In my last toolbox strategy, I discussed the role of EAPs in helping injured employees and employers by addressing the psycho-medical aspects of injury and recovery. I was prompted to make this digression because of an article I spotted online that was published in Great Britain, and gave EAPs some deserved attention for their potential in mitigating workers' compensation costs. You can read my comments and get a link to the article if you click on the EAP Tips Blog in the toolbar above.

Let's get back to ways to train supervisors online when we can't do it live. We've discussed the autorun CD and the autoresponder strategies (01/04/08) and (01/10/08). Now let's discuss web course software. This is a little more complicated, but if you have about $500 and two days of free time, you can learn how to use platform independent, stand-alone web course software.

You don't have to connect to some large mysterious work-life vendor. It's all stored in your computer and each course you create is uploaded to your web site. The course software that I like is ReadyGo! This software allows you to put both feet into the 21st century.

With web course software you can take any of your existing live training programs and without much effort create courses out of them that you can put online—complete with a scored certificate of completion. You will then have the ability to reach employees in the field or around the world.

There's more to web course software. What most employee assistance professionals don't think about is how web course software can reach family members. After all they don't walk through your EAP door very frequently, but helping them is part of the recognized EAP standards. Family members may not count among your most important statistics, but we know that they are linked to employee productivity. Companies with EAPs that have active participation by families can reduce behavioral exposures in ways that EAPs that don't reach families can't.

Stress management, domestic issues, parenting, and even personal finance information can all be delivered by web course links. A little promotion is all it takes. What's more, you can control content, insert snippets on how the EAP works, encourage use of programs, or answer questions about the EAP that could later prompt increased utilization by employees. You could even create special orientation courses just for family members of employees. The sky is the limit.

The federal government provides free information on almost any topic. This information, which is in the public domain, can be inserted into web courses for your use. It can't be sold in most cases, but it can augment your capabilities and increase your competitiveness. I am speaking especially to EAP providers looking to protect their book of business or wanting value-added opportunities.

EAPtools.com is here to help you with the web courses that we offer and you can look forward to more such courses in the future. But should you wish to take the plunge into web course software, it could be a major step for you and your EAP. You may have a staff member who would jump at the chance to learn this skill. It's one that is going to be in demand for quite some time to come.

This sample will end after a few frames. But you will get the idea: Example of a web course program.

Dedicated to Your Effective EAP,

Dan Feerst, LISW-CP, CEAP
Publisher
1-800-626-4327