What is the external staff model?

• A. EA professionals are employees of the government
• B. EA professionals are employed directly by a single employer's internal HR
• C. EA professionals are volunteers from the community
• D. EA professionals are employed by an external vendor (a company that provides EAP services to multiple employers)

Answer: (D)

The external staff model means the EAP professionals are employed by a third-party vendor that serves several different employers. Your company contracts with that vendor to deliver counseling, crisis support, referrals, and other EAP services. The clinicians work for the vendor, not for your organization, and the vendor handles staffing, supervision, scheduling, and quality control. Because the vendor serves multiple employers, the services are typically standardized, scalable, and can draw from a larger pool of clinicians, which can improve access and consistency. This contrasts with an internal staff model, where EAP personnel are direct employees of the company’s HR department, and with a community volunteer model, where services are provided by unpaid volunteers.