The publication is reproduced in full below:
THANKING THE OFFICE OF EMPLOYEE ASSISTANCE TEAM FOR THEIR DEDICATED
SERVICE FOLLOWING THE JANUARY 6, 2021 CAPITOL ATTACK
______
HON. ZOE LOFGREN
of california
in the house of representatives
Friday, July 16, 2021
Ms. LOFGREN. Madam Speaker, I rise today to acknowledge and thank the immediate and extended staff of the Office of Employee Assistance (OEA) at the United States House of Representatives for their tireless service to the House, the United States Capitol Police, and Congressional Budget Office following the violent attack on our Capitol on January 6, 2021.
Through exemplary dedication, passion, and commitment to their profession, the team has developed the OEA into a preeminent employee assistance program over three decades, delivering comprehensive confidential services covering an array of personal and work-related issues to positively impact employee performance, productivity, and well-being.
The team's commitment and care has offered comfort and coping tools to those experiencing profound grief and distress after the January 6, 2021 attack on the Capitol. These services included one-to-one crisis consultation, confidential counseling, debriefings on trauma and resilience, discussion group facilitation, and the development and dissemination of self-help material containing practical strategies to promote recovery.
Additionally, the OEA promptly secured and coordinated additional counseling assets for their appointment-based services as well as for the ongoing, around-the-clock crisis support efforts that would remain available to Capitol Police personnel in the weeks and months that followed.
Through in-person, telephonic, and video meetings and seminars, the OEA interacted with thousands of employees and family members in the first half of 2021 alone, far surpassing past utilization trends. Employee engagement in all their services has been unprecedented--as have been the needs--yet the staff of the OEA has never flinched.
The dedicated team provided impactful work not only through an extraordinary volume of interactions with individuals, but through regular training and briefing facilitation across the House, on-call responses after-hours, and ongoing efforts to promote the services throughout the House and the Capitol Police communities. All the while, the team maintained the resolve and perspective to effectively help others while processing their own attack-and-pandemic-related concerns as employees of this institution.
Madam Speaker, I am pleased to acknowledge the entire Office of Employee Assistance and Well-Being teams who served throughout this tremendous support effort: Tiara Anderson, Breanna Becker, Briana Cragwell, Georgeanna Goldstein, Margot Hawkins-Green, Rhonda Kaalund, Malia Klee, Liz McBride, Jon Murphy, Emily Swartz, Paul Tewksbury, and Brian Weiss. Also worthy of our thanks are the contracted counseling partners. These special groups of professionals should all be commended for their commitment, dedication, and professionalism during a time of great need.
Madam Speaker, it is my distinct honor to recognize and thank the Office of Employee Assistance for their extraordinary and unwavering service to this institution.
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SOURCE: Congressional Record Vol. 167, No. 125
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