28 JULY AUGUST 2024 | THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL cultivating environments that encourage emotional well-being and providing tools to navigate challenges unique to the Foreign Service. Resilience is not simply an individual’s responsibility. Employees work best and are healthiest when they are part of organized, functional teams, offices, bureaus, and missions. When AFSA/Staff Care survey respondents were asked which of several organizational stressors had affected them negatively at USAID, 79 percent noted excessive workload, with lack of management/leadership support a close second. Even in high-threat environments, organizational stressors were more significant than external environmental stressors. Many respondents felt overwhelmed by the volume of work and the expectations placed on them, citing heavy workloads, long work hours, relentless deadlines, unrealistic expectations, constant pressure to perform, and the pressure to manage multiple responsibilities simultaneously. All of this leads to exhaustion, burnout, and difficulty in maintaining personal and professional interest, affecting physical and mental health. Some respondents described toxic work environments where they experienced various forms of mistreatment or harassment, including bullying, discrimination, racial insensitivity, and sexual harassment that contributed to feelings of stress, anxiety, depression, and low morale. Some cited a lack of adequate resources for dealing with mental health issues, such as difficulty accessing counseling. And some felt undervalued or unrecognized for their contributions, leading to feelings of frustration, isolation, disillusionment, and reduced job satisfaction. Organizational stress can impede both the individual’s and the group’s ability to bounce back and effectively tackle issues. The Staff Care Organizational Resilience Team specifically addresses this by working with units to help manage organizational stress. These services complement Staff Care’s work with individuals by developing workplace environments with healthy teams and increased levels of employee engagement. A focus on individual and organizational resilience is just one way that Staff Care uses a holistic approach to support USAID employees. Traditional employee assistance counseling is offered not only to staff but also to family members. Critical incident response, psychoeducational evaluations, training, and support groups all address mental health and the multifaceted effects of trauma. Available services also promote physical health and worklife balance. Organizational resilience services include data-gathering on team functioning, resulting in interventions focused on team culture, change management, communication, and more. A Continuing Priority USAID has been a leader in prioritizing and understanding the mental health support needs of employees and their families serving overseas. The USAID Staff Care program and initiatives demonstrate to employees that not only does their work matter, but they matter as individuals. Staff Care offers workshops through its U.S. direct-hire licensed clinical social workers. These social workers are assigned to Washington, D.C., and provide the full spectrum of employee assistance services, including case management. This support is designed to ensure the highest level of readiness by helping Foreign Service employees navigate challenging assignments, personal problems, Exceptions Committee requests for compassionate curtailment or curtailment for professional needs, medical clearances, and performance and conduct processes. The program offers workshops to help employees build knowledge, skills, and healthy habits for stress management, increased resilience, and improved well-being. The wellness and work-life program connects the entire USAID workforce (regardless of staffing mechanism) and their family members with internal and external resources, services, and referrals to reduce stress. Those programs include, but are not limited to, the following: •the Caregiver Action Network, a national organization that supports individuals who care for aging loved ones or family members coping with chronic health conditions; •the Parent Encouragement Program, offering the USAID workforce and their family members access to parenting support programs; • the USAID lactation program; •a child-care subsidy for eligible U.S. direct-hire USAID employees based in the United States; and • free legal and financial education and referrals. Workplace mental health and well-being is critical to ensuring mission readiness across the U.S. government and within the agency. USAID will continue its work to improve and support the current and next generation of FS employees. n FS employees may fear that acknowledging mental health challenges could tarnish their reputations within the tight-knit community of diplomats.
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