Social work and employee assistance programs: Emerging issues

Occupational social work as a field of practice has been greatly influenced by its current identification with Employee Assistance Programs and their typical focus on the chemically addicted employee. This merger of two separate service models requires a clarification of roles and functions and a need to redefine the problem focus and treatment options of contemporary, work‐based programs. The article argues for an inclusive problem focus which takes into consideration a broader array of problems in human functioning, the increased complexity of chemical addictions, and an expansion of treatment options to address this increased complexity.