Do EAPs Cover Contractors and Vendors?
Find out if EAPs support contractors and vendors during the skilled worker shortage.
Why is it important that EAP is extended to contractors and vendors?
We are currently facing a shortage of skilled workers across Australia. If your business relies on external contractors or other vendors to ensure that you are able to provide the service you offer then it makes sense to ensure that those workers feel supported and valued to maintain a good working relationship beyond just financial transactions.
The benefits of providing EAP services for external business partners are numerous. To start with some contractors are often not big enough to provide an EAP service to their team themselves and hence wellbeing and mental health support might not be something that they have readily available. It is really hard to show up and be your best self at work if you are under stress. This might be relating to things like:
- Financial stress
- Bullying or relationships at work
- Family issues
- Death or grieving (even if it’s a pet)
- Managing elderly parents
- Kids/ schooling
By ensuring that you support external contractors and other vendors mental health you are making an invaluable investment in their safety that easily outweighs the costs of a few counselling sessions. Investing in the broader wellbeing of your business not only makes sense, but it also makes business sense we unpack this further
Does Foremind offer support for contractors and vendors?
At Foremind we understand that stressors impact people outside of your direct employees such as contractors and vendors having a significant impact on them during work hours. Left unmanaged these stressors could lead to psychological harm in the long-term, as well as a reduction in productivity whilst at work. Not too mentioned that generally these contractors are paid an hourly rate, so doesn’t it make sense to support them to be as productive as possible during that time?
That is why Foremind offers the ability for contractors or vendors to access support through our platform in the event that they need support. This is something that you as an organisation can provide as part of our service offering, but it is not mandatory.
Hello 👋 I’m Joel the founder of Foremind.
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Answers to the frequently asked questions.
Still have questions?
Email us at enquiries@foremind.com.au and we'll get back to you quickly with a response
Foremind offers multilingual support, with professionals available in languages including Spanish, Portuguese, mandarin, vietnamese and Persian
All counsellors must apply to the role and are interviewed before added to the platform, must meet the criteria as per the below.- We employee counsellors, mental health social workers, mental health nurses and psychotherapists.- Qualifications in Counselling, Psychotherapy or Social Work, minimum Bachelor or Masters qualification- Minimum 3 years direct practice experience post graduation- Registration with appropriate body – PACFA Clinical registration, ACA level 2 minimum, Accredited Mental health Social worker or Clinical Social worker- Broad experience providing individual coaching, counselling and support for personal and work-related issues- How far reaching is your EAP? We have counsellors located in every major city in Australia.
What is the difference between counsellors and psychologists? 1. Qualifications & Training - Counsellor: Typically holds a Diploma or Master’s degree in counselling, or psychotherapy. Their training is focused on practical techniques for supporting mental health and well-being.- Psychologist: Requires a Master’s or Doctorate degree in psychology and must be registered with a AHPRA Their training includes clinical assessments, diagnosis, and therapy.2. Scope of Practice- Counsellor: Provides talk therapy and guidance for life challenges like stress, anxiety, work issues, and relationships. They help clients develop coping strategies but do not diagnose mental disorders.- Psychologist: Can provide therapy like a counsellor but also conducts clinical assessments, diagnoses mental health disorders, and uses evidence-based treatments like CBT (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy).3. Who Should You See?- If someone needs support for personal or work-related challenges, a counsellor is often enough.- If someone is experiencing mental health concerns, like depression, PTSD, or needs a formal diagnosis, a psychologist is more appropriate.
- Counsellors only offer f2f after the initial consult.- At Foremind, all face-to-face sessions must begin with an initial online session.- The initial online session gives your counsellor the opportunity to explain exactly how their face-to-face sessions work, what options are available, and to ensure everything is properly scheduled. This helps avoid confusion and makes sure you get the best experience possible.- For sales team info; @Dylan This is because our system currently doesn't allow therapists to list separate locations and availability for face-to-face sessions, and many of our counsellors offer in-person appointments only at specific times or locations.- For example, Skai near Byron Bay provides face-to-face sessions, but only on Thursdays and with enough advance notice to arrange space and travel.- F2F sessions also need a bigger time-buffer between so they cannot be booked back-to-back.- Availability for space -- First session is counted + information to book in counselling to allow make- F2f take 3 sessions to break through pleasing tendencies - therapeutic alliance - online