Services | Frequently Asked Questions | Resources | Confidentiality
The information on this website is presented for educational purposes only. It is not a substitute for informed medical advice or training. Do not use this information to diagnose or treat a mental health problem without consulting a qualified health or mental health care provider.
Most of the websites on this page are not owned or controlled by the Department of Justice. The Employee Assistance Program does not endorse or guarantee references or sites listed and is not responsible for the content, accessibility or privacy practices used by other site owners.
Addiction
- Adultchildren.org Adult Children of Alcoholics: A 12-step program of men and women who come from an alcoholic or other drug-affected home seeking solutions to their problems.
- Al-anon / Alateen Al-Anon's helps families and friends of alcoholics recover from the effects of living with the problem drinking of a relative or friend. Similarly, Alateen is their recovery program for young people. Alateen groups are sponsored by Al-Anon members. Find a Al-Anon support group near your home.
- Alcoholics Anonymous Official website of Alcoholics Anonymous - Locate meetings and times for AA groups in your area.
- Alcoholism In The Workplace An OPM site offering a A Handbook for Supervisors.
- Blood Alcohol Level This
site can quickly estimate if you have had too much to drink. Based on
your weight and amount of alcohol you have consumed, you can determine
your Blood Alcohol Level. Never drive while under the influence. Almost
every State has made .08 BAL the point at which an individual will be
arrested for driving while under the influence. Stay safe!
- Deaf Addiction Resources The National Directory of Alcohol and Other Drug prevention and treatment programs accessible to the deaf.
- Drug and Alcohol Treatment Facility Locator A national database of substance abuse treatment services, including, inpatient, outpatient, partial treatment, half-way houses. Call the DOJ EAP for additional assistance 800-626-0385.
- Families Anonymous (FA)
offers a Twelve-Step, self help, recovery and fellowship of support
groups for relatives and friends of those who have alcohol, drug or
behavioral problems. The group's purpose is to provide mutual support,
and to offer a safe place to share experiences and concerns. Attending
meetings helps members adopt an honest and consistent approach towards
the addict. With group support, members are able to come to terms with
the problems in their lives. Experience has shown that help for the
family and friends means help for the addict. FA is a non-profit
fellowship requiring no dues or fees and is not affiliated with any
religion or institution.
- Gamblers Anonymous
is a fellowship of men and women who share their experience, strength
and hope with each other that they may solve their common problem and
help others to recover from a gambling problem. The only requirement
for membership is a desire to stop gambling. There are no dues or fees
for Gamblers Anonymous (GA) membership. GA is self-supporting through
its’ own contributions. Gamblers Anonymous is not allied with any sect,
denomination, politics, organization or institution; does not wish to
engage in any controversy; neither endorses nor opposes any cause.
- Gam-Anon The
self-help organization of Gam-Anon is a life saving instrument for the
spouse, family or close friends of compulsive gamblers. We come into
the group feeling alone, frightened, helpless, desperate and ashamed.
We hesitated to share problems and failures, fearing none could
understand. The Gam-Anon group is warmly accepting and it offers the
new member identification. The message we receive is: "Come join with
us, we too were alone, afraid and unable to cope with the problem; we
will share with you a new and fulfilling way of life". Gam-Anon's
purposes are three-fold: To learn acceptance and understanding of the
gambling illness; to use the program and its problem solving
suggestions as aids in rebuilding our lives and, upon our own recovery,
to give assistance to those who suffer. To find a local chapter click
on Meeting Schedule at their home page.
- Lawyer Assistance Programs Attorneys
at one time or another may suffer great stress, emotional turmoil and
physical reactions to the pressures of work, family and uncontrollable
life events. Few occupations are as stressful as the practice of law.
Some times alcohol and drugs are the remedy of choice to relieve the
pain and sense of depression many people experience. Unfortunately,
what appears to be relief often leads to devastating and destructive
consequences. Attorneys in need of substance abuse assistance can
contact a local ABA Lawyer Assistance Program chapter for direction and
assistance or the contact the DOJ/JMD EAP at 800-626-0385.
- Narcotics Anonymous The
official listing for Narcotics Anonymous International, a
community-based association of recovering drug addicts.
- The Office of National Drug Control Policy offers information on drugs of abuse as well as National and State policy and activities.
- SoberRecover is
a constantly updated library for national drug rehab, residential
treatment, sober living houses, alcoholics anonymous, eating disorder
and teen wilderness program
- Tobacco Information and Prevention This is a CDC site offering information on tobacco and how to quit.
- Working Partners for an Alcohol - and Drug Fee Workplace This
is a U.S. Dept. of Labor site specializing in workplace related alcohol
and drug information. This site also has information on creating
partners and research databases.
- The White House's Youth Anti-Drug Campaign site is
an online drug and alcohol abuse prevention resource for parents.
