Faculty & Staff
Employee Assistance Program
Free, confidential short-term counseling and referral for any Porter employee or member of their household — not just for a workplace problem.
What it covers
Up to six free counseling sessions per issue per year, covering anything from a work conflict to a family crisis, grief, substance use, or financial and legal referral — the issue does not have to be work-related to qualify. Household members, not just the employee, are covered under the same benefit.
How confidential it actually is
The EAP is run by an outside vendor, not university human resources; HR receives only aggregated, anonymous utilization statistics (how many people used it, broadly what kinds of issues came up) and never a list of who used the service or what was discussed. A supervisor who refers an employee to the EAP is never told whether that employee actually made an appointment.
How to use it
Call the EAP line any time (24/7) or use the online portal to request an appointment; the first session is typically scheduled within a few business days, sooner if flagged as urgent. Sessions can happen by phone, video, or in person with a local counselor in the vendor’s network.
When a supervisor suggests it
A supervisor can recommend the EAP as part of addressing a performance concern, but using it is always voluntary and cannot be made a condition of continued employment except in the narrow case of a formal return-to-work agreement after a documented safety or conduct issue.