About EAP Florida

Article I: Name

The name of this organization shall be the “EAP Florida, Inc.,” hereinafter called “EAP Florida.” It shall be a membership committee incorporated in the State of Florida.

Article II: Location

The presiding President shall designate the mailing address of EAP Florida.

Article III: Purpose

The development and implementation, within organizations, of occupational programs designed to early identify, motivate, and facilitate referrals of troubled employees to appropriate community resources for personal assistance.

Article IV: Objectives

The purposes for which EAP Florida is organized are as follows:

1. To promote quality Employee Assistance Programs with uniformity of standards for business, industry, service institutions, and governmental agencies in the State of Florida.
2. To provide a forum for communication and exchanging ideas between members and to the community.
3. To provide liaison resources to the agencies of Florida State Government and other private or public agencies deemed appropriate by EAP Florida.
4. To promote research and solutions to problems affecting the business and industrial community of Florida.
5. To promote quality education and training for the Employee Assistance professionals and other directly involved in training or counseling in the field of occupational programs.
6. To aid and encourage the establishment of Employee Assistance Program curricula in the colleges and universities of Florida and aid and encourage students having the requisite aptitudes to choose Employee Assistance Programming as a career.
7. To provide and conduct an Employee Assistance Program Certification process in accord with the protocol developed by EAP Florida under the NIDA grant #271-89-8536, when requested by qualified candidates.

Article V: Membership

The categories of members and their qualifications are:

1. Regular Voting MemberAn individual actively and principally engaged as a consultant to an administrator or administrative associate in business, industry, institutions or service organizations (public or private) in the development and implementation of Employee Assistance Programs in the State of Florida.
2. Student Member (non-voting)An individual engaged on a full-time basis in a formal course of study related to any aspect of the Employee Assistance Program field.
3. Organizational MembershipAny organization, business or division of an organization actively engaged in medical/behavioral services related to Employee Assistance Programs. This classification may include as many as three (3) voting members whose membership is transferable at the discretion of the organization responsible for the membership dues.
4. Director EmeritusAn honorary position for an individual approved by the Executive Board. Director Emeritus will be entitled to complimentary lifetime membership and registration at all EAP Florida conferences, as well as all privileges afforded a Regular Voting Member.

Article VI: Annual Membership Dues and Other Fees

Dues are payable on the first day of the Annual Conference. The annual dues mailing will be incorporated with the Annual Conference mailing. New members joining any time after the Annual Conference will be assessed the full annual dues.

• Regular Voting Members – $25.00
• Student Members (non-voting) – $10.00
• Organizational Membership – $100.00
• Members and guests attending regular or special meetings and conferences may be assessed a fee to cover costs of these events. The fees will be set and approved by the Board of Directors

Article VII: Officers

1. The officers of EAP Florida consist of a President, Vice-President, and Secretary-Treasurer who will be elected by the membership at the annual meeting and hold office for a term of two years or until their successors are elected. Annual meetings shall be held in the second quarter.
2. The officers shall conduct the affairs and business of EAP Florida pursuant to its needs and objectives.
3. The Board of Directors will consist of five members of EAP Florida who will be elected by the membership at the annual meeting and will hold office for a term of two years or until the succession is elected. The Board of Directors will consist of the immediate past president, one (1) at-large voting members, one (1) voting member representing labor, one (1) voting member representing non-treatment interests, and one (1) voting “new member” with less than two (2) years membership in the organization at the time of election.
4. The presiding officers and Board of Directors will constitute the Executive Board that is charged with the responsibility to implement policy and programs as guided by general EAP Florida membership.
5. President – This officer shall preside over all meetings, direct and conduct the business of the organization, and serve as the formal representative with other organizations (unless otherwise designated). This officer also shall appoint all committee chairs, task forces, and coordinators, and shall be directly accountable to the Executive Board.
6. Vice-President – This officer shall service in the President’s absence assuming the duties of that office. This office will also function as chairperson of the Annual Conference Planning Committee and will oversee all other committees.
7. Secretary-Treasurer – Any and all of the below stated responsibilities of this officer may be assigned to a Registrar appointed and/or hired by the Board of Directors. The Board will decide which responsibilities to assign to the Registrar. Immediate supervision of the Registrar shall be the responsibility of the Secretary-Treasurer. All responsibilities assigned to the registrar are ultimately the responsibility of this officer. This officer’s responsibilities are:
   1. As Recording Secretary, will attend and keep and present copies for approval minutes of all meetings of the Executive Board as well as regular, special and annual meetings of EAP Florida.
   2. As Corresponding Secretary, will receive and report on all correspondence received by members and others, send out to the membership and others any information as appropriate or as directed by the Board, and arrange for the duplication and distribution of any reports of subcommittees and task forces;
   3. Keep current all membership records;
   4. Notify all Executive Board members of board meetings, and shall notify the membership of all quarterly or special meetings;
   5. Notify the membership of the results of elections and appointments;
   6. Shall have custody of all moneys belonging to EAP Florida, and deposit and safeguard all funds in accordance with the accustomed fiscal responsibility accorded a Treasurer.
   7. Shall secure proper receipts for all moneys disbursed, and shall report financial status to the Executive Board whenever requested and to the membership at the quarterly meetings.