Besides providing facts about a large number of substances abused by
youth, this site gives parents an excellent set of tips for how to talk
with your children about drug abuse. The teen drug use news and
archives can keep parents up-to-date. Parents and youth can elect to
tell their stories, so that others may benefit from their experience
and how they coped. Parents so inclined can have their children access
a similar, but youth-oriented, anti-drug site. www.Freevibe.com
- Links to other addiction programs This is a National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence site with a great other link list.
Adoption
- AdoptUSKids.org This
is a national photo listing service for children awaiting adoption
across the United States. You may "Meet the Children" without
registering, to learn more about the child and to contact the case
worker.
- American Academy of Adoption Attorneys The American Academy of Adoption Attorneys is a national association of approximately 330 attorneys who practice, or have otherwise distinguished themselves, in the field of adoption law. The Academy's work includes promoting the reform of adoption laws and disseminating information on ethical adoption practices.
- Child Welfare Information Gateway Formerly the National Clearinghouse on Child Abuse and Neglect Information and the National Adoption Information Clearinghouse, Child Welfare Information Gateway provides access to information and resources to help protect children and strengthen families. A service of the Children's Bureau, Administration for Children and Families, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
- The Joint Council on International Children's Services (JCICS) Joint Council on International Children's Services (202-429-0400) is the oldest and largest affiliation of licensed, non-profit international adoption organizations in the world. Our membership includes adoption agencies, child welfare organizations, parent support groups and medical specialists with an interest in intercountry adoption.
- KIDSAVE Kidsave (202-237-7283 or 1-888-543-7283) works to move older children out of foster care and orphanages and into permanent loving families or long term mentoring relationships. Kidsave sponsors Family Visit Programs in which caring adults host a child in their home and work with Kidsave to help that child find an adoptive family. Kidsave helps these older children meet people who often end up adopting, mentoring or staying connected to them.
- The National Adoption Foundation (NAF) The
mission of the National Adoption Foundation (203-791-3811), is to
provide financial assistance, services and support to families, before,
during and after their adoptions are finalized. The Foundation's
programs are available to any family whether they are adopting an
infant, a child from abroad or a child from foster care! In addition to
providing financial assistance, NAF seeks to educate policy makers and
the public about the financial barriers to adoption and the unmet needs
many families have. The Foundation's presence on Capitol Hill and in
the media assure that the interests of adoptive families are being
promoted and protected.
The National Adoption Foundation is the only national resource dedicated exclusively to providing financial support, information and services directly to adoptive families. - North American Council on Adoptable Children How to Adopt...Information providing an overview of the steps involved in adopting a child from the United States foster care system.
Aging Resources
- Adult Day Care, Virginia, Search Engine Adult
Day Care, Virginia, search engine
To locate an Adult Day Care Centers in Virginia, visit this site. For other states contact the Area Agency on Aging (AAA) at 1-800-677-1116 for the AAA in your area, or search for them online www.eldercare.gov . - Aging Solutions Advice,
comprehensive checklists, and links to key resources ...designed to
make it easier for caregivers to quickly find the information they need
... and avoid missing things that are important in the care for their
loved one. Providing care for our aging parents or elder spouse can
often be very frustrating, with new surprises almost every day. Whether
you care for aging parents in your home, or manage elder care plans
from a distance, most of us don't know where to go for reliable answers
... or even what questions to ask. Here's help "
- Area Agency on Aging (AOA) Eldercare Locator The
Eldercare Locator is a nationwide toll free service that provides older
adults and their caregivers information about local services for
seniors without charge. The U.S. Administration on Aging provides this
service available online so that consumers can easily link to the
information and referral (I&R) services of their state and area
agencies on aging. These I&R programs can help you identify
appropriate services in the area where you or your family member
resides.
- Alzheimer’s Association is
the largest national voluntary health organization supporting Alzheimer
research and care. On this site, you'll find information about the
disease, their programs and services, and advocacy efforts.
- American Association of Retired Persons AARP
is a nonprofit membership organization dedicated to addressing the
needs and interests of persons 50 and older. Through information and
education, advocacy and service, AARP seeks to enhance the quality of
life for all by promoting independence, dignity and purpose.
- Caregiving
This site offers information, support and information about care
giving. Directs you to local support groups and provides other
interesting information.
- Careguide CareGuide
is a website featuring a full range of services, articles and resources
for elder care. Visitors can explore the site via the Resource Guide
below, or find content by taking our elder situation assessment.
- Children of Aging Parents is
a nonprofit, charitable organization whose mission is to assist the
nation's nearly 54 million caregivers of the elderly or chronically ill
with reliable information, referrals and support, and to heighten
public awareness that the health of the family caregivers is essential
to ensure quality care of the nation's growing elderly population.
- Doctors Guide - Arthritis information Offers the latest medical news and information for patients or friends/parents of patients diagnosed with arthritis.
- Elder Care Handbook Free handbook on issues related to caring for the elderly. Ten articles of interest.
- ElderWeb This
site provides thousands of reviewed links addressing long term care
information, a searchable database of organizations, and an expanding
library of articles and reports, news, and events addressing eldercare.
