A. Direct Services Contractor will be responsible for providing or having provided: short-term counseling, assessment, and treatment referral services to Participants. Contractor will be responsible for referring Participants for additional services where assessment indicates the need for services beyond the scope of this Contract. To the extent possible, referrals should be made to service providers that result in minimal additional cost to Participant, including to entities within the Participant’s health insurance network. 1. Contractor will provide the Participants with an assessment and, if appropriate, refer the Participant for additional services. Referrals should be made within forty-eight (48) hours from the first EAP contact or identified need. 2. Contractor will provide short-term counseling services relating to substance abuse, marital or family problems, psychological or emotional problems, financial problems, legal concerns, vocational problems, health-related problems, or other topics within the scope of the license of Contractor. B. Counseling The Contractor will provide up to six (6) counseling sessions per issue for the purpose of identifying areas of concern and for problem-solving. There will be no limit to the number of issues for which Participants can request services. Group counseling will be provided for critical incident stress debriefings at the request of management. Contractor must: 1. Provide up to six (6) counseling sessions per issue with no limit to the number of issues. 2. Provide counselors within all major cities and within a reasonable driving distance for participants who do not reside within geographical boundaries. 3. Ensure the facilities where counseling services are provided comply with all applicable laws, including the architectural requirements under the ADA. 4. Provide a list of available counselors to Eligible Individuals requesting service. 5. Schedule face-to-face or virtual counseling sessions or another mutually acceptable alternative method of communication. 6. Provide primary consideration to the Participant’s preferred mode of communication, which shall be adhered to when providing services to Eligible Individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing or speech impaired. 7. Counseling sessions should be available within three (3) business days of the first contact with the EAP direct services provider. Attempts will be made to see participants in need of more urgent care within a shorter timeframe. Participants in crisis will be connected directly by phone to a mental health professional for crisis counseling. 8. All written, printed or electronic documents, websites or materials shall be available in an accessible electronic format.
