THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Wednesday, August 3, 1994 TAG: 9408030448
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B4 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: ASSOCIATED PRESS
DATELINE: RICHMOND LENGTH: Short : 48 lines
Stressed-out state employees are losing a way to deal with the threatened loss of their jobs.
As part of its effort to shrink Virginia government, the Allen administration is abolishing five of the eight jobs in the State Employee Assistance Service, a counseling referral program operated by the state Department of Personnel and Training.
The department's director, Charles E. James Sr., said the service will close Virginia Beach and Blacksburg offices that each employ two people. A Richmond office with a supervisor and two coordinators will be maintained.
``It's not the only place people get counseling,'' said the department's director, Charles E. James Sr. ``They get counseling from friends; they get it from families; they get it from community services.''
A lobbyist for state employees said slashing the assistance program shows Gov. George Allen's heavy-handedness in overhauling government.
``It was purely an economic decision,'' said Joan S. Dent, executive director of the 13,000-member Virginia Governmental Employees Association. ``I doubt that other than the dollars and cents of it, that a lot of thought was given to it.''
Asked about cutting a counseling program when demand for it might mount, James said, ``If people are concerned about their jobs, then they should talk to their supervisors. . . . It's not a perfect world.''
James said Tuesday he did not know how many state workers use the employee-assistance service, or how much money the cuts would save. He said they were part of a $460,000 budget cut to his department.
The program, similar to those offered by businesses, refers employees with personal and professional problems to mental health counselors.
Mental health services, such as psychiatrists, psychologists, licensed professional counselors and social workers, also are available through KeyAdvantage, the state employee health insurance program.
Dent said there may be some duplication between employee assistance services and KeyAdvantage. But the employee assistance plan was a clearinghouse for a variety of services, and ``it took quite a while to get that up to that point,'' she said. by CNB