Reach Out for Wellness is an online research-based toolkit designed to support the mental health needs of Extension professionals whose jobs include helping communities following natural disasters. Participation is free, self-paced and will provide you with practical and individualized strategies to help you cope with the emotional difficulties associated with natural disaster recovery.
The following Reach Out for Wellness tools aim to help you better understand your wellness, take steps to improve it and seek support:
Extension professionals — educators, assistants, specialists and support staff — work tirelessly to help their communities recover from disasters. They invest long hours working directly with distressed and traumatized people, spend less time with their own families and friends, and sometimes are affected personally by the disaster.
Currently, more resources are needed to support the wellness of Extension professionals following natural disasters. Reach Out for Wellness aims to fill this gap by providing targeted resources that meaningfully address your mental health needs and help you identify ways to cope.
Our team is conducting a Support and Wellness Needs Assessment (SWNA) to develop a set of tools that are relevant and tailored to your needs. Through focus groups, interviews and surveys, we’re gathering input directly from Extension community members on:
The Reach Out for Wellness toolkit has potential to positively impact your long-term health and happiness, as well as your ability to continue to be an Extension leader in your community by serving others and doing your job well.