This site is designed to be a research site for both professionals and
family members looking for information on eldercare and long term care,
and includes links to information on legal, financial, medical, and
housing issues, as well as policy, research, and statistics. ElderWeb
has been used extensively by journalists and students doing research,
and by professionals looking for Internet resources, as well as by
family members looking for help for their elderly relatives.
- Five Wishes Document An
Aging with Dignity resource. The Five Wishes document helps you express
how you want to be treated if you are seriously ill and unable to speak
for yourself. It is unique among all other living will and health agent
forms because it looks to all of a person's needs: medical, personal,
emotional and spiritual. Five Wishes also encourages discussing your
wishes with your family and physician. Five Wishes lets your
family and doctors know:
1.Which person you want to make health care decisions for you when you can't make them.
2. The kind of medical treatment you want or don't want.
3. How comfortable you want to be.
4. How you want people to treat you.
5. What you want your loved ones to know.
The document is valid in all but 15 states. The 15 that Five Wishes is not legally valid in, either require a specific state form or that the person completing an advance directive be read a mandatory notice or "warning." Residents of these states can still use Five Wishes to put their wishes in writing and communicate their wishes with their family and physician. Most health care professionals understand they have a duty to listen to the wishes of their patients no matter how they are expressed. - Geriatric Care Managers GCM
is a non-profit, professional organization of practitioners whose goal
is the advancement of dignified care for the elderly and their
families. With more than 1,500 members, GCM is committed to maximizing
the independence and autonomy of elders while striving to ensure that
the highest quality and most cost-effective health and human services
are used when and where appropriate. A geriatric care manager (PGCM) is
a professional, such as a social worker, counselor, nurse, or
gerontologist who specializes in assisting older people and their
families to attain the highest quality of life given their
circumstances. A GCM can; conduct care planning assessments to identify
problems, and provide solutions; screen, arrange and monitor in-home
help or other services; review financial, legal, or medical issues and
offer referrals to geriatric specialists to avoid future problems while
conserving financial resources; provide crisis intervention; act as a
liaison to families at a distance, overseeing care and quickly alerting
families to problems; assist with moving an older person to or from a
retirement complex, assisted care home, or nursing home; provide
consumer education and advocacy; offer counseling and support. Some
PGCMs also provide family or individual therapy, finance management,
and conservatorship or guardianship assistance and/or caregiving
services. PGCMs have extensive knowledge about the costs, quality, and
availability of resources in their community. One call to a PGCM will
connect you to the appropriate services.
- Granddriver While
most older drivers may be good drivers, the physical changes associated
with aging can ultimately affect our ability to drive safely. That's
why the American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators and its
partners in the District of Columbia, Maryland and Virginia, have
created "GrandDriver", a pilot program that provides information about
aging and driving.
- HHS - Administration on Aging This
site provides you access to information about the agency, its mission,
budget, and organizational structure. In addition you can learn more
about the Older Americans Act, the federal legislation establishing the
AoA and authorizing a range of programs that offer services and
opportunities for older Americans and their caregivers.
- LifeCare Provides
information addressing Elder Care services. Will locate licensed day
care providers, nursing homes, alternative living resources and other
services in the U.S. per your needs and determine cost and
availability. This is a DOJ supported service and is offered free to
DOJ employees. Call 800-873-4636 or TDD 800-873-1322.
- Medical Alert Services: Provide
medical monitoring service to provide 24/7 monitoring and family peace
of mind. The user wears either a necklace or a wrist band with a panic
button attached. If the user needs assistance they can press the
button, which alerts the medical monitoring vendor who has the capacity
to alert a previously designated person, or depending upon the
circumstances 911. Below are several vendors that offer such services.
The Department of Justice does not endorse these companies and
encourages users to fully research vendors and other medical alert
vendors to determine reliability and to make cost comparisons.
- Medicare This
site offers information about Medicare Eligibility, Enrollment, and
Premiums. It also directs you to other sites such as nursing homes,
prescription drug assistance plans, a Participating Provider Directory
and other sites of interest. This is a nice site to visit if you are in
need of understanding Medicare and looking for resources.
- National Clearinghouse for Long-Term Care Information This is a new web site developed by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to provide information and resources to help you and your family plan for future long-term care (LTC) needs.
- National Council on the Aging (Benefits CheckUp) BenefitsCheckUp
helps thousands of people every day to find programs for seniors that
may pay for some of their costs of prescription drugs, health care,
utilities, and other essential items or services. View this site to
fill out their simple questionnaire to find programs that can assist
you or your loved ones.
- New LifeStyles New
LifeStyles offers information and referral services on senior
residences and care options. This information is available, free to all
that need it. New LifeStyles referrals are to service providers who
advertise with their company. They put out a listing publication for
various cities in the USA. To see if they have one in your city or to
get free copies for yourself or your office you may request it on line.
- Nursing Home Compare This tool has detailed information about every Medicare and Medicaid-certified nursing home in the country.
- Nursing Home Guide Offers information on how to choose a Nursing Home.
