Brennan Hutchings, a licensed social worker with Sandstone Psychology, told the Beaver City Council on July 8 that his firm offers therapy, medication management, testing, group sessions, critical-incident stress debriefings and education tailored for rural Utah communities.

Hutchings said Sandstone has multiple regional locations, offers telehealth, accepts many private insurers but not Medicaid, and can serve city employees, families and community members. "This is an opportunity to have those meetings, those debriefings, to be able to have someone local come in," he said, describing on-site critical-incident support and employee-focused counseling.

Council discussion focused on how a Sandstone EAP would integrate with existing employee benefits and insurance. Hutchings said an EAP contract could be offered as a benefits addition or Sandstone could serve as a local provider if the city or individuals sought services directly.

Manager Brown advised that benefits and provider selection typically align with the city’s annual benefits-cycle planning (conversations after the first of the year; benefits effective July 1 in the city’s schedule). Hutchings gave examples of prior EAP pricing and said fees can be adjusted to fit the city’s needs.

Questions from councilors and attendees covered insurance coverage, provider availability and Hutchings’ local office: Hutchings said he maintains a local office on Wednesdays and that Sandstone offers telehealth and medication management. An attendee stated their insurance covers Hutchings’ services.

Ending: Councilors expressed appreciation for Hutchings’ presentation and asked staff to consider how an EAP arrangement would fit into the city’s benefits planning timetable; no contract was approved at the July 8 meeting.