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Helping USA Heal. The tragedy of September 11, 2001, has affected all of us. To
assist employees in finding sources of information on dealing with the events that took
place, we have identified several sources of information on how to cope with reactions and
emotions following a life-altering event. Messages and memoranda issued to DOI employees
by the Office of Personnel Policy following the tragic events, are also provided. We have
also listed organizations that you can contact for assistance during this healing process.
We will update our listings periodically. If you have found any additional resources that
would benefit our employees, please e:mail our point of contact,
Jacqueline_Johnston@os.doi.gov with the resource information.
Employee Assistance Program
Each bureau in the Department of the Interior has an Employee Assistance Program (EAP).
The EAP counselors provide assistance to Interior employees and their immediate family
members for emotional and stress-related issues. They also provide counseling in other
areas such as alcohol abuse and financial, job, and family issues. The EAP services are
completely confidential and are staffed with professional counselors.
Your bureau servicing personnel office can provide additional information on the EAP
program with telephone numbers to call for assistance. Most of the employees in the
Main Interior Building have EAP services provided by Federal Occupational Health. The
phone number is 1-800-222-0364, or you can call the on-site EAP counselor for assistance
at (202) 219-3938. Employees of the Minerals Management Service and Office of Surface
Mining in the Washington, DC area have EAP services by COPE, Inc. The telephone number is
(202) 628-5100, or toll-free at 1-800-247-3054.
Stress Reduction Lab. Please keep in mind that there is a Stress Reduction Lab
located in the Main Interior Building, room 4459. The Stress Reduction Lab is a quiet room
where an employee can select from written materials, audio tapes, or video tapes to learn
about stress and related topics, and practice strategies for relaxation. Call (202)
219-3938 and set up an appointment with a counselor who will meet with you and recommend
strategies for dealing with stress.
EAP Sources:
Federal Occupational
Health. In response to our nation's tragedy, the Federal Occupational Health EAP has
been sending out articles and fact sheets on how to deal with this terrible tragedy; two
of these articles are attached that deal with grief and bereavement. FOH's web sites are:
www.foh4you.com and www.foh.dhhs.gov.
Assisting Children . Significant guidance is available on assisting children. Some
general advice from the experts includes:
- Continuously reassure your children that you will help to keep them safe. Children
respond to a sense of security. They need a lot of hugs. They will need repeated support
and reassurance.
- Turn off the TV. Overexposure to the media can be traumatizing. If your older children
are watching the news, be sure to watch with them. Limit exposure to minimize risk for all
family members. Instead, talk to each other and read books together.
- Be aware that your child's age will affect his or her response.
Adolescents in particular may be hard hit by these kinds of events.
Obtaining counseling for a child or adolescent soon after a disaster may reduce long-term
effects.
- Contact your child's school. Partner with them to provide assistance and exchange
information. Your child's teacher provides significant guidance. Be aware of what is being
shared. Spend time with your child discussing what was accomplished or discussed at
school.
- Calmly express your emotions. Your ability to stay calm will provide a greater sense of
security for your child.
- Give your children extra time and attention and plan to spend more time with your
children in the following months.
- Let your children ask questions, talk about what happened, and express their feelings.
- Play with children who can't talk yet to help them work out their fears and respond to
the atmosphere around them.
- Keep regular schedules for activities such as eating, playing and going to bed to help
restore a sense of security and normalcy.
- Consider how you and your child can help. Children are better able to regain their sense
of power and security if they feel they can help in some way.
The following sites address children issues:
The Parent Center: www.parentcenter.com/general/34754.html
American Academy of Pediatrics:
www.aap.org/advocacy/releases/disastercomm.htm
American Psychological Association:
http://helping.apa.org/therapy/traumaticstress.html#children
American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry: http://www.aacap.org/
In the wake of the attack on the World Trade Center, thousands of people
have been deployed to New York city and many more are being deployed
overseas. This is a difficult time for all involved. Attached are two
articles to help families prepare for this event.
