Stress Management Tips - After A Hurricane Evacuation
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For other information, please go to our Employee Assistance Program website at www.EAPWEBSITE.COM. The login code is: St. Tammany Schools. The EAP telephone numbers are: 1-800-256-1575 or 1-504-832-1170. You may call these numbers to speak with a counselor 24/7.
Our Employee Assistance Program recommends that our employees visit crisiscare.com. This is the website for Crisis Care Network, a company that the EAP has used in the past to assist in crisis management. They have a short video addressing Hurricane Gustav issues and other information on crisis management for employers. They provide some guidance in a phased approach: moving from basics such as food and shelter, to re-establishing connectivity and a sense of community, to moving from chaos to order as quickly as possible, to moving from helplessness to efficacy and confidence, and finally moving from victim to survivor.
Evidence based, research backed principles for all crisis intervention include (as listed from the Crisis Care Network website):
1. The vast majority of people exposed to traumatic events will exercise their innate resiliency and will recover within 4 - 6 weeks of the event without the need for clinical intervention.
2. The most pressing needs at the time of impact center on practical, instrumental assistance and the reassurance that comes from well- structured, comprehensive, and responsive actions from their organization.
3. Immediate assistance for victims of disaster and other traumatic events should center first and foremost around non-clinical, humanitarian support that involves addressing basic needs (food, clothing, and shelter) and supportive palliative care.
4. The best predictor of an individual's potential to recover is pre- morbid functioning/disposition, not the intensity or duration of event, or type of clinical intervention provided within the first 4 weeks. The best facilitation for the climate of recovery comes from the perception of social support and responsiveness on the part of the workplace and employer.
5. The most effective evidence based post-trauma clinical intervention for individuals indicating, via assessment, the persistence of symptoms 4 - 6 weeks post incident is CBT (cognitive behavioral therapy).
Retired Teachers Association Dues Payable By Payroll Deduction
Public school teachers in St. Tammany Parish now have the option to pay associate membership fees or renewal dues to the Louisiana Retired Teachers Association (LRTA) through a payroll deduction plan.
Dr. Johnny Foster, a retired St. Tammany educator and a past president of the LRTA, is travelling across the state speaking to teacher employee groups to encourage them to join and renew as “associate members” in the association. Last year, 450 new associate members joined following his visits to schools across the parish. Overall, the group has 18,000 members statewide.
The forms needed to sign up for payroll deduction are available through the LRTA or the St. Tammany Parish School Board payroll department. Once the form is signed and returned to the Human Resources Office, the deduction can be set up. “Since the dues are only $10 per year, the amount will be deducted in total one time upon authorization,” said Brett Stoltz, Director of Business Affairs.
St. Tammany Parish is the first School System in the state to offer the payroll deduction for LTRA membership dues, Dr. Foster said.
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Keeping the staff of the School System well informed about significant programs, events, dates, and opportunities is important not only to the staff but also to students within the System. From benefits to bulletin boards, the System Web site is a beneficial source of useful and timely information. Staff can stay current on frequently updated instructional, administrative, and employee information by checking the Web site often.
