Our History

This article provides an historical overview of the evolution of the International Association of Employee Assistance Professionals in Education (IAEAPE). The IAEAPE was developed in parallel with the introduction of employee assistance programs in higher education.

KEY WORDS: IAEAPE, EAP, International Association of Employee Assistance Professionals in Education

Joel Shapiro, MSW, was the Director of the University of Vermont Employee Assistance and Lifetime Wellness Programs. He is now the Director of Human Resources Organizational Services at UVM> . Sally B. Philips, EdD, CEAP, was Director of the University of Miami Employee Assistance Program. Additional contributions to this article were made by William Mermis, Ph.D, and the late Fran Deats.

Address correspondence to: Joel Shapiro, MSW, University of Vermont, Employee Assistance Program, 466 South Prospect Street, Burlington, VT 05401-3534. Email: Joel.Shapiro@uvm.edu

Employee Assistance programming expanded from industry to higher education with the development of three higher education employee assistance programs (EAPs) in the mid 1970s. During this time, the University of Delaware, Rutgers University, and the University of Missouri initiated programs to handle alcohol abuse by faculty and staff. In 1976, with the support of a National Institute of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAA) grant, the University of Missouri sponsored the first of six conferences designed to assist institutions of higher education in establishing EAPs.

After the NIAA support ended in 1982, a number of individuals in EAPs in educational settings, including K-12, community colleges and universities, agreed to continue meeting to share ideas. Initially called “EAPs in Education” the group met from 1982 through 1992. They formally organized as an association in 1993: “The International Association of Employee Assistance Professionals in Education” (IAEAPE). The IAEAPE operates independently of other EAP associations. Currently the organization has over 150 members from 80 institutions.

In an article titled “The College and University EAP Network” (1990), IAEAPE member Dr. William Mermis described the several distinct phases of the development of EAPs in education which led to the formation of the IAEAPE.

The first phase occurred in the mid 1970’s. While business and industry were involved for many years with employee assistance programs (which often were primarily alcohol assistance programs), the same was not true for EAPs in educational settings. A crucial turning point in this development started in the mid 1970s.

A major force (leading to the development of EAPs in higher education) was the NIAAA grants made to the University of Missouri at Columbia during the years 1976 to 1981…. at the time of their first grant, there were probably less than 10 programs in higher education settings. (Mermis, 1990, p.34)

These first grants from NIAAA were part of a funding strategy to develop a network of colleges and universities EAPs. As a result of these grants, Drs. Richard Thorenson and Elizabeth Hosokawa of the University of Missouri at Columbia spearheaded a series of conferences beginning in August 1976 and continuing through 1981. The first conference occurred in Columbia, Missouri. Then, the conference site moved to other cities. These conference proceedings were the forerunner of the annual IAEAPE conferences that continues today. By 1990 approximately 200 programs existed in universities and colleges as a result of this initial seeding.

From the oral history we know these meetings established the tone of mutual support, information sharing and creative brainstorming which remain core values of IAEAPE. These individuals, responsible for operating EAPs in an academic setting recognized that operating within an academic culture created some unique practical and ethical issues. It has been well documented that the culture and structure of higher education, especially within the faculty, is having the flexibility of time and schedule to explore, conduct research, create innovative programs, investigate new ideas and develop new protocols…. The freedom to be creative that is essential to these activities can also provide protection for those who need assistance and are non productive members…. Because deteriorating job performance is more difficult to monitor and detect in terms of faculty performance especially at the level of tenured professor or dean, it can be less useful as a criterion on which to base a referral to an EAP. (Stoers-Scagg, 1999, p.36)

Additionally, the academic culture includes academically trained individuals performing managerial roles in a shared decision making context. Most campus communities are essentially mini-cities with the infrastructure needed to maintain housing, security, food and educational resources for its students, meaning a 24 hour staffed system. Many universities are affiliated with medical colleges and teaching hospitals, adding another population base with important needs to be served. Consequently, these programs serve a wide diversity of people and reflect several organizational sub cultures. Having a venue to discuss how to institute and successfully operate an EAP in a university or college setting became a vital component of the annual conferences.

The second phase of the development of EAPs in Higher Education, which eventually led to the formal establishment of IAEAPE, was a series of conferences coordinated with the annual Employee Assistance Professionals Association (EAPA) conference. Informally calling themselves “EAPs in Education,” the group met annually from 1982 to 1991. It became a tradition that the university from the host city took a key role in organizing the conference. The conference and gatherings would meet for the day or two preceding the national EAPA conference. These conferences continued the tradition of fostering discussion on issues pertinent to higher education and became a rich resource for networking and sharing information.

Simultaneously, the development of EAPs in K-12 education became organized and members from this group joined the IAEAPE and assumed some leadership positions. In addition, the association wrestled during this period with formally aligning itself with either EAPA or Employee Assistance Society of North America (EASNA).

The third phase began with the decision to formally organize “EAPs in Education” as IAEAPE (International Association of EAPs in Education). Dr. Polly Moutevelis Karris from the University of Maine was the organization’s President during this transition period.

IAEAPE has grown and thrived during the past 12 years. The annual conference has provided a regular opportunity for sharing information and strategies. We developed a website (www.iaeape.org) with a section open to the public. The members-only section contains a wealth of information on presentations, policy development, trainings, responses to list serve polls, etc. A directory that compiled information on all members was published each year, as was a semi-annual newsletter. Since 2004 the IAEAPE directory has been on line at the web site. A list serve, spearheaded by Fran Deats from the University of Massachusetts, was started in 2001. It has provided another rich resource for sharing of information and support. It has allowed us to stay virtually connected to such an extent that the twice a year newsletter was discontinued in 2003.

Indeed, electronic technology has made it possible for this small association to carry on its business in a virtual setting. IAEAPE has no headquarters. Currently, the four-officer Board meets monthly through a conference call. The membership has access to these minutes via the members-only section of the web site. When input is needed from all the members, the officers communicate through the listserv instead of a convened meeting. The annual business meeting of the membership which is required by the Bylaws is scheduled during the annual conference. Thanks to long-standing cooperation with US Bank, checking account activity is done by mail, and statements are downloaded from the Internet. The TIAA-CREF saving account statements are also retrieved from the Internet. Each officer at the end of his or her term forwards to his or her replacement the essential documents that inform that office.

Mermis, William. (1990, February). The college and university EAP network, EAPA Exchange, 34-35.

Stoer-Scaggs, L. (1999). Employee assistance programs in higher education. In Oher, J. (Ed.), The employee assistance handbook . New York: Wiley, 35-58.

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1Shapiro, J. and Philips, S.B. (2006/2007). The evolution of the international association of employee assistance professionals in education (IAEAPE), Journal of Workplace Behavioral Health, 22(2/3), 1-5.

2Maiden, R.P. and Philips, S.B., (Eds) (2006/2007). Employee Assistance Programs in Higher Education. Binghamtom, NY: The Haworth Press.