The City Council Finance Committee on July 22 reviewed an agreement to provide an employee assistance program (EAP) through ESI Employee Assistance Group, which human resources staff said would cost about $4,000 annually and is described as a no-cost service to employees (noting a per‑employee reference to $25 a year in committee remarks).

Donna Fuller, representing human resources, explained the proposed EAP would cover all employees and household members, offering three free counseling sessions per issue, unlimited online training courses, legal consultations and administrative‑referral capabilities. “They cover all the employees and anyone who lives in their house,” Fuller said. “They all get receive 3 free counseling sessions per issue.” She added the EAP provider would work with the city’s health insurer (Highmark) so services beyond the three sessions would roll into the health plan.

Fuller said the city’s insurance spending on mental health has risen: she cited a year-over-year increase and said the city’s mental-health insurance cost last year was $18,945 for the items ESI would address, and that 27 percent of employees used mental-health services via insurance last year, with higher percentages among spouses and dependents. Fuller said the EAP includes first-responder programs and trauma response; the EAP will provide aggregated monthly and quarterly usage reports but will not disclose individual identities except when an administrative referral is made.

Councilors asked for references and metrics to demonstrate possible cost savings to the city and effectiveness for employees. Councilor Liz Meeley said, “If we could prove that this is a benefit, but also likely to result in some savings that will be better received.” Committee members asked human resources to seek references from local employers that use the vendor and to prepare tracking metrics that could be used to measure changes in health‑insurance utilization if the agreement is approved.

No formal committee vote was recorded; Fuller said the program cost would be absorbed by individual departments if approved and that she would attempt to secure references and, where available, testimonials for the full council meeting.