JOINT BASE SAN-ANTONIO-LACKLAND, Texas — The Department of the Air Force expanded its Employee Assistance Program Oct. 1, following a recent contract award by the Air Force Installation and Contracting Center.
The program, required by the Air Force Chief of Staff, provides a variety of services and support to DAF civilian employees and their families including:
• Educational and motivational activities
• Referral, monitoring and follow-up services
• Behavioral health consultation and coaching
• Short-term, solution-focused counseling
• Critical incident management support
“This is a critical resource for supporting our civilian workforce that is easily accessible and provided at no cost to the employee or family member,” said Danna Plewe, Air Force EAP program manager. “Any where, any time, AF EAP is there to help.”
The $30 million contract, awarded to incumbent contractor Magellan Federal, runs for five years and enhances EAP support overseas at Ramstein Air Base, Germany, and Royal Air Force Lakenheath, England, said JoAnn Parks, 771st Enterprise Sourcing Squadron contracting officer for the award.
“EAP helps address problems in the quickest, least restrictive and most convenient manner while minimizing costs and maintaining confidentiality,” said Lt. Col. Daniel Stephens, 771st ESS commander said.
Under the contract, services and support are accessible year round via telephone, web and in person.
The new Air Force contract transitions the DAF program from a task order under the Department of the Navy’s EAP contract to an Air Force-only contract, giving the Air Force total autonomy over its program, said Parks.
Initial plans were for a Department of Defense-wide acquisition, explained Stephens, but the planned solution didn’t meet the DAF requirement and led to the 771st tasking.
“We received the requirement in early May, which really was the last possible moment for us to get a contract of this magnitude completed in time to avoid a gap in service,” Stephens said.
“JoAnn, the contracting officer who ran the source selection, and her team did a great job in ensuring everything got done on time, making sure this valuable service to DAF civilian employees and their families continued uninterrupted.”
For more information on the Air Force’s EAP program, visit www.afpc.af.mil/eap and scroll to the bottom of the page or call 866-580-9078.
