August 5-9, 2024 Boston Convention and Exhibition Center
EMERGENCY RESPONSE TEAM
Second is the Emer- gency Response Team (ERT), an emergency re- sponse support program to assist members who have been affected by a traumatic incident on or off the job. The ERT offers peer-to-peer sup- port with critical events, such as deaths and life- altering injuries. We are all aware that far too many letter carri- ers have been victims of crime, assault and oth- er traumatic incidents while at work. Addition- ally, some of our mem- bers have been victims of or witnessed mass
groups. Upon completion of the three-day training, the attendees were certified by the ICISF. In addition, the team members learned about the postal-specific resources for responding to mem- bers in crisis. They left with the knowledge, tools and techniques necessary to provide crisis sup- port to groups and to recommend follow-up services. An additional session is scheduled this fall to provide more in-depth training on suicide awareness and prevention for the members of our ERT. The goal of the program is not to replace medical or professional help, but to serve as a peer-to-peer support program that can help someone get the help they may need. We are excited to expand the ERT’s assistance in the future to situations involving suicide aware- ness, suicide prevention, mental health issues or substance abuse. I am always in awe that our mem- bers are so often willing to stand up to help each other. The future is not certain and none of us know when we might find ourselves in crisis. But I do know this for sure—when given the knowledge and opportu- nity to help their brothers and sis- ters, they always step up to do so. Third is a women’s mentoring pro- gram to identify, support and de- velop our current and future female leaders. It is undeniable that women who take on or wish to take on a new responsibility or leadership role face different challenges than men. As a union, we should be doing every- thing possible to make it easy and accessible for women who want to step up in their branches. This pro- gram will have experienced mentors who can help other women navigate their roles as NALC leaders. With the support of other women, we hope it will result in more women serving in leadership roles at the branch level and beyond. Finally, we also are forming a group of NALC members to look at issues related to diversity and in- clusion. One of our union’s greatest strengths is our diversity. This com-
EMERGENCY RESPONSE TEAM
Training members of the Emergency Response Team
shootings, natural disasters and other life-altering events outside of work. When I first introduced this program at the rap session in No- vember 2023, I referenced the then- recent mass shooting in Lewiston, ME, where NALC member Brother Stephen Vozzella was killed. My hope is that the ERT will be a re- source of information and alleviate members’ suffering in heartbreak- ing situations like this. In March 2024, we held our first ERT training for 29 members from around the country who were select- ed for this program. This training taught the new ERT members how to best support their brothers and sisters who have suffered from a traumatic event. The first three days featured in-depth training by Dr. Jef- frey M. Lating of the International Critical Incident Stress Foundation (ICISF), a leader in providing training on comprehensive crisis interven- tion and disaster behavioral health services to emergency responders and other professions. The team members were given tools, often described as “emotional first aid,” to assist people experiencing trau- ma-related mental health effects. They learned the core elements of a comprehensive, systematic and multicomponent crisis intervention curriculum both for individuals and
34 The Postal Record August 2024
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