FY21-Q1 Report: USAID Staff Care Employee Assistance and Resilience Services Contract

SCSC's efforts were largely devoted to ongoing support to the USAID community during COVID-19 by all programmatic areas, including Communications, Employee Assistance Program (EAP), Organizational Resilience (OR), Resilience Training and Knowledge Management, Wellness, and Work Life. Five hundred eighty-two staff and family members participated in 38 webinars on 16 topics, spanning all SCSC programs, such as resilience practice, work life balance, leadership development, healthy eating, financial wellness, caregiver support, and navigating uncertainty. Notable activities also included the annual 21-Day Gratitude Challenge, which had a record 541 participants. The EAP program facilitated a 5-session Parenting Support Group for 12 parents. The Work-Life program began planning for the new Caregiver Action Employee Network and the OR program conducted a needs assessment for a new Coaching Program, both to be launched in Q2. During Q1, SCSC witnessed an increase in the workforce's level of stress and anxiety surrounding the ongoing pandemic, especially as COVID-19 cases surged around the world during this time. The ongoing crisis has led to increased pandemic fatigue, mental health issues, and strained relationships at work and at home. SCSC supported 146 staff in 4 Missions, primarily in response to critical incidents involving the deaths of colleagues from COVID-19 in Missions in Angola, Kosovo, and Mozambique, as well as providing resilience training for staff in USAID/Ghana and the West Africa Regional Mission. SCSC supported 310 staff in 6 Washington teams to build organizational resilience, team cohesion, and leadership effectiveness amidst COVID-19 and the ongoing Transformation. SCSC provided EAP support to 132 individuals/couples in 146 cases to address emotional health, family/relationship concerns, and work concerns, especially related to COVID-19, parenting, and separation. SCSC also provided resilience training and education for 126 staff in DDI, GH, and OAPA, and 3 manager consultations. SCSC provided wellness coaching for 12 staff. SCSC work-life services supported 449 individuals through workshops, coaching, consultations, and referrals for 180 individuals to address legal and financial issues, dependent care, work and life effectiveness, and through the Parent Encouragement Program (PEP), which has 269 participants, including 17 new participants, who enrolled in 47 courses in Q1. SCSC services resulted in an estimated 319 work days saved, valued at $104,207, and helped improve individual and team performance, stress, resilience, well-being, job satisfaction, morale, and commitment to USAID. An average of 95% of individuals who completed an evaluation survey were satisfied with the service they received. Due to the high demand for services, Staff Care hired an additional half-time EAP counselor and full-time and half-time OR Advisors in Q1 and initiated a search for a half-time OR Advisor to be hired in Q2. The top 5 concerns for counseling clients were emotional health, legal issues, family/relationship concerns, daily living, and workplace concerns. The top 5 concerns for work-life clients were emotional health, legal issues, family/relationship concerns, daily living, and workplace concerns. Key themes for Mission/Washington engagements included high stress, grief and loss, change and uncertainty, and pandemic fatigue due to COVID-19, especially among Foreign Service Nationals (FSNs).