During an 18-month demonstration period, the Illinois Occupational Program Initiative (IOPI), funded through the state's Division of Alcoholism, demonstrated the feasibility of funding individual contractors to create and market employee assistance programs (EAPs) to representatives of industry and labor. Cost estimates for the EAPs were to cover provision of all technical assistance, training, and consultation necessary to develop a viable program to identify and treat several varieties of unhealthy behavior in the workplace. Using performance-based contracts with individual consultants, 187 new EAPs for 46,111 workers in smaller companies were funded. By reimbursing contractors only for documented completion of defined stages in a developing EAP, and by limiting the reimbursable amount to $3,000 per EAP, the program encouraged and supported the proliferation of EAPs in Illinois without having to disburse large sums for work uncompleted. The success of the IOPI in the demonstration period holds promise for the future of EAPs in Illinois. (Author/FG)