Employee FAQ Handout (3)

Workplace Chaplaincy Services, LLC. Chaplain Assistance Program (CAP) Frequently Asked QuestionsWhat is a Chaplain Assistance Program (CAP)?A Chaplain Assistance Program (CAP) is a personal, voluntary, confidential employee care benefit available toemployees and their dependents. Corporate chaplaincy provides caring, compassionate chaplains who areavailable to serve all employees 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. Chaplains help employees connectwith the resources they need to reduce stress, and they ensure that employees do not have to feel alone when lifegets overwhelming. They also serve as a support to managers who are trying to deal with the complex personalsituations that employees bring to work. As chaplains build relationships with employees, they are available bothto provide support and encouragement when things are going well and to help facilitate creative problem solvingwhen employees are struggling with any number of personal issues.What is a workplace chaplain?Many people are familiar with chaplains in hospitals or in the military. A workplace chaplain fills a similar role inthe workplace. Trained in creative problem solving, workplace chaplains are available 24/7/365 for employees andtheir dependents. They walk through life with employees, care for them, serve as a confidential listener, and offerassistance and resources to help the employee as they walk through difficult times.Why is Workplace Chaplaincy Services, LLC. offering this employee benefit?Workplace Chaplaincy Services, LLC. looks at you as a whole person. They know you have a life outside of work,and they realize that things going on in your personal life can carry into your workday. They’re offering thebenefits of a Chaplain Assistance Program because they want you to have a place to turn when challenges come,knowing that this will help you feel better and function at your best at work and at home. Bottom line: They reallycare about you as a person, not just as an employee!Does a chaplain in the workplace interfere with employees getting their jobs done?No. The role of the chaplain is to help employees deal with the issues in life that distract them from work andmake it more difficult for them to focus and be their best.At Workplace Chaplaincy Services, LLC., the typical chaplain/employee interface will occur during the chaplain’sregular hours in the office or by phone or email. If you would like to have a more in-depth discussion or requestadditional assistance from the chaplain, follow-up conversations can be arranged outside of work hours. Thesearrangements may include communicating through email, setting aside time for a confidential phone call, orgetting together during a break or lunch time. Additionally, a more in-depth discussion may occur at a neutrallocation. If a prolonged visit at the workplace appears necessary, your supervisor’s approval would be requiredbefore any such meeting took place.Having a conversation with a chaplain brings a fresh set of eyes and ears to a problem and allows you and yourfellow employees a safe place to deal with the issues of life.Are conversations with a chaplain confidential?

You and your fellow employees can be confident that nothing you say will go beyond the chaplain*. Since conversations with chaplains are confidential, chaplains do not report the content of these conversations to the management or any other party, not even to other chaplains. With this in mind, employees are safe to talk about any issues they are dealing with in their professional lives, as well as in their private lives. If there were ever a situation where an issue comes up that your chaplain feels could be better handled by another chaplain with different areas of expertise, your chaplain would ask your permission before collaborating. Your chaplain may also ask if you would like another chaplain brought into the conversation. Most chaplains are not professional counselors, and the role of a chaplain is not to serve as a counselor. However, there may be times when a chaplain feels a counselor would handle your situation best. In these cases, the referral protocol would be discussed with you. The chaplains do not take notes for any purpose other than perhaps their own memory, so they are able to remember basic information between visits. This information is not shared with anyone, if it is written down at all. If you have any specific questions about the confidentiality policy, please do not hesitate to ask one of the chaplains. What about employees who may not want a chaplain? A Chaplain Assistance Program is a voluntary benefit. As an employee at Workplace Chaplaincy Services, LLC., you will have a chaplain available to you 24/7/365, but it is entirely up to you if you would like to contact a chaplain and talk to him or her about anything. The chaplains will not force a relationship. Chaplains will let the employee lead the relationship. They will be consistent and available, but they will not initiate a deeper conversation unless the employee invites them in.*Except in cases of child abuse or when someone poses an immediate threat to him or herself or the safety of someone else. In suchcases, employees will be informed that the conversation is venturing into an area where the chaplain is obliged to report what isdiscussed and asked if they want to continue. What types of cases typically involve chaplains? Chaplains are available to listen and to help in any number of situations, large and small. Chaplains are there to walk through life with you and your fellow employees, as both confidant and advisor, as needed. Chaplains are also certified to enter jail facilities, emergency rooms, and accident scenes. Chaplains will assist employees with issues pertaining to hospital care, family and marriage care, substance abuse, stress management, and interpersonal conflicts. Some chaplains can also officiate at wedding ceremonies and funeral services. Does the chaplain provide long-term counseling services? Chaplains will not provide counseling services, but chaplains will provide care for those who are in need of professional counseling by helping to connect them with a counselor, either from the company’s insurance network or from the chaplain’s own referral network.