- SitterCity A fee for service site offering an on line list of babysitters, Nannies, Pet sitters, Dog Walkers, Senior Caregivers, House sitters and Tutors.
- Southern Poverty Law Center Do
you have racial, religious, or other biases deeply hidden in your
psyche? Two social psychologists funded by the National Science
Foundation - Anthony Greenwald, of the University of Washington, and
Mahzarin Banaji, of Yale University (now at Harvard University) - have
developed a unique and statistically powerful tool to identify and
quantify either hidden or unconscious attitudes. To learn more, and to
test yourself, visit this site.
- American Psychological Association (APA) If
Anger Management is an issue for you this APA site is a good place to
start. Anger is a completely normal, usually healthy, human emotion.
But when it gets out of control and turns destructive, it can lead to
problems-problems at work, in your personal relationships, and in the
overall quality of your life. And it can make you feel as though you're
at the mercy of an unpredictable and powerful emotion. This APA site is
meant to help you understand and control anger.
Care Giving
- Cancer care giving This booklet, When Someone You Love Is Being Treated for Cancer, from the National Cancer Institute, offers information taken from many caregivers about things they wish they had known early on. They have collected their tips in this booklet. Some of the tips seem simple, but they may not always be easy to do. Use this booklet in whatever way works best for you. You can read it from front to back. Or you can just refer to different sections as you need them.
- Care Giving This
site offers information, support and information about care giving.
Directs you to local support groups and provides other interesting
information.
- Careguide CareGuide
is a website featuring a full range of services, articles and resources
for elder care. Visitors can explore the site via the Resource Guide
below, or find content by taking our elder situation assessment.
- Geriatric Care Managers GCM
is a non-profit, professional organization of practitioners whose goal
is the advancement of dignified care for the elderly and their
families. With more than 1,500 members, GCM is committed to maximizing
the independence and autonomy of elders while striving to ensure that
the highest quality and most cost-effective health and human services
are used when and where appropriate.
- LifeCare Provides
information addressing Elder Care services. Will locate licensed day
care providers, nursing homes, alternative living resources and other
services in the U.S. per your needs and determine cost and
availability. This is a DOJ supported service and is offered free to
DOJ employees. Call 800-873-4636 or TDD 800-873-1322.
- Medicare/Medicaid Centers
for Medicare and Medicaid... Offers information on many topics
including information booklets titled Medicare Basics and When
Employees Become Caregivers.
Child Care and Parenting
- Childcare.gov - Your official source for all U.S. government child care information.
- Boys & Girls Club of America In every community, boys and girls are left to find their own recreation and companionship in the streets. An increasing number of children are at home with no adult care or supervision. Young people need to know that someone cares about them. Boys & Girls Clubs offer that and more. Club programs and services promote and enhance the development of boys and girls by instilling a sense of competence, usefulness, belonging and influence. Boys & Girls Clubs are a safe place to learn and grow - all while having fun. They are truly The Positive Place For Kids. To find a club in your neighborhood visit this site www.bgca.org/clubs .
- Child Safety and Protection Concerned about how to talk with your child about safety and protection measures? This site is a pamphlet by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. It is designed to help you talk with your children (including teens) about how to help protect themselves against abduction and exploitation. You may also find the following related site of help: www.amberalertnow.org .
Child Care Referral Resources
- National listing of GSA Child Care Centers Visit this site to find centers near your work or home.
- Childcareaware (National) Childcareaware is a non-profit initiative committed to helping parents find the best information on locating quality child care and child care resources and referral agencies nationwide, and by connecting parents with the local agencies best equipped to serve their needs. Know what to ask and look for when picking a child care facility.
- Children's Defense Fund Offers resources specifically for grandparents and other relatives raising children. Topics include health care and insurance, raising children with disabilities, child care and early education programs and food and nutrition programs. as well as state-by-state information.
Day and Summer Camps
- Allensguide Kids and Teens National listing of summer camp referrals.
- American Camping Association The American Camp Association (formerly known as the American Camping Association) is a community of camp professionals who, for nearly 100 years, have joined together to share our knowledge and experience and to ensure the quality of camp programs. Because of our diverse 6,700 plus membership and exceptional programs, children and adults have the opportunity to learn powerful lessons in community, character-building, skill development, and healthy living - lessons that can be learned nowhere else.
- Campfire USA Camp Fire USA's mission is to build caring, confident youth and future leaders. This is done through progressive, age-appropriate, small-group activities in a variety of settings, including at our many camps across the nation.
- Camppage.com Resources for finding Summer and Day Camps throughout the USA.
- Children's Museums National Site Find the children's museum in your state to research what activities fit your child's age, needs and schedule.
- Choice Camps Offers expert reviews and advice on more than 300 overnight summer camps and teen tour programs. Use Choice Camps to search for summer camps and teen tours worldwide.
- Montgomery County Parks and Recreation Camp referrals and other recreational resources.
- National Association for Gifted Children CAMPS listing throughout the United States.
- PG County Parks and Recreation Camp referrals and other recreational resources.
