Integrated employee assistance program/managed behavioral health plan utilization by persons with substance use...

Area of Science:

• Health Services Research
• Substance Use Disorder Treatment
• Behavioral Health Management

Background:

• Recent legislation emphasizes behavioral health access and prevention, increasing focus on Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs).
• Integrated Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs) and Managed Behavioral Health Care (MBHC) products offer a combined approach to behavioral health services.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate service utilization patterns among individuals with a primary substance use disorder (SUD) diagnosis within an integrated EAP/MBHC setting.
• To understand the role of EAPs as an initial point of contact and their integration into broader treatment episodes for SUD patients.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of service utilization data for 1,158 clients with a primary SUD diagnosis in an integrated EAP/MBHC product during 2004.
• Tracking of initial service access (EAP vs. other services) and subsequent service engagement throughout treatment episodes.

Main Results:

• 25.0% of clients initiated treatment episodes through the EAP.
• Following EAP use, 44.4% received no further formal services, while 40.4% engaged in regular outpatient services.
• Outpatient care, intensive outpatient/day treatment, and inpatient detoxification were the most common services utilized. Approximately half of clients had co-occurring psychiatric diagnoses, indicating extensive mental health service use.

Conclusions:

• For individuals with primary SUD diagnoses in integrated EAP/MBHC settings, EAPs play a significant role at the beginning of the treatment journey.
• The EAP benefit is often a component within a larger, more comprehensive treatment episode, highlighting the need for integrated care models.