Article VIII: Meetings

Meetings of the membership shall be held as follows:

1. There will be four quarterly meetings each year. The annual meeting in the second quarter will be to elect officers and board members for the succeeding term.
2. The general membership will give input on the time, place, and program theme/major topics of the agenda of each meeting.
3. Special meetings of the membership shall be held upon call by a quorum of the membership or Executive Board with fifteen (15) days advance written notice.
4. A quorum for any meeting will be 10% of the membership, but no less than ten members, whichever is larger.

Article IX: Committees, Task Forces, and Designated Coordinators

To assist the officers of EAP Florida and serve the membership, the following committees will be appointed as needed by the newly elected President:

1. Membership Committee – to screen applications for the all categories of membership.
2. Finance Committee – to oversee the finances of the general committees and to audit the books of the Secretary-Treasurer.
3. Nominating Committee – to submit to the general body a slate of officers for the biannual election in April.
4. Planning Committee – to assess the ongoing goals and objectives of EAP Florida.
5. Education and Training Committee – to implement organizational objectives relating to the education and training of Employee Assistance professionals and consultants.
6. EA Program Committee – Chaired by the EA Program Certification Authority, appointed by the President from among those Certified Peer Review Analysts. Members of this committee are composed of existing Certified Peer Review Analysts, qualified in accord with the EAP Florida/NIDA grant training criteria and such others who may qualify by completing the prescribed training, members in good standing of EAP Florida. Members of this committee are responsible for the conduct of Employee Assistance Program assessment and determination of Employee Assistance Program Certification eligibility in accordance with the criteria developed by the EAP Florida/NIDA grant protocol.
7. Task Forces (ad hoc committees) will be designated from time to time to carry out the business of EAP Florida such as necessary to accomplish a specific task.
8. Individuals will be designated as coordinators from time to time to carry out the business of EAP Florida such as a meeting coordinator and/or EAP Florida liaison to a related organization.

Article X: Government

1. The control and management of the affairs, property and funds of EAP Florida shall be vested in the presiding officers and the Board of Directors except as may be otherwise provided for in the Bylaws.
2. All questions coming before EAP Florida, its governing bodies and committees, shall be decided by a simple majority of the votes cast, except as otherwise provided for in the Bylaws.
3. The rules contained in the current edition of Robert’s Rules of Order, newly revised, shall govern EAP Florida insofar as they are applicable and not inconsistent with these Bylaws or special rules of order EAP Florida may adopt.
4. Each regular member shall have one vote on all questions submitted to the membership of EAP Florida.
5. EAP Florida shall not affiliate with any labor, political, or sales organization.

Article XI: Amendments of Bylaws

These Bylaws can be amended at any regular meeting of EAP Florida by a two-thirds vote of the regular members in attendance, provided the amendment has been submitted in writing to all regular members at least fifteen (15) days prior to the regular meeting when the amendment will be considered.