Quarterly Report FY23-Q2: Staff Care Service Center and Related Support Services

In-person support increased during this period, with SCSC advisors and counselors conducting TDYs to various locations, including USAID/Bosnia and USAID/Ukraine/Office of Economic Growth (OEG) and Office of Health (OH). The SCSC also facilitated staff meetings and provided support for operating units, including the Prosper Africa (Presidential Initiative) team. The SCSC provided support for individuals through Employee Assistance Program (EAP) counseling, Wellness and Work-Life services, Leadership Consultations, and Manager Assist. A total of 271 individuals received support, including 169 individuals/couples in 26 Missions and the U.S. who began counseling, and 56 individuals who received Work-Life advice/referrals. The SCSC also provided support for 17 families and their 22 children through the Child-Care Subsidy Program. In addition to individual support, the SCSC provided support for operating units, including 945 staff in 33 engagements with different operating units. This support included Staff Care Overviews, EAP support, Resilience trainings, and Organizational Resilience (OR) assessments. The SCSC also provided proactive Agency-wide support, including webinars on caring for caregivers, financial issues, parenting, mental health, individual and organizational resilience, wellness, and work-life balance. A total of 3,329 staff participated in these programs during FY23-Q2. The top 5 concerns for counseling clients were family/relationship concerns, anxiety, daily living (mental/behavioral health), emotion regulation, and financial issues. The top 5 categories of presenting issues assessed by the Staff Care Call Center were personal stress, workplace stress, conflict at work, anxiety/panic, and low mood. Key themes for Mission/Washington engagements included work overload and insufficient staffing, high number and frequency of changes in leadership, staff turnover, reorganization, and change initiatives, and silos between departments/teams. The SCSC reported an average satisfaction rate of 96% with SCSC counselors/facilitators/trainers. The estimated value of saved work days was $124,263. The SCSC continually adapts its services in response to staff needs and demands, developing new webinars, resources, and services for individual and organizational resilience and well-being, health and wellness, and work-life effectiveness. The SCSC provided support for various operating units, including the Prosper Africa (Presidential Initiative) team, which participated in customized SCSC-facilitated Organizational Resilience (OR) assessments, team/office engagements, meetings, leadership consultations, and follow-up support. The SCSC also provided support for 331 staff in 3 Missions, 2 B/IOs, and a group of EFMs/FSOs who received Staff Care Overviews, including information about resilience and Staff Care resources. The SCSC reported that work overload and insufficient staffing are contributing to stress and burnout for many people, and that the high number and frequency of changes in leadership, staff turnover, reorganization, and change initiatives are disruptive and stressful. The SCSC also reported that people report that there are silos between departments/teams, conflict between people, culture and values clashes, and tensions between long-term and newer staff/leaders.