Employee Assistance

FASS povides a specialist alcohol counselling and education service for employees experiencing difficulties with alcohol.

This service offers employees an opportunity to explore and resolve any concerns they may have regarding their use of alcohol and its impact on work performance.

Clients can be formally referred by their employers under the terms of a Workplace Alcohol Policy. This may follow identification of alcohol use as a possible factor affecting work performance or a specific health & safety issue. In both cases, disciplinary procedures may have come into play or are being held in abeyance whilst the employee attends counselling.

Following referral, the employee is offered an alcohol assessment, a contract is then set and a programme of counselling or alcohol education agreed.

An initial assessment report is provided to both employee and employer and this is followed by regular progress reports which continue until conclusion of the programme.

Counselling helps people clarify thoughts, emotions and behaviour and find personal solutions for problem drinking and related issues:

• regular or binge drinking
• underlying causes including personal, family, social, employment and lifestlye issues
• consequences of drinking including accident, mental health, relationship and financial issues

An extended programme of alcohol education is also available for individuals who experience difficulty in engaging in counselling. This includes elements of personal reflection, self-monitoring, examination of abstinence regimes and safer drinking skills.

The service includes:

• specialist alcohol assessment
• care planning with the service user
• working with significant others/families
• arrangements for management of alcohol withdrawals, pre and post detox support
• exploration of deeper issues and problem solving
• abstinence, controlled drinking and harm reduction regimes
• relapse prevention
• alcohol education
• report and record keeping
• consultation with other professionals regarding client care

This service is available during daytime and evening at locations throughout Fife.