- Summercamps.com Assist in finding camps throughout the USA.
- YMCA There are more than 2,400 YMCAs in the United States, and each one offers different programs and events. For more information on any U.S. YMCA, start your search here. Please note: If you are looking for a YMCA outside the United States, visit http://www.internationalymca.org/index.shtml.
- YWCA Find your local YWCA and research activities held in your area. YWCA reaches all around the world, connecting women, providing a voice to their concerns and needs. Programs may include support groups, shelters, breast cancer recovery groups, fitness classes, business coaching and much more.
- Maryland Childcare Resource Network Find child care and other helpful information in the State of Maryland.
Nannies Services
- Cherub Nannies CHERUB Nannies is the premiere nanny service for fine families of the Washington, D.C. metro area.
- 4nannies.com helps families locate nannies without an expensive nanny agency.
- All-American Nanny Our specialty is placing quality Nannies into homes nationwide. All-American Nanny is the number one choice of families who have the means to provide the very highest quality of care for their children. Locating qualified candidates and matching your family's requirements to the right Nanny is what All-American is all about.
- National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) Offers a search engine to find NAEYC accredited childhood programs in your state and neighborhood. This list includes the names, address and contact information for all early childhood programs currently accredited by NAEYC. It is provided to help parents and others identify individual programs that have successfully demonstrated compliance with the Academy's Criteria -- the current consensus of the early childhood profession as to what makes a high quality program for young children.
- N. Va. Child Care Referrals This site offers phone numbers to obtain child care services in northern VA.
- SitterCity A fee for service site offering an on line list of babysitters, Nannies, Pet sitters, Dog Walkers, Senior Caregivers, House sitters and Tutors.
- The Washington Child Development Council (WCDC) Offers referrals to child care providers in DC. Once at the site, click on "Services" on the left side of the screen. WCDC has been committed to promoting the accessibility of quality services for children and families living in the District of Columbia. Services include information regarding Center or Nursery Schools, Family Child Care, Before & After School Care, Financial Assistance, Assistance to Providers.
- Washington Parent Serving parents in the Washington Metropolitan Area since 1982, providing family enrichment through education and support...first in print and now online. Summer Camp information for the DC Metro area at this site.
Other links of interest providing resources for parents, children and teens......
- Federal Office of Child Support Enforcement State and Local Child Support (IV-D) Agencies This site lists the various state offices available throughout the USA.
- Parent Encouragement Program Offers information and training for parents on subjects such as issues with toddlers and effective discipline to mention a few. Classes offered in Kensington, Gaithersburg and Silver Spring, Md.; and Herndon and Vienna, VA.
- StepFamily Association of America This organization is a national, nonprofit membership organization dedicated to successful stepfamily living. This site provides educational information and resources for anyone interested in stepfamilies and their issues.
- YMCA Find the Y nearest you! Interested in a YMCA? There are more than 2,400 YMCAs in the United States, and each one offers different programs and events. For more information on any U.S. YMCA, start your search here.
Conflict Resolution
- National Association for Community Mediation A site containing general information about mediation and links to community mediation centers.
- Community Relations Service A Department of Justice website devoted to assisting to resolve community conflicts and tensions arising from differences of race, color, and national origin.
- Southern Poverty Law Center Do
you have racial, religious, or other biases deeply hidden in your
psyche? Two social psychologists funded by the National Science
Foundation - Anthony Greenwald, of the University of Washington, and
Mahzarin Banaji, of Yale University (now at Harvard University) - have
developed a unique and statistically powerful tool to identify and
quantify either hidden or unconscious attitudes. To learn more, and to
test yourself, visit this site.
Consumer Protection and Consumer Education
- Federal Citizen Information Center offers a wide assortment of information and educational material visit any of the four sister listed sites and find a treasure of information; http://www.Pueblo.gsa.gov; http://www.FirstGov.gov; http://www.ConsumerAction.gov; http://www.Kids.gov.
- Better Business Bureau File
a complaint. If you think that a company or charity has treated you
unfairly, file a complaint online. The BBB will contact the
organization to help resolve the issue. Local BBBs across the US and
Canada serve the consumers and businesses in their areas and you can
find a local BBB through this site. There is much more information
about consumer ratings, identity theft and more.
- Consumer Protection Offices Find
your local State and County offices. City, county and state consumer
protection offices provide consumers with important services. They
might mediate complaints, conduct investigations, prosecute offenders
of consumer laws, license and regulate a variety of professionals,
promote strong consumer protection legislation, provide educational
materials and advocate in the consumer interest. City and county
consumer offices are familiar with local businesses and local
ordinances and state laws. If there is no local consumer office in your
area, contact your state consumer office. State offices, sometimes in a
separate department of consumer affairs or the attorney general's or
governor's office, are familiar with state laws and look for statewide
patterns of problems. Consumer protection offices in the U.S.
territories also are included in this site. This list is arranged in
alphabetical order by state name. State, county and city jurisdictions
and TDD numbers are in bold type.
