Pilot-Dedicated Assistance Programs (PDAP™)
Pilot-Dedicated Assistance Programs
- All Lift.Affect mental health professionals (MHPs) are highly specialized with assisting professional pilots with mental health issues, and all have dedicated clinical practices serving this particular population. Lift.Affect MHPs are specifically selected for their proven record of experience and expertise with assisting pilots. Additionally, all of our MHPs have experience submitting requested documentation to the FAA on the pilot’s behalf. In contrast, although many EAP MHPs are undoubtedly excellent clinicians, they have little specialized knowledge or training with assisting professional pilots, and many have no experience with submitting documentation to the FAA.
- Lift.Affect MHPs are full-time practitioners, are accessible either in their office or online, and all offer flexible appointment times, making treatment accessible to pilots regardless of their schedule or geographical location. In contrast, an EAP requires pilots to be seen in-person in the MHP’s respective office. Additionally, many EAPs utilize part-time MHPs, making access to services an insurmountable barrier for working pilots that have inconsistent work schedules.
Since Lift.Affect does not bill third-party insurance, our MHPs are not driven by clinical diagnosis as a means of ensuring reimbursement for services. We only utilize clinical diagnosis when necessary for case conceptualization and as a means for informing the most appropriate treatment modality. Most EAPs require their MHPs to assign a clinical diagnosis of the pilot to receive payment.
Misconceptions about PDAPs and your company EAP:
Myth: We don’t need a PDAP since we already have an EAP.
At Lift.Affect we believe that EAPs offer excellent services for many employee groups throughout the airline industry. In fact, many Lift.Affect MHPs are service providers for several EAPs throughout the country. Unfortunately, there are several factors that contribute to EAPs being problematic for commercial pilots. As previously mentioned, issues such as a lack of experience working with professional pilots, inexperience with handling FAA documentation requirements for pilots that are receiving treatment, overall inaccessibility and the inability to work remotely, the issues regarding mental health diagnosis for ensure reimbursement, and a host of other issues make EAPs less desirable for professional pilots with mental health concerns.
Myth: Pilots utilize EAPs.
The most successful EAPs have a utilization rate of around 5% of total non-pilot employees. Among the organizations we assist the average utilization rate among their pilot group is less than 1%. Some may attribute this low percentage to the belief that professional pilots experience less emotional health issues than the rest of the population. This perception is false. A 2017 study published in the Journal of Environmental Health found that 12.6% of airline pilots surveyed that are currently flying are managing clinical level of depressive symptoms, and 4.1% of those pilots report having active suicidal thoughts. These numbers, when matched with the low number of pilots that report having psychological issues on their FAA medical applications, indicate that professional pilots are seeking treatment on their own from either qualified or unqualified practitioners, are ignorantly treating themselves (often through drugs and alcohol), or not seeking help at all. The reality is that pilots are largely underground with their mental health issues and professional pilots do not utilize the EAP. We encourage all organizations we assist to research the utilization rate of their EAP by their pilots.
Myth: The reason pilots don’t use the EAP is because they don’t know it exists.
We have even seen several companies unsuccessfully attempt to increase the utilization of their EAP by their pilots through aggressive and focused promotional initiatives. Unfortunately many of the pilots we assist at Lift.Affect have had unfavorable experiences with their company EAP. From experiencing difficulty with finding an EAP provider in their area, to receiving an inaccurate and damaging diagnosis, to feeling as though the MHP didn’t understand the dynamics of their profession, there are many obstacles pilots consistently report experiencing when utilizing their EAP. News of negative or damaging experiences travels quickly throughout the pilot community.
Having an independent, third party, pilot-dedicated assistance program (PDAP) offers the safest, most comprehensive and effective path for pilots to receive the help they need while maintaining their ability to continue to fly.
Lift.Afect PDAP Packages:
At Lift.Affect we currently have three PDAP packages that can be tailored to meet the specific needs of your pilot group. Our programs ensure that every pilot is covered and each plan includes consultation support services to all of your pilot assistance program coordinators and volunteers.
Level 1: Consultation
The entry level PDAP is a comprehensive program that provides oversight, structure and resources to make sure your peer support programs are successful and effective. Over the years, the most common complaint that both peer support coordinators and peer supporters share is that they have no outside support. The Lift.Affect consultation only program solves that. Lift.Affect is available to evaluate urgent situations, provides ongoing training and meets with both peer support coordinator and peer supporters on a monthly basis. Peer support coordinators and peer supporters get the support and valuable feedback they need to be effective in their roles supporting fellow professional pilots.
Level 2: Consultation PLUS
This elevated level of service includes the comprehensive program oversight structure and resources in the basic Consultation program. The PLUS program adds the significant safety net of a priority pilot assessment where necessary. Pilots, by nature, are pretty stoic when it comes to seeking help. By the time a pilot reaches out to a peer supporter, they are sometimes already in need of assistance by a mental health professional. Lift.Affect understand this and will assess the pilot as soon as is possible. If the pilot requires immediate treatment, Lift.Affect will do whatever is necessary to accommodate the situation. Because we only treat professional pilots, Lift.Affect has developed specific treatment protocols and strategies to get the pilot back online as soon as possible. When a pilot is in need, they are in the best possible hand with Lift.Affect.
Level 3: The complete PDAP
This is our most comprehensive program. It includes the Consultation PLUS program and adds a predefined therapy component. Not only do peer supporters and coordinators have the oversight, support and ongoing training they need to provide the highest level of support possible, for those pilot who need counseling, they can receive it in the most expeditious way possible. This provides improved continuity of care and avoids the delays due to scheduling and accommodating the pilot’s workload typical of EAP’s or the typical therapy paradigm.
Pilot-Dedicated Assistance Programs (PDAP™)
The most effective strategy for maintaining and ensuring the mental health of a professional pilot group is a LiftAffect Pilot-Dedicated Assistance Program (PDAP™). All PDAPs are designed specifically to meet your Airlines specific culture and needs.
PDAP™ Services:
- Individual Interventions
- Individual Psychotherapy
- Mental Skills Coaching for Value-Based Living
- Mental Skills Coaching for Flight and Ground Training
- Group Interventions
- The V1 Project, which now includes Mental Skills Coaching for Value-Based Living Course
- Airline Management-Initiated Evaluations
- Company Mandated Assessment
- In-depth pre-Fitness-For-Duty Evaluation
- Company Mandated Assessment
- Airline Management and Peer Support Program Consultation
- Examples Include:
- Pilot Safety Concerns
- Pilot Mental Health and Mental Performance Concerns
- Crucial Conversations between Management/Peer Support Program Volunteers and Pilots
- Preparation for LiftAffect Trainings
- Examples Include:
- Airline Management and Peer Support Program Training
- Mental Health and Mental Performance Issues: Early Identification, Mitigation, and Referral Strategies for Managers and Peer Support Program Volunteers
Although company-wide employee assistance programs (EAP) can effectively assist non-pilot employees, they are an unreliable, inadequate, and under-utilized by pilots that need professional intervention for mental health and mental performance issues.
LiftAffect PDAPs™ offer your Airline the most IMMEDIATE, ACCESSIBLE, and SPECIALIZED pilot-dedicated mental health and mental skills coaching services for professional pilots anywhere in the world.
Contact LiftAffect to discuss how Pilot-Dedicated Assistance Program (PDAP™) can help your Airline.