAP and Me Any of us can feel burdened by a work or life problem (PDF, 731KB, 1 page)
• EAP and Me For People Like Me and People Like You (PDF, 783KB, 1 page)
• EAP and Me Many of us experience stress Team Focus (PDF, 958KB, 1 page)