Free Short-Term Counseling and Work-life Balance Assistance

Knox County offers an Employee Assistance Program (EAP) for free to employees, their dependents and members of their household. It is available to employees regardless of the number of hours they work or whether they are covered by other benefits. Review our list of Frequently Asked Questions for more information about this benefit:

• What types of services are covered?
• Is my problem appropriate for EAP?
• Am I eligible to use the EAP?
• Can my spouse, partner or child go to counseling?
• Will my employer find out that I accessed EAP care?
• Who can I contact with additional questions?

What types of services are covered?

ComPsych’s EAP provides free and confidential assessment, short-term counseling, prevention, education and referral services for you and members of your household (age limits may apply – call for details). The number of covered visits is variable, but EAP counseling services are typically solution-focused and short-term. Everything discussed with your counselor is confidential. The EAP will help you find long-term counseling options if the counseling need is outside the scope of EAP services.

The EAP provides both traditional counseling and work-life balance services.

• Work-Life Solutions 

  Too much to do, and too little time to get it all done? The work-life specialists at ComPsych can do the research for you. They can provide qualified referrals and customized resources for child and elder care, moving, pet care, college planning, home repair, buying a car, planning an event, selling a house and more.

• Legal Support 

  With ComPsych, you have an attorney “on call” whenever you have questions about legal matters. Speak with on-staff licensed attorneys about legal concerns such as divorce, custody, adoption, real estate, debt and bankruptcy, landlord/tenant issues, civil and criminal actions and more. If you require representation, you can be referred to a qualified attorney for a free 30-minute consultation and a 25 percent reduction in customary legal fees.

• Financial Information 

  Everyone has financial questions. With your EAP benefit, you can get answers to your questions about budgeting, debt management, tax issues and other money concerns from on-staff CPAs, Certified Financial Planners® and other financial experts, simply by calling the toll-free number.

Is my problem appropriate for EAP?

EAP programs are used by employees of all types and are often utilized for issues such as: relationship issues, work concerns, financial issues, stress, depression, anxiety, divorce, separation, general sadness, substance abuse, alcohol use, etc. Utilizing EAP care improves quality of life and can serve as a great resource for you and your family. There is no issue that is considered “off limits” or “not important.” Any issue that affects your physical or mental well-being is valued and should be taken seriously. There is no problem too small. The EAP will help you find long-term counseling options if the counseling need is outside the scope of EAP services.

Am I eligible to use the EAP?

It is available to employees regardless of the number of hours they work or whether they are covered by other benefits. This benefit is open to employees of all elected officials and entities that participate in benefits administered by the County Mayor’s Benefits Department. This includes all employees that fall under the County Mayor, Sheriff’s Office, Trustee’s Office, County Clerk’s Office, Criminal & 4th Circuit, Civil Sessions, Juvenile Court, Juvenile Detention Facility, Sessions Judges, Probation Pre-Trial, Property Assessors, and more.

Can my spouse, partner or child go to counseling?

Yes, your spouse and family members are eligible for the same benefit. This includes anyone that resides in your household or any close relative/dependent as deemed eligible by ComPsych. There are many forms of blended families and partnerships that are eligible to access care. If you have a question about eligibility, ComPsych consultants would be glad to assist you.

Will my employer find out that I accessed EAP care?

Your use of the EAP benefit is strictly confidential. To view the ComPsych HIPAA privacy notice, please go to guidanceresources.com/privacy.

Knox County gets aggregate quarterly reports with no identifying information that shows general utilization only. These reports simply tell Knox County Government if employees are aware of the benefit based on how much the benefit was utilized. Names of employees are not released to Knox County unless the employee and his/her supervisor has agreed to participate in a formal employer referral in advance of receiving services.

Who can I contact with additional questions?

Additional questions can be directed to ComPsych or the Knox County Benefits Department.

Use the information at the top of this page to contact ComPsych. Contact the Knox County Benefits Department by calling 865-215-3800 or emailing us at benefits@knoxcounty.org.