How Organizations Conduct EA Research. (Inside the Numbers).(employee assistance)

The Research Committee of EAPA recently asked several researchers to describe how they conduct research. Specifically, the committee wanted answers to the following questions:

* What kinds of research issues does your organization address?

* Who conducts the research?

* How do research projects get approved, launched, completed, etc.?

* What kinds of data or tools are used to conduct research?

* What is an example of a recent research project?

The following profiles reveal that EA research activities are conducted in a wide range of different settings. The profiles represent internal EA programs, large and small EAP vendors, academic research teams, academic and vendor partnerships, research consultants, and association research groups.

Partners HealthCare System, Inc.

Internal EAP/Local Vendor

Massachusetts, U.S.A.

Partners HealthCare, one of the largest employers in Massachusetts, was formed six years ago by the merger of Massachusetts General Hospital and Brigham and Women's Hospital, two premier academic medical centers. The Partners Employee Assistance Work/Life Resources Program serves professional staff and employees of these institutions as well as other hospitals and physicians' groups within the Partners system, plus two other medical centers in the Boston area.

Four years ago, Partners began providing specialized services to address domestic violence. We currently are researching the connection between domestic violence and the workplace, looking specifically at the following issues: the impact of domestic violence on the victim's job status/professional success; how employment affects the victim's safety and options for seeking safety; and the significance of offering these services in the workplace. With the assistance of social work interns, we are conducting clinical interviews with employee survivors of domestic violence and collecting both quantitative and qualitative information. Technical assistance is being provided by a clinical researcher.

In addition, we are surveying managers to better understand their perceptions and awareness of our program and how they feel about the usefulness of our services. On an ongoing basis, we measure the efficacy of our services through client satisfaction surveys that are offered to …