Journal of Employee Assistance Vol. 50 No. 3 - 3rd Quarter 2020 - Cover Story by Employee Assistance Professionals Association

3rd Quarter 2020 | VOL. 50 NO. 3

The magazine of the Employee Assistance Professionals Association

The Pandemic Playbook (So Far)... |Page 12

Lessons Learned During COVID-19 Crisis

Bonus! Read Cover Story for PDH! See page 4.

PLUS:

Critical Incident Outcome Measure Page 22

Grief in the Time of a Pandemic Page 26

The Aftermath of COVID-19 in China Page 30

coverstory Pandemic Playbook (So Far…)

Lessons Learned During COVID-19 Crisis | By Jeff Gorter, MSW, LCSW

hile the U.S. continues to confront the stark reality of the COVID-19 pandemic, our ongoing individual and collective safety and well-being depends largely on meeting two critical and interrelated needs: 1) medical care; and 2) behavioral health support. Employee Assistance Programs are playing a key role in supporting both the urgent emotional needs of those delivering health care, as well as the overall employee population adjusting to the “next normal.” A report by Business Insider showed that at one point, one-third of the world’s population was on some form of a coronavirus lockdown to restrict movement, “flatten the curve,” and avoid a potentially catastrophic collapse of the healthcare system. In response, large sections of the US business community shut down. Those that could remain operational rapidly fell into one of two distinct categories: 1) organizations with workforces able to work remotely from home; and 2) organizations deemed as essential services whose employees needed to remain working onsite. In partnership with over 35 EAPs, R3 Continuum has worked since the beginning of the pandemic to support the mental health of both remote and onsite workforces. The following are some lessons derived thus far that business leaders should consider in their efforts to protect employee mental health during this rapidly changing and ongoing crisis.

Conversely, those who rarely heard from their leaders, who received no empathy, and whose extra efforts were presumed upon, were more likely to remain anxious and resistant in the face of necessary change. In other words, workforce resilience was directly related to leadership messaging and support efforts. (See the sidebar that accompanies this article about the “4 P’s of Resilience”.) Lesson #2: Social distancing is not emotional distancing. Cultivate human connection. For those who transitioned to remote work, the sheer speed and learning curve of worksite relocation was often disorienting, causing anxiety. People shared struggles relative to adopting new technology, home schooling, lack of childcare, and increased isolation/ loneliness – all while simultaneously adjusting to job performance expectations in the “alien setting” of their own residence. Prior to the outbreak, many were surprised at how much they had come to rely on the “work family” for social support and encouragement, and the severing of that bond left them feeling psychologically “exposed.” This meant restoring emotional connection and cohesion became a primary goal to foster emotional well-being. EAPs previously accomplished this by conducting interactive Disruptive Event Management (DEM) group sessions onsite – a method that was no longer feasible for remote workers. R3c quickly set out to provide technology-enabled alternatives that would create as close an approximation to a traditional onsite experience as possible. More than just “hosting a Zoom meeting and hoping for the best,” it was recognized that group sessions alone provided only part of what was needed. Employees typically wanted to meet individually with the DEM consultant for private confidential support, just as they would if the service was onsite. (A DEM consultant is the same as a CIR provider, dispatched

Lesson #1: Taking care of your people IS taking care of your business. Businesses were challenged to immediately respond and adapt to a difficult situation, or risk going out of business. The level of innovation, commitment, and perseverance required was almost entirely dependent on the emotional status of the workforce. Employees who felt informed, reassured, and cared for were willing to go to extraordinary lengths to maintain safety, productivity, and performance. 12

• Proximity - help must be physically available nearest the point of need; • Immediacy – support must be readily and easily accessible; • Expectancy – support activities are focused on enhancing coping and resilience; and • Simplicity – all aid must be quick and immediately applicable due to time-constraints.

on behalf of and representing the EAP that requested the service for their customer.) By incorporating a proprietary scheduling application to the video platform, participants could anonymously secure a desired time slot immediately following the session with the same consultant who facilitated the group. This approach ensured that only two participants could enter the virtual room at any one time, the employee and the counselor, which preserved confidentiality and continuity. By offering different access points for assistance, TeleDEM has proven to be effective at creating a safe, secure, and facilitated venue for self-quarantining workgroups to reconnect, share mutual support, and receive strategies on coping and well-being.

