Organizations to jointly offer evidence-informed, culturally competent training and certification program for Chinese employee assistance professionals, mental health providers and business managers 

ARLINGTON, VA – July 23, 2020 – The Employee Assistance Professionals Association (EAPA), the world’s largest and most respected membership organization for employee assistance professionals, today announced that it has partnered with Shengxin International EAP Institute (Shengxin), to jointly develop, implement and market an Emotional First Support (EFS) training and certification program in China. The training will cover employer and organization responses to unexpected and potentially traumatic events, as well as assistance to employees, individuals and groups affected by those events. The goal of the training is to help participants master the latest techniques and evidence- informed practices in Emotional First Support and obtain authoritative certification from EAPA and Shengxin.

Shengxin is China’s first educational institution for Employee Assistance Programs and workplace behavioral health. The institute adopts an integrated training-research-application approach in developing China-based EA professionals, which enables them to provide effective, culturally sensitive support to organizations across the country. EAPA will approve the training and assure that it adheres to EAPA standards; Shengxin will assure that all training content is culturally appropriate for all participants, who will include: Employee Assistance (EA) professionals, mental health professionals and consultants, social workers, Human Resources professionals and business administrators/managers.

“The global pandemic has made organizations, managers and employees aware of the need for preparedness in the face of unexpected events that can potentially have immediate and lasting psychological after-shocks,” said Greg DeLapp, CEO of EAPA. “This partnership will adapt an evidence-informed emotional support approach to Chinese society and business culture, and provide the training necessary to deliver responsive, effective support to assist people through all stages of an emotionally unsettling event. We’re honored to be partnering with an organization with Shengxin’s record of innovation and forward-thinking in the global arena of Employee Assistance.”
 
The course will be presented in a four-day on-site training to include two primary components: Emotional First Support Knowledge and Skills, and Emotional First Support. Tonya Teal Slawinski, Ph.D., from U.S.-based Turn Key Consulting, LLC, has worked closely with Shengxin and EAPA to deliver a culturally-informed training that provokes innovative thinking and enhances best practices for service delivery.
 
“This program is the first-of-its-kind in China, and is particularly timely as it will help Chinese mental health professionals as well as employers better prepare for and respond to unexpected events such as the COVID pandemic,” said Peizhong Li, Ph.D, Shengxin co-founder. “EAPA has done a great service for Chinese workplace wellness by collaborating with the Shengxin Institute in bringing the latest crisis management practices and expertise to China.”
 

Employee Assistance Professionals Association (EAPA)
 
EAPA is the world’s largest, oldest, and most respected membership organization for employee assistance professionals. With members in over 40 countries around the globe, EAPA is the world’s most relied upon source of information and support for and about the employee assistance profession. EAPA publishes the Journal of Employee Assistance, hosts the annual EAP Conference and EXPO, and offers training and other resources to fulfill its mission. EAPA’s mission is to promote the highest standards of EA practice and the continuing development of employee assistance professionals, programs and services. 

The first organizing meeting for the Association of Labor and Management Administrators and Consultants on Alcoholism (ALMACA) was held in April 1971, and it was incorporated sometime later that year. The association's name was officially changed to Employee Assistance Professionals Association (EAPA) in 1989. For more, visit www.eapassn.org.
 
 
Shengxin International EAP Institute
 
Shengxin International EAP Institute is China’s first educational institution for Employee Assistance Programs and workplace behavioral health. The institute uses an integrated training-research-application approach to develop EA professionals that combines theoretical knowledge and practical skills. It leads psychologists and mental health professionals in China to use their science and expertise to serve a society in transition and facilitate the country’s mainstream economy.
 
 
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