Major changes in Jileah Lueth’s department were stressing some coworkers.
So Lueth, Human Resources associate with Information and Technology Services, reached out to the Faculty and Staff Assistance Program (FASAP) and its brown bag lunch time on-site educational programs.
“We had a lot of transition going on, a lot of people were moving to different managers,” she says. “We picked (the program) Strategies for Dealing with Difficult People. We thought it would be a good one for staff to have.”
“It definitely helped,” says Kris Carlson, ITS database administrator, who attended both brown bag sessions. “They talked about The Four Agreements. I have it tacked up just to remind myself: “Don’t take anything personally, be impeccable with your word, don’t make assumptions, and always do your best.”
Their comments come at a time when the interest in another FASAP service, counseling sessions, has increased. More than 1,000 utilized those services last year, which is up from the prior year by more than 10 percent. While Director Thomas Waldecker says that’s good news, he’d also like to build interest in FASAP’s educational programs. They include multi-week programs and lunch sessions presented on-site to requesting units.
To draw interest and better serve faculty and staff, FASAP has announced four new educational programs. They were inspired by key concerns faculty and staff clients are telling counselors. “With almost a third of them we’re hearing about relationship concerns,” Waldecker says. He adds that stress over caring for aging parents also is up.
The new offerings are:
• Dealing with Divorce and Break-Up Support Group. The six-week group is for adults experiencing divorce or other romantic divides. “In our society now clearly a large percentage of folks have at least one close relationship break up in their lifetime. For some that can be very difficult,” Waldecker says. Group members learn about the stages of divorce and break-up, and hear coping and stress management strategies. There also will be group discussion of participants’ experiences. The series opens from 11:30 a.m.-12:45 p.m. Feb. 4 and continues on Mondays through March 11, at the Administrative Services Building, 1009 Greene St.
• Drop-In Caregivers Support Group. This group is for those caring for aging parents, disabled partners or special needs family members. The sessions are presented from 11:45 a.m.-1 p.m. on the second Tuesday of each month starting in October through April 9, in the Crofoot Room, Michigan Union. “Clearly more people are being put into caregiving roles. Trying to juggle all those things is difficult — parenting, employment, aging parents and taking care of yourself. Sometimes people feel guilty they can’t do everything themselves,” Waldecker says. Participants share experiences and resources, and gain insights to manage stress.
• Successful Retirement: What Does it Take Besides Money? This program suggests that happiness in retirement is about more than finances. Waldecker says people who are happily retired stay physically, socially and intellectually active. “Our goal is to focus on the emotional aspects and the psychological aspects. What are you going to do with your time? We include a panel of recent university retirees, and they share what’s worked well and what hasn’t,” Waldecker says. The one class is from 2:30-4:45 p.m. Tuesday in the Michigan Union, Kuenzel Room.
• Managing Anger. This six-part series is focused on understanding the anger response, skills to cool down and more. “They learn how to recognize their anger triggers; effectively deal with stressful situations better, it gives them problem solving skills and ways to manage their anger,” Waldecker says. It opens from 11:30 a.m.-12:45 p.m. Jan. 23 and continues on Wednesdays through Feb. 27 at the Administrative Services Building, 1009 Greene St.
For more information on FASAP programs or to register, go to www.mhealthy.umich.edu/stressmgmt or call 734-936-8660.