The P.I.E.S. principle originated in the military as a means of providing behavioral health support while still maintaining a focus on operational functionality, or “mission readiness”. This is a key objective when supporting essential services in a crisis. DEM consultants were strategically placed in work organizations to maximize confidentiality and accessibility. As authorized and as appropriate, the onsite consultants engaged in strategic outreach to specific workgroups in highpressure roles to ensure all employees were aware of this resource.

Lesson #3: Meet people where they are at. For those industries whose functions necessitated continued operations at a physical location, a different approach was needed. For example, it was not feasible for healthcare workers at the frontlines of combating the coronavirus to attend virtual meetings scheduled at the convenience of a counselor. They needed to access support and encouragement spontaneously and at their own initiative, when they had time to do so, if they did at all. Similarly, retail and food supply distribution workers were suddenly thrust into a critical role in this national emergency: shelter-in-place orders could only be achieved if food and supplies were consistently available, a demand that increased exponentially. Unlike healthcare workers, however, this group of employees did not choose this job with the expectation that “life and death” implications would depend on their ability to perform, and the intense pressure and long hours created an unusually stressful situation for this employee demographic. For both of these critical industries, a telephonic or video-based method of emotional support did not meet their needs and was viewed as literally “phoning it in.” While these employees extended themselves in extraordinary efforts at the worksite, we felt compelled to do the same. To put it bluntly, if they had to show up, they expected their EAP to show up. A commitment was made early on to serve critical infrastructure organizations through the deployment of onsite consultants, adapting the principle of P.I.E.S. to guide the response:

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| JOURNAL OF EMPLOYEE ASSISTANCE | 3rd Quarter 2020 |

coverstory Lesson #4: Safety measures enhance service delivery. To mitigate exposure and minimize risk for both employees being served and our DEM consultants delivering services, we engaged in extensive consultation with host organizations prior to deploying onsite. Every effort was made to ensure compliance with evolving CDC and WHO-recommended guidelines before and during all service deployments. This included maintaining social distancing, use of PPE, access to handwashing facilities, screening for COVID-19 symptoms, regular cleaning/ disinfecting of facility, etc. Similarly, DEM consultants were screened prior to dispatch on a variety of criteria, including recent

international travel, exposure to anyone with COVID19, and any current or past symptoms along with other questions. As always, consultants were free to decline and were encouraged to do so if they were unsure. In particularly high-intensity locations, direct clinical coaching and group sessions (virtual “fireside chats”) were offered to onsite providers to support their wellbeing as well. During what could be considered the initial acute phase of the COVID-19 outbreak in the United States (Feb. 1 – May 1, 2020), onsite DEM consultants logged over 50,000 discreet employee interactions on behalf of EAPs, including:

4 P’s of Resilience

Coaching Pandemic Resilience – A Model for Organizational Leaders This “4 P’s” of resilience do not represent a linear progression, rather they illustrate four precepts for organizational leaders to keep in mind to enhance pandemic resilience among their employees. The “4 P’s” are designed to be general enough in nature that they can easily apply or be adapted to both onsite and remote situations – recognizing that some leaders may be managing both types of employees simultaneously. Presence  Be mindful of your emotional state before interacting with your team – a leader’s emotional presentation will set the tone (i.e. confident vs anxious, calm vs frustrated, etc.)  Encourage your team to be where they are: Create a clear demarcation between work and home. In other words, when at work, BE at work…when at home, BE at home. • Attention needs to be focused when engaged in work activities, with a clear end time. • Re-engage when in “home mode” – resist the urge to “just check in” at work. For those unfamiliar with working remotely, knowing when to let work go can be challenging. “Just a little bit more” is tempting, but it leads to overwork and exhaustion. • Create rituals to aid the transition from work to home, especially when they are the same location. These include simple actions like changing clothes, closing a laptop, or even taking a brief walk around the block when the workday is done.

