MAP: Coping with a Serious Injury or Death
on the Job
When
members witness an accident on the job that results in
serious injury or death, they may be left with a range
of emotions, including anger, guilt, and a sense of helplessness.
Those are perfectly normal feelings. A tragic accident
affects everyone on a job site. The reality is that despite
improvements in job-site safety, construction can be
a dangerous business.
Last year, BAC members working on a construction project
at a private university faced such a tragedy when a scaffold
collapsed and killed one of their own. Karen Grear, BAC’s
Member Assistance Program Director, conducted a Critical
Incident Debriefing at the job to help members work through
their feelings and in turn begin the healing process. “What
impressed me most,” says Grear, “is how well
the members on the job site supported one another. They
were genuinely concerned for the welfare of those most
affected by the loss. They pulled together as a team
to help each other cope. It took great courage to respond
with such dignity in the face of tragedy.”
Proper counseling after traumatic events, such as a
job site death, can help keep members from compounding
the emotional distress they suffer and the debilitating
effects that may result. Grear explains that Critical
Incident Debriefing is used by mental health practitioners
to provide on-the-spot therapy to disaster survivors.
One or more therapists travel immediately to the disaster
site and provide crisis intervention and psychotherapy
services. When counseling is delayed or not given, some
survivors may develop serious and even debilitating emotional
problems.
Critical Incident Debriefing helps trauma survivors
identify, communicate, and understand feelings and reactions
to the tragedy. “Having an opportunity to talk
out feelings with other survivors is a critical first
step in the healing process. Sharing feelings with others
and receiving their support helps people to overcome
a devastating sense of loss,” adds Grear.
If you or someone in your family needs help coping
with loss, contact the BAC Member Assistance Program
(MAP) to speak privately to a licensed mental health
professional. All calls are confidential. MAP assists
active and retired BAC members and their immediate
families with problems such as depression, stress,
family conflicts, alcohol and drug abuse, and retirement
concerns. MAP generally is open Monday through Friday
from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. EST by calling toll-free 1-888-880-8820.
“Just ask for MAP.”
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