Employee assistance available after Smith Hall tragedy

From Associate Vice Chancellor Cindy Torstveit:

On Monday evening, Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs Lori Reesor shared a message with us about the death of a student that occurred outside of Smith Residence Hall during the workday. This tragedy, along with the news of recent school shootings and other tragedies, can have a profound impact on us in many ways. For those who have experienced the sudden loss of someone close to them or who may have been close to this event or others, this may be hard to hear and process.

Please be reminded you are not alone. I am here and so are the campus resources. Your wellbeing matters, and we want to make sure that you have the support you need to process through your feelings.

Due to the proximity of the event, employee assistance counselors will be on-site at 21 North Park this Friday, March 31 in room 1108 from 2:00 pm to 4:00 pm to help process the recent events in a group setting.

In addition, counselors are currently available for private sessions if you would like to speak to someone before the session on Friday or after. Resources include:

UW-Madison Employee Assistance Office

A UW-Madison office that offers confidential help to employees. To schedule an appointment:

LifeMatters

A free, 24/7 external employee assistance program.

  • Call 1-800-634-6433, available 24/7.
  • Text “Hello” to 61295 to start a conversation.
  • Visit the LifeMatters website (Password is Bucky1).

Crisis Resources

  • Text “HOME” to 741741 to access free, 24/7 mental health support via text message from the Crisis Text Line.

Supervisors can also contact the Employee Assistance Office to hold group processing sessions for departments that may need additional support, as well as gather additional information and resources to help everyone move forward.

We are here to support you.

Thank you,
Cindy