Patience  Go easy on yourself. Remember this experience is unprecedented – no one has all the answers.  Under stress, it’s easy to overreact to minor frustrations and to ascribe negative connotations like, “You MEANT to do that!” Instead, be gracious and assume good intent with coworkers.  Don’t sweat the small stuff.  Celebrate the small victories Purpose  Recognize the value of your role and efforts to the mission at hand. All of our positive efforts during this crisis contribute to the greater good…for ourselves, our companies, and our communities.  Freely acknowledge the contributions of others.  Keep a larger perspective – this too shall pass.  We’re all in this together. Perseverance  Pandemic resilience is a marathon, not a sprint. Set your pace accordingly.  The goal is management, not immediate resolution.  Accept what you cannot change but change what you can.  Envision the post-crisis future in positive terms. – Jeff Gorter

• Offering supportive conversations; • Providing immediate, solution-focused consultations; • Teaching coping skills; • Providing stabilization and triage for those suffering from acute distress; and • Informing workers of EA benefits, including assisting with a telephonic “warm transfer” to the EAP for additional resources.

In short, championing their purpose. Not only does it empower workers in the present circumstance, it engenders greater loyalty in the future. Summary Undoubtably, more lessons will be learned as the response continues and further challenges emerge, along with subsequent adaptations. As in so many crises in the past, EA professionals are uniquely positioned to offer expert consultation and behavioral health support to corporate executives and frontline workers alike. The care, compassion, and practical assistance EAPs deliver has never been in more demand nor more urgently needed by the business community. And we will not let them down. v

By following appropriate safety guidelines, employees felt confident accessing onsite support and were affirmed by the presence of immediate aid, if and when they needed it. During the course of the acute phase, there were no reported instances of any DEM consultants contracting the virus – a positive outcome for all parties.

Jeff Gorter, MSW, LCSW, is VP of Crisis Response Services at R3 Continuum. Mr. Gorter brings more than 30 years of clinical experience including consultation and extensive on-site critical incident response to businesses and communities. He has responded directly to the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, Hurricane Katrina, the Virginia Tech shootings, the Deepwater Horizon Oil spill, the earthquake/tsunami in Japan, the Newtown Tragedy, the Orlando Pulse Nightclub Shooting and the Las Vegas Shooting. He may be reached at jeff.gorter@r3c.com.

Lesson #5: Strive for adaptability over perfection. We have not faced a crisis like this in over 100 years, and so we don’t have a well-worn “Pandemic Playbook” to refer to for guidance. As a result, EAPs and business leaders alike were challenged with an immediate need to adapt to an unclear and evolving situation, meaning many attempted solutions were experimental. Business leaders needed coaching and consultation as they sought to meet a wholesale challenge to their employees’ psychological safety. Many of those efforts required course changes as the situation rapidly evolved. However, when leaders were seen attending to their employees’ emotional well-being, employees were more likely to partner with leadership in pursuit of solutions, responding with understanding if a change was deemed necessary. Patience with employees, ourselves, and our communities is essential.

Upcoming features include:

Lesson #6: There is power in purpose. There is little doubt that the COVID-19 pandemic will be considered a “seminal event”, the kind of crisis that stands out in our life stories and creates an indelible marker in our collective memory. It’s human nature therefore to want to assess one’s role during such times and ask “What did I do during that crisis? Was I effective or powerless…a hero or a victim?” Employees need to know that their efforts and sacrifices matter, whether it is sheltering-in-place at home or staffing an ICU. Wise leaders lean into the narrative by clearly explaining the mission of the company in this crisis, acknowledging the value of all employee efforts, and offering tangible support to those who are struggling.

 Future of EAP  History of EAP in US  EAP Counseling is Good for Business

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| JOURNAL OF EMPLOYEE ASSISTANCE | 3rd Quarter 2020 |