The Foreign Service Journal, January-February 2016

34 JANUARY-FEBRUARY 2016 | THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL members of the group are diverse, so are their audi- ences. I’m designing a course based on my own experi- ences and personal study of resilience literature and am translating the concepts into a message that will resonate with my particular audi- ence—DS special agents. A Model for Care I’ll never know for sure if the patron saint of DS agents was looking after me, or whether my situation was a series of lucky events. But I believe that if everyone at State were treated the way I was treated—provided with a support network that offered hope, the right environment and new opportunities—the fear of admit- ting that one is unwell or the fear of taking on challenging (and oftentimes dangerous) assignments would decrease. I believe that if we send people into harm’s way we have a moral obligation to make sure they get the best help available before, during and after they need it. If the whole department invested in those employees who are in crisis and created an environment where the ill could recover, we would be a more resilient organization with a cadre of future leaders who, having overcome major life challenges, would have a greater sense of purpose, loyalty to the organization and wisdom to contribute to a stronger State Department. n If everyone at State were treated the way I was treated— provided with a support network that offered hope, the right environment and new opportunities—the fear of admitting that one is unwell would decrease.