Dieting and Nutrition
- BMI And Calorie Calculator Find your BMI (Body Mass Index) and how many daily calories you need to maintain your weight.
- Nutrition Users
can find practical information on healthy eating, dietary supplements,
fitness and how to keep food safe. The site is kept fresh with the
latest news and features links to interesting sites.
Disabilities
- EEOC EEOC Enforcement Guidance on Reasonable Accommodation and Undue Hardship Under the Americans with Disabilities Act.
- Federal Employment of People with Disabilities (Schedule A) Federal agencies fill jobs two ways, competitively and noncompetitively.
Persons with disabilities may apply for jobs filled either way. Jobs
filled competitively are advertised through vacancy announcements. Jobs
that are filled noncompetitively do not have to be advertised. Instead,
a selecting official can select a person with a disability who has
Schedule A certification and is qualified for the job. People who are
selected for jobs must meet the qualification requirements for the jobs
and be able to perform the essential duties of the jobs with or without
reasonable accommodation. People who are disabled and have a
certification letter from a State Vocational Rehabilitation Office or
the Department of Veterans Affairs may apply for noncompetitive
appointment through the Schedule A hiring authority. Applicants with
certification letters may apply directly to agencies' Selective
Placement Coordinators or their equivalent to be considered for jobs.
Managers can contact the agency's Selective Placement Coordinator or
human resources office or their equivalent to obtain more information
about sources for applicants with disabilities. Selective Placement
Program Coordinators can be reached for many Federal Agencies by going
to this site: http://apps.opm.gov/sppc_directory/
- Deaf and hard of hearing persons health resources
This resource list identifies healthcare programs and initiatives
designed specifically for deaf and hard of hearing persons.
Communication accommodations include not only a variety of devices,
such as text telephones, but also qualified American Sign Language and
oral interpreters as appropriate, and medical and allied personnel with
sign skills and sensitivity to the varied communication needs of
individuals with hearing losses.
- VOCATIONAL REHABILITATION STATE OFFICES By
contacting your local vocational rehabilitation office, you will tap
into a wealth of resources related to employment options for people
with disabilities. Vocational Rehabilitation, a state-supported
division of services, assists individuals with disabilities who are
pursuing meaningful careers. VR assists those individuals to secure
gainful employment commensurate with their abilities and capabilities
through local job searches and awareness of self-employment and
telecommuting opportunities.
- Computer/Electronic Accommodations Program (CAP) CAP provides assistive technology as a form of reasonable accommodation to enable a qualified person with a disability to perform the essential
functions of the job. CAP's scope is to provide the assistive
technology used to modify the computer and telecommunication
environment for federal employees with disabilities.
- Manual and Procedures for Providing Reasonable Accommodation USDOJ/JMD The
Department of Justice (DOJ) has a legal obligation to provide
reasonable job accommodations for employees and job applicants with
disabilities. This policy statement provides examples of the types of
accommodations that are appropriate and generally will be provided to
Department employees and applicants with disabilities.
Domestic Violence
- Domestic Violence Screening Are you in a violent or otherwise abusive relationship. Not sure? Answer the survey to get a quick assessment. However, regardless of the outcome of this survey, if you feel you are in an abusive relationship or fear for your safety or the safety of your family, contact your local law enforcement agency or seek assistance by contacting National Domestic Violence Hotline http://www.ndvh.org/ at 1-800-799-SAFE (7233) or 1-800-787-3224 (TTY) . Make a safety plan by visiting http://www.ndvh.org/get-help/safety-planning/ to better plan for your safety.
- Domestic Violence handbook Responding to Domestic Violence handbook offers resources and information regarding domestic violence.
- Office on Violence Against Women Since
its inception in 1995, the Violence Against Women Office, now the
Office on Violence Against Women (OVW) has handled the Department’s
legal and policy issues regarding violence against women, coordinated
Departmental efforts, provided national and international leadership,
received international visitors interested in learning about the
federal government’s role in addressing violence against women, and
responded to requests for information regarding violence against women.
Vist this site for more related information.
- National Coalition Against Domestic Violence A site providing education and resources for victims of domestic violence.
- Family Violence Prevention Fund A
site providing educational information about domestic violence. It also
has a section devoted to domestic violence in the workplace.
- National Domestic Violence Hotline Provides resource information and education about domestic violence.
Education
- College Circle College Circle provides college-bound students and their parents information about planning for college, finding scholarships, paying for college, choosing the right college, and developing a career path.
- IDEA Web site This site was created to provide a "one-stop shop" for resources related to IDEA and its implementing regulations, released on August 3, 2006.
- Individuals with Disabilities Education Act A
National Dissemination Center for Children with Disabilities site. The
IDEA guides how states and school districts provide special education
and related services to more than six million eligible children with
disabilities. Learn more about this important federal law here!
- School Refusal in Children and Adolescents Does your child fight going to school? This is an interesting article for parents to examine what might be going on with their child.
