Consulting to the intelligence community: An employee assistance program model.

Abstract

Over the past 2 decades, the agencies and employees of the U.S. Intelligence Community (IC) have increasingly come to appreciate the organizational, counterintelligence, and occupational health value added by employee assistance programs (EAPs). The author presents the rationale for such programs; discusses their core components; mentions some of the key professional and ethical challenges faced by consulting psychologists who provide these services; discusses the unique obstacles that must be overcome, in light of the common concern among IC employees that use of mental health services will adversely affect their continuing eligibility for a security clearance and/or their career; gives examples of policies and practices that encourage the use of services by IC employees; and suggests areas for further program development and research.Employee assistance programs (EAPs) are a well-established component of the organizational consultation and occupational health care authorized for and provided to federal managers and employees (U.S. Office of Personnel Management, n.d.). The broad goals of these programs are (a) to provide federal managers with expert psychological consultation on a broad variety of operational, administrative, and organizational issues; and (b) to promote the physical and mental fitness of federal employees, thereby enhancing the productivity, reliability, and trustworthiness of the workforce. The former goal has arisen largely in response to recognition by federal managers and organizations that they might benefit in numerous, diverse ways from consultation provided by experts in human motivation and behavior. Studies such as those documenting the impact of depression on worker productivity (e.g., Druss, Schlesinger, & Allen, 2001;and Stewart, Ricci, & Chee, 2003) have made the case for the latter goal a compelling one.Paul R. Clavelle recently retired from the U.S. Department of Defense. He currently works as an independent consultant and clinician in Columbia, MD.I thank my many colleagues in the intelligence community for their friendship, support, and ideas over the years.Except where quoted from an official document, all statements expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official opinions or policies of any U.S. government entity.

Applying Cognitive Models of Deception to National Security Investigations: Considerations of Psychological Research, Law, and Ethical Practice

“…xi), unless they are convinced of a direct linkage to national security. However, collateral sources are crucial to national security because impaired employees are unlikely to step forward; instead, they typically deny emotional and substance abuse problems to avoid stigmatization and adverse consequences at work (Clavelle, 2009). …”

“…Similarly, management personnel seldom report employees' problematic behaviors such as "emotional or mental, financial, alcohol and drugs, and marital problems, and unusual personal conduct" (Wood, Crawford, & Lang, 2005, p. xi), unless they are convinced of a direct linkage to national security. However, collateral sources are crucial to national security because impaired employees are unlikely to step forward; instead, they typically deny emotional and substance abuse problems to avoid stigmatization and adverse consequences at work (Clavelle, 2009).…”

Emotional Effort and Perceived Support in Renal Nursing: A Comparative Interview Study

“…The findings that co‐workers are particularly important because they provide mutual emotional and instrumental support, albeit differently across varied work roles, have significant practical implications for organisations which often implement interventions such as employee assistance programmes to help employees deal with emotionally upsetting situations in the workplace (Clavelle ). Training to be better prepared to provide instrumental and emotional social support to each other is likely to be more effective in assisting nurses with the emotional demands of their roles, as nurses are more likely to provide assistance that vulnerable patients need and be better prepared to deal with dangerous and disruptive behaviour if they feel supported themselves.…”

The work of psychologists in the U.S. Intelligence community.

“…Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs) Clavelle (2009) focuses on a psychology-based function that is generally part of the human resource management subsystem (sometimes referred to as knowledge or talent management)-that is, EAP services. Clavelle (2009) describes the dilemma that, given the sensitivity and criticality of their work, IC employees are expected to meet rigorous standards of personal conduct, emotional stability, and trustworthiness to be granted high-level clearances. However, following field activities, risk takers who are identified (or identified themselves) as emotionally at risk and sought corrective intervention through the EAP, they probably resist, feeling intensely ambivalent.…”

“…According to Clavelle (2009), the effectiveness of these efforts to change the culture is made evident by a modest increase in utilization rates of EAP counseling services.…”