When is the chaplain available, and how does an employee contact a chaplain when special needs arise?For routine contact, you will have the email address and phone number of the chaplain. There is also anemergency number [INSERT PHONE NUMBER] that will connect the caller to a live operator. If for some reasonyou cannot get in touch with your chaplain in an emergency, this answering service will seek out anotheravailable chaplain who can help.Chaplains are on call 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. You should always be able to talk by phonewith a chaplain from the Workplace Chaplains, LLC. team within half an hour of placing a call.Because chaplains contact employees on a regular basis, employees often ask for assistance directly. Chaplains canalso be contacted via e-mail, or employees can initiate a phone call to the chaplain. Since chaplains come to knowthe employees by way of a regular brief contact, there are very few barriers to initiating a discussion and followingup with regards to any concerns on successive visits.Does Workplace Chaplains, LLC. require chaplains to be affiliated with any specific church or denomination?No.Can a workplace chaplain effectively care for all employees from varied backgrounds regardless of theirbeliefs?Yes. Chaplains are skilled workplace caregivers who are trained in providing care in a diverse environment.Do chaplains “push religion” or focus primarily on the religious needs of employees?No. Chaplains are sensitive to any needs you may have. The approach is based on the military and hospitalchaplain models—to provide a neutral, nurturing, and always-available caregiver—with a focus on helpingemployees and their families better manage and respond to basic issues that come up in their personal lives and atwork. Employees have the option to talk with chaplains about any issue, and employees decide where to take theconversation. This means that the chaplain will listen to what the employee has to say, facilitate discussions withthe employee, and help the employee problem-solve healthy ways to deal with the situation. The chaplain will notbring up spirituality unless the employee asks about spiritual issues.What are the core values of chaplaincy?Availability: Chaplains are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year to provide help and hope. Forroutine contact, you will have the email addresses and phone numbers of the chaplain. There is also an emergencynumber [INSERT PHONE NUMBER] that will connect you to a live operator. In emergency situations,[CHAPLAINCY ORGANIZATION NAME]’s commitment is that you will be able to speak with a chaplain within30 minutes.Relationships:Chaplains are more than an 800 number. Over time, chaplains get to know the employees theywork with, even if there is not a crisis to deal with. Chaplains take the time to build relationships with those theyserve so that if/when an emergency does arise, you won't have to call a stranger; you will be able to call a chaplainwhom you know and trust.Permission:Chaplains are available to build relationships and to help, but they will not do anything without first

receiving permission from the employee. Chaplains respect those they serve, and they respect the trust that isplaced in them. Only with the permission of the employee will chaplains bring up personal or spiritual matters. Insuch cases, chaplains follow the lead of the employee, and are pleased to be available if asked, but will not invitethemselves in.Confidentiality:Chaplains understand that it can be difficult to find someone you can trust who will keepeverything that you say confidential. It is important for you to know that the chaplains respect you and yourprivacy, and what you share with them will not be shared with anyone else (except in cases of child abuse or whensomeone poses an immediate threat to themselves or the safety of someone else. In such cases, employees will beinformed that the conversation is venturing into an area where the chaplain is obliged to report what is discussedand asked if they want to continue).