End of Life
- Connecticut Hospice The
Connecticut Hospice inaugurated hospice care in America in 1974. Since
then, it has been the beacon and teacher of the growing hospice
movement throughout the nation, and beyond. Connecticut Hospice
addresses physical, spiritual, social, and emotional needs of patients
with advanced irreversible illness, and their families. Such care is
provided regardless of diagnosis and as long as the Hospice level of
care is needed by the patients.
- End-of-Life information from Medlineplus While dealing with end of life issues may be difficult, this site offers advice when confronting such a difficult subject.
- Find a Hospice Program A national database of hospices.
- Five Wishes Document An
Aging with Dignity resource. The Five Wishes document helps you express
how you want to be treated if you are seriously ill and unable to speak
for yourself. It is unique among all other living will and health agent
forms because it looks to all of a person's needs: medical, personal,
emotional and spiritual. Five Wishes also encourages discussing your
wishes with your family and physician. Five Wishes lets your
family and doctors know:
1.Which person you want to make health care decisions for you when you can't make them.
2. The kind of medical treatment you want or don't want.
3. How comfortable you want to be.
4. How you want people to treat you.
5. What you want your loved ones to know.
The document is valid in all but 15 states. The 15 that Five Wishes is not legally valid in, either require a specific state form or that the person completing an advance directive be read a mandatory notice or "warning." Residents of these states can still use Five Wishes to put their wishes in writing and communicate their wishes with their family and physician. Most health care professionals understand they have a duty to listen to the wishes of their patients no matter how they are expressed. - Funerals: A Consumer Guide (FTC) When
a loved one dies, grieving family members and friends often are
confronted with dozens of decisions about the funeral - all of which
must be made quickly and often under great emotional duress. What kind
of funeral should it be? What funeral provider should you use? Should
you bury or cremate the body, or donate it to science? What are you
legally required to buy? What other arrangements should you plan? And,
as callous as it may sound, how much is it all going to cost? Check
this site for additional information and direction.
- Funerals.org This
is a national funeral consumer organization with state chapters.
Contact your local state chapter for advice and directions related to
funeral arrangements and your rights by clicking on Directory of
Nonprofit Funeral Consumer Groups when visiting their home page.
- Growth House
This award-winning web site is your international gateway to resources
for life-threatening illness and end of life care. Our primary mission
is to improve the quality of compassionate care for people who are
dying through public education and global professional collaboration.
- Hospices of the National Capital Region Falls
Church, Va. 22042 - Offers support groups,
workshops, seminars, educational sessions and other special events
provided by grief counselors for the Washington, D.C. area. Call
800-255-0342 to find services near you.
- Hospice Patients Alliance HPA
promotes quality hospice services whether a patient is enrolled in a
licensed hospice or not, whether residing at home or in a facility. HPA
protects the rights of patients, their families and caregivers, the
bereaved and staff by providing information about the standards of care
governing the health care provided, the services required to be
provided by law, standard industry practices and how to obtain the very
best hospice care available.
- LastActs.org Last
Acts is a call-to-action campaign to improve care at the end of life.
Our goals are to bring death related issues out in the open and help
individuals and organizations pursue better ways to care for the dying.
We believe in palliative care, which focuses on ways to ease pain and
make life better for people who are dying and their loved ones.
Palliative care means taking care of the whole person--body, mind,
spirit--heart and soul. It looks at death and dying as something
natural and personal. The goal of palliative care is to provide the
best quality of life till the very end of life.
- National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization Mission
& Vision, To create an America where every individual can value the
experience of the end of life. Mission to advance the art and science
of end-of-life care.
- On Our Own Terms Across
the country, local coalitions are forming to improve end-of-care in
their communities in conjunction with the PBS series ON OUR OWN TERMS:
Moyers on Dying. Filled with honesty, courage and humor, the series
breaks through the culture of denial to wrestle with how we can die
better in America
Financial
- Annual Credit Report You
are now able to request a free credit report once a year from the three
national credit companies all at one time, and you can do so over the
internet. If you want a little more information about the legitimacy of
this site visit the Federal Trade Commission
and read up on this new service. This is the only online source
authorized to provide you free reports from each of the credit
companies.
Beware of other sites that may look and sound similar. Unfortunately,
while you can get your credit reports once a year for free, the reports
will not include your credit score. If you want to know your credit
score you still must purchase that from the credit companies.
- American Consumer Credit Counseling (ACCC) ACCC
is a nationally recognized consumer credit (501)(c3) non-profit
organization, helping people regain financial control through debt
consolidation and credit counseling. The ACCC mission is to financially
empower their clients to regain control of the quality of their lives
through education and financial management.
- Benefits Checkup
- Budget Maker - MS Excel version Get
in control of your debt by creating a budget. The budgetmaker will
automatically tabulate your expenses and income for your. Just fill in
the form and make a plan. To access the program click on the version
above that you prefer. If the file does not automatically open then
either save the file on your computer and then open the file by
clicking on the file name you chose to save it as; or when the window
pops up asking you for : More information; Pick App; Save File; or
Cancel; click on Pick App. Go to browser, and look for the icon that
has a calculator or displays the qpw.exe format. If you prefer the
Excel format, look for the Excel icon and click on that instead. This
should allow you to open the document. Once the spread sheet opens,
make sure when you open the page that you are on the correct tab
located at the bottom of the screen and that your curser is set at the
top left hand corner of the page. Remember to save the document once
you are done if you wish to work on your budget again.
