eni Crisis Response to Binghamton Shootings

Like people all over the country, the entire team at eni is deeply saddened by last week’s shooting at the American Civic Association in Binghamton, New York that left 13 victims and the gunman dead. You can read CNN’s coverage of the tragedy at http://www.cnn.com/2009/CRIME/04/05/binghamton.shooting/index.html?eref=rss_topstories or on the local Binghamton Press site at http://pressconnects.com/

As Employee Assistance Program (EAP) providers, eni is experienced in helping people cope in the aftermath of traumatic events. This week, eni counselors and networked mental health professionals are on-site in Binghamton with some of our clients, including Binghamton first responder agencies, city and county employees and school employees performing Critical Incident Stress Debriefings (CISD’s).

Although not always as violent or wide-spread as last week’s tragedy, critical incidents occur in workplaces more frequently than most would assume. Traumatic events can include the death of an employee or an employee’s family member, the diagnosis of a serious illness, experience with crime or similar type of intense trauma, or even the experience of layoffs. Following a critical event, it is unrealistic to expect people to jump back into their daily work schedule and remain focused productive and unaffected. It is important in these situations for management, staff, and even family members to gain some sense of perspective, have a chance to listen, recognize or communicate their thoughts and feelings, and begin working together toward a state of recovery. The most affective response to this situation is to recognize the expert support your EAP provides, and to call on this resource as soon as possible to provide the support your organization, and sometimes your community, needs to begin coping in a healthy way.

What reactions can employers expect following a traumatic event?
After a crisis or trauma, it is expected that people will feel shock, anxiety and confusion. Some may have trouble sleeping or eating, and may experience feelings of depression or grief.
In the midst of their shock, it is understandable that staff members can have trouble focusing on their work, struggle with inter-office relationships, or may want to isolate themselves. The natural response to stress is to retract, rather than to reach out for help when it is needed, and therefore supervisors should pay close attention to employees that are withdrawing, and remind them of the confidential and ongoing support available through their EAP.

The benefit of having a coordinated CISD response by trained EAP professionals is that we provide a safe, trusted supportive resource to help employees address their thoughts and fears in healthy, productive ways, connect them with people who have gone through similar trauma and identify potentially serious problems that may need further professional help. The eni team works with employees and management on an ongoing basis to effectively deal with the situation at hand, and to help facilitate a healthy return to daily work activities by helping employees remain productive.

How to get help
eni clients and their employees have 24/7 access to our CISD services following any type of traumatic events by simply contacting an eni Care Manager. If you are not currently a client of eni but would like to offer EAP or CISD services to your employees if and when needed, call 1.800.364.4748, email eniSolutions@eniweb.com, or visit us online at www.eniweb.com

EAP and CISD services can help focus and ground employees, and get things back to normal more quickly. They can also help employees avoid falling into the trap of unhealthy coping mechanisms such as over-eating, avoidable illness and absenteeism or substance abuse.
No one can predict when a crisis may happen, but often a company’s culture of attention to employee health and well-being shows in the way it responds.