Colorado State Employee Assistance Program Replication and Expansion Study
Project Objectives
- Demonstrate real-world impact by measuring how modern EAP services reduce absenteeism, workplace stress, and mental health symptoms.
- Adapt research to today’s workplace by evaluating the effectiveness of virtual, phone, and pop-up EAP services against traditional in-person models.
- Validate long-term outcomes by replicating a rigorously designed study to track changes in effectiveness over the past decade.
- Inform policy and investment by quantifying cost savings and identifying which service models most effectively support state employee well-being.
In 2013, Omni partnered with the Colorado State Employee Assistance Program (CSEAP) on a groundbreaking research initiative funded by the Employee Assistance Research Foundation (EARF). The project set out to evaluate how employee assistance program (EAP) services influence absenteeism, presenteeism, and workplace distress. Using a quasi-experimental design and propensity-score matching, Omni compared groups of state employees based on shared characteristics and initial levels of distress. Data collection incorporated validated instruments such as the Workplace Outcomes Suite (WOS), PHQ-8, GAD-2, AUDIT, and DAST. The resulting insights contributed to three peer-reviewed publications that established a new benchmark in evaluating EAP effectiveness.
In 2023, Omni was again selected to partner with CSEAP, this time funded by the Colorado State Legislature, to replicate and expand the original study in light of a changed work environment. With a workforce now shaped by hybrid models and heightened mental health needs, this updated research examines how new delivery methods—like virtual sessions, phone consultations, and pop-up clinics—compare to traditional in-person services. The design maintains the same methodological rigor while exploring evolving access patterns and service impacts across a more flexible workplace landscape.
This second-phase study arrives at a moment when organizations are urgently reevaluating how to support their teams. Early findings show that employees who received EAP services experienced measurable improvements in anxiety and depression symptoms compared to peers who did not engage. As Omni works to complete this replication, the study will offer clear, data-backed recommendations for how public-sector employers can adapt wellness strategies to meet today’s needs. The findings will not only guide CSEAP’s own evolution, but also contribute to broader conversations on building responsive, equitable, and effective mental health support systems for state workers.
To help today’s workforce thrive, we need support that’s timely, accessible, and backed by evidence—this study shows us how to get there.
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