Number of Counseling Sessions

The number of sessions that you are eligible for is determined by collective bargaining.  Each face-to-face session lasts approximately 50 minutes and the specific number of sessions you and your dependents are eligible to receive is based on your employment category.  When both spouses or registered domestic partners are state employees, both partners and family members are entitled to the counseling services under each employee’s employment category.  Group counseling sessions of standard duration with one counselor are counted as one session.

The state has three benefit categories and three different benefit designs which are determined by bargaining units.  These are per contract year, July 1 – June 30.

Eligibility Table 

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You will not be eligible for EAP if any one of the following events occurs:

• Your employment with the State of California ends.*
• Services are used in a fraudulent or deceptive manner.
• The contract between the State of California and Magellan ends.
  

*Exceptions:

• Employees covered by Level 1 services may use EAP for 90 days after the date of retirement, as may California Highway Patrol employees who are covered by Level 2. 
• Surviving family members of employees who had Level 1 services and family members of California Highway Patrol employees who had Level 2 services may use EAP services for six months after the death of the employee.
• Eligibility for EAP services for surviving family members of all other employees stops at the end of the month after the month the death occurred.
• Excluded employees and those in Bargaining Units 1, 2, 3, 4, 11, 15, 17, 20, and 21 are allowed to receive a six-month extension to their EAP services following layoff from state service. The extension is for time only and not an increase in services or sessions.