Child and Family Services Employee Assistance Program (EAP) was recently recognized at a national conference in Portland, Oregon. Megan Andrews, Director of Child and Family Services EAP along with EAP’s Clinical Services Supervisor Jennifer Schultz, presented at the 2023 Employee Assistance Professionals Association Institute & Expo Conference. Their presentation highlighted EAP’s critical incident response after Buffalo’s mass shooting on May 14, 2022, on Jefferson Avenue.

When beginning their presentation, Megan opened a slide containing the names of the ten victims of the 5/14 shooting. At first, she said nothing. The slide remained on the screen, and the room was silent. As the room sat, she recalled how she felt when she first heard of the shooting.

“People lost their lives and their sense of safety,” Megan said. “It’s in honor of them that we were able to share their story on a national stage.”

Workplace mental health services like employee assistance programs have a unique opportunity to provide prompt education and direct support to organizational leadership, employees and their household members. Providing easy access to high quality mental health service creates a safe environment for individuals, families and the community.

“Our role as an EAP is to provide support when there are gaps in service or areas where improvement is needed,” stated Megan. “Being able to present this information and share our expertise with other EAP professionals was incredibly rewarding – as if our own program’s message is now reaching individuals from across the country.”

Megan and Jennifer emphasized the importance of establishing relationships with the contracted organizations prior to a crisis, connecting with diverse counseling professionals in the community and practicing personal emotional regulation.

“The 5/14 mass shooting affected our community at large and our program was proud to work with local organizations to support people impacted,” Megan emphasized. “This was also an opportunity to highlight this tragedy and the racism and violence that is present in our country. Continued focus on this topic is required to elevate awareness and promote equity.”

If you are interested in learning more about EAP’s services, please visit eap.cfsbny.org or call (716) 681-4300.