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| Iowa Health Des Moines EAP/SAP 1301 Pennsylvania Ave., Suite 305 Des Moines, IA 50316 Phone: 515-263-4004 Toll Free: 1-800-732-4490 |
| If you or your family members, or a student or his/her family members, are in need of behavioral health services call us and begin receiving the help you deserve today. |
Many people struggle with problems at work, home or school but are unsure where to turn for help. Southeast Polk schools wants all employees, students and family members to have access to help when and where they need it, so they provide the Student Assistance Program (SAP) and Employee Assistance Program (EAP) for that purpose.
We at Iowa Health Des Moines (IHDM) are proud to partner with the Southeast Polk district to provide SAP/EAP services at no cost to all district employees (teachers, staff and administrators) and students and immediate household family members. Our independently licensed providers will see clients at the Penn Medical Building office (directly east of Iowa Lutheran Hospital) or at Central Place (one afternoon per week), located at 6540 NE 12th Ave., Pleasant Hill.
Why do people seek SAP/EAP services? Any issue that creates distress for employees, students or family members can be brought to one of our providers. Some examples include:- Problems at work or school – focus, motivation etc. ·
- Family problems
- Peer relationship or martial problems
- Parenting concerns
- Depression or anxiety
- Life/family transitions, e.g. divorce, death of family member
- Alcohol or drug problems, or suspected problems
- Tobacco cessation
- Aggressive behavior at home, school or community
- Feeling bullied
How do I schedule an appointment?
Any qualified employee or family member can schedule an appointment. If the appointment is for a student, the parent/guardian must make the call. Students may be referred, either formally or causally, by a teacher, school administrator or other school staff member.
What happens at the first appointment?
You will fill out a small amount of paperwork to complete our registration process. Once registered, you will meet with an experienced counselor, who will ask questions and together you will determine the next step. Our recommendation may be for limited or short-term counseling with one of our providers, or you may decide to accept a referral to other community providers (not covered by SAP/EAP), depending on your needs.
Who will know about my or my family members’ use of SAP/EAP?
No one - services are strictly confidential, unless:
- If a formal referral is made due to workplace problems, there may be a need to share limited information with the referral source, e.g. administration. If such circumstances exist the provider will ask you to sign a release of information allowing appropriate communication between the EAP counselor and administration.
- If a student is referred for problems in the school setting, teachers or administrators may need to receive limited information to facilitate a behavioral plan, possibly allowing a student to return to school. There are times when it may be in a student’s best interest to give information to school personnel in order to assist with making the best possible educational plan for that student. If such circumstances exist, the provider will ask parents/guardians to sign a release of information allowing appropriate communication between the counselor and the school.
- If an SAP or EAP provider hears information leading them to suspect that abuse, suicidal or homicidal problems may be relevant, then our providers are mandated by law to report such circumstances to appropriate authorities.
How do I pay for services and how many sessions do I receive?
SAP/EAP services are at no cost to district employees, students and immediate household family members. There is no cap on the number of sessions provided. Rather, our providers will work with each individual situation to determine as rapidly as possible the best resource to fit your needs.