Additional information on a variety of related subjects is available at the following
sites:
First Gov provides a consolidation of various links and resources at
http://www.firstgov.gov/featured/usgresponse.html
The Department of Justice has an excellent resource for victims at
http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/ovc/familycallcenter.htm
. The publications section provides a book called Responding to Terrorism Victims: Oklahoma City and Beyond
that is very useful.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency provides information on
financial assistance and other issues at http://www.fema.gov
The National Institute of Mental Health provides excellent guidance
at http://www.nimh.nih.gov/anxiety/ptsdmenu.cfm
The Oklahoma City National Memorial shares their experiences with us
at http://www.oklahomacitynationalmemorial.org/
The Oklahoma City National Memorial Institute for the Prevention of
Terrorism shares their knowledge and experience at http://www.mipt.org/
The International Critical Incidence Stress Foundation, Inc., provides guidance and
studies on interventions after traumatic events at http://www.icisf.org
The Employee Assistance Professionals Association website provides
links to excellent resources at http://www.eap-association.org
The LifeCare website provides a variety of resources at http://www.lifecare.com/emergency/index.html
TAPS-The Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors is a national
non-profit organization made up of, and providing services to, all those who have lost a
loved one while serving in the Armed Forces. The Resource Room on this site has several
excellent links. Again, the focus of this organization is assistance to DOD personnel;
however, all can benefit from the information. This is available at is available at http://www.taps.org.
Post-Disaster Information Issued by the
Office of Personnel Management and the DOI's Office of Personnel Policy"
Listed below are issuances recently issued by the Office of Personnel Management and the DOI's Office of Personnel Policy as a result of the
attacks on America:
WHAT YOU CAN DO
Fly the American Flag
Give Blood Donations:
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American Red Cross (800) 448.3543 or Spanish Information (800) 257.7575
America's Blood Centers (888)256.6388
The New York Blood Center (800) 933.2566 (Blood Drive Locator)
Virginia INOVA Blood Donor Services (866) 256.6372 or (703) 698.3885
Give Cash Donations:
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Combined Federal Campaign Relief Funds
Invest in America:
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Buy U.S. Savings Bonds
Buy T-Bills, Notes and Bonds direct from the U.S. Treasury online or call (800)722.2678
Send a Note of Encouragement
The events of Tuesday, Sept. 11, have left an enormous loss of life in their wake. Many
civilians and rescue workers have been killed, and the survivors and remaining rescue
workers are being forced to function amid unimaginable circumstances. If you would like to
send a note of encouragement to those impacted by the tragic events of Sept. 11, the
addresses are as follows:
E-Mail a Holiday Greeting to Service Member:
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Greetings can be sent to service members from one or all branches of the military via internet at:
www.LIFELines2000.org or http://AnyServiceMember.Navy.mil
To send a donation or a letter to help the victims of the World Trade Center tragedy,
write:
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World Trade Center Relief Fund
P.O. Box 5028
Albany, NY 12205
To send letters of encouragement to the following New York City officials, write:
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Mayor Rudolph Giuliani
New York City Hall
1 City Hall
New York, NY 10007-1200
Commissioner Bernard Kerik
New York City Police Department
Community Relations
1 Police Plaza
New York, NY 10038-1497
Note: Almost 60 police officers were missing and feared dead, as of Sept. 12
Commissioner Thomas Von Essen
New York City Fire Department
1 Chase Manhattan Plaza
New York, NY 10005
Note: More than 200 firefighters were missing and feared dead, as of Sept. 12
To send letters relating to the Pentagon deaths, write:
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Secretary Donald Rumsfeld
The Pentagon
Washington, DC 20301-0003
To send letters to the airlines involved in the attacks, write:
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James E. Goodwin, CEO
United Customer Relations
P.O. Box 66100
Chicago, IL 60666
Note: Sixteen crew members and 94 passengers were killed in the crashes of the two
United Airlines planes that were hijacked.
Don Carty, CEO
American Airlines
4333 Amon Carter Blvd.
Fort Worth, TX 76155
Note: Seventeen crew members and at least 110 passengers were killed in the crashes of
the two American Airlines planes that were hijacked.
Please also consider sending a letter of encouragement to President Bush, as he is
making critical decisions about the nation's response to these attacks:
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President George W. Bush
The White House
Washington, DC 20500
Bioterroism Precautions
Anthrax
Mail Safety
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