- CNN/Money's Credit Scoring Do
you know what your credit score is? Do you qualify for the cheapest
interest rates? If do not qualify for low interest rate loans, then you
may have a low credit score. Take a look at this site to understand
what credit scores are used for, how they affect you, and how to find
out what your score is. Remember, if you have bad credit, only you can
fix it over time. Do not fall victim to the spam emails or other
invitations by companies or individuals who (for a small sometimes
large fee) claim they can "fix" your credit problems. The only thing
these businesses do is clean you of your hard earned money.
- CNN/Money's Debt Reduction Planner
If you want to get out of debt you need to have a plan. Go to this site
to see how your rate of payment and interest rates determine when you
will be debt free. Please look at just how much of your money goes
towards just paying interest!
- Credit Counseling Agencies List of Credit Counseling Agencies Approved Pursuant to 11 U.S.C. § 111
- Credit Counseling Services Credit counselors are falling all over themselves to help
you out of debt, but some do more harm than good. Here’s what you need
to know, including whether you need it and the red flags for ripoffs.
- DOJ Criminal Division This site provides information regarding Identity Theft and other information.
- Federal Citizen Information Center This
site provides a great deal of useful financial information. At this
site you can learn about what is identity theft; other topics
include HOW TO PURCHASE A HOME; FINANCING; AVOIDING LOAN FRAUD;
LOCATING THE BEST MORTGAGE; AND MUCH MORE. Be a smart consumer and
protect your financial interests!
- Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) This
site can assist you in avoiding the traps of "PREDATORY" HOME LOANS! Be
careful when considering a home equity loan offer in the mail. It may
sound like a great deal-?one that you can't afford to pass up! But
before you send that application in, be aware that a few unscrupulous
lenders are tricking cash-strapped, unknowing borrowers into expensive
home equity loans and mortgages. The big risk: If you can't repay the
loan you could lose your home. "Predatory" loans are the result of a
company misleading, tricking and sometimes coercing someone into taking
out a home loan (typically a home equity loan or mortgage refinancing)
at excessive costs and without regard to the homeowner's ability to
repay. Victims who have trouble repaying a predatory loan often face
harassing collection tactics or are encouraged to refinance the loan at
even higher fees. To learn more visit this site.
- Federal Information Center Privacy
Resources; Here are some helpful links to Federal sites, along with
informative sites from other non-governmental organizations, all
grouped by subject, like Identity Theft; Computer privacy issues; etc.
- Federal Office of Child Support Enforcement State and Local Child Support (IV-D) Agencies This site lists the various state offices available throughout the USA.
- Federal Trade Commission (FTC) This
site is to the U.S. government's central website for information about
identity theft. This site is maintained by the FTC. Information is
constantly being added to the site, including government reports and
Congressional testimony, law enforcement updates, and links to other
sites with helpful information about identity theft.
- Homeowner Affordability and Stability Plan provides help to homeowners refinance or modify their mortgages. To see if you might benefit from the Homeowner Affordability and Stability Plan, visit this site and use the self-assessment tools provided to see if you are eligible. If you are in distress and need further assistance, please call the Homeowners' Hope Hotline at 1-888-995-HOPE, or any one of the HUD approved housing counselors listed on www.HUD.gov.
- IRS Offers tax information and other related information.
- Money.gov Welcome
to mymoney.gov, the Federal Government's website dedicated to helping
Americans understand more about their money - how to save it, invest
it, and manage it to meet your personal goals. As a first step, please
send for the free "My Money" tool kit. It has information to help you
choose and use credit cards, get out of debt, protect your credit
record, understand your Social Security benefits, insure your bank
deposits, and start a savings and investing plan. Just click on the
Free "My Money" tool kit link above, fill out the order form it will
bring up, and we'll be glad to send your "My Money" tool kit right
away. Thanks for visiting mymoney.gov. This website is managed by the
federal Financial Literacy and Education Commission.
- National Association of Consumer Bankruptcy Attorneys NACBA is the only national organization dedicated to serving the needs of consumer bankruptcy attorneys and protecting the rights of consumer debtors in bankruptcy. Formed in 1992, NACBA now has more than 3500 members located in all 50 states and Puerto Rico.
- National Foundation For Credit Counseling
- Social Security Administration This
site offers provides information related to the SSA and related
benefits. Visit this site to answer your questions or to learn more
about the benefits and services offered through the SSA.
IDENTITY THEFT ADVICE
If you do become a victim of identity theft, there are ways to recover your good credit rating. First, report the identity theft to Social Security's Fraud Hotline at 1-800-269-0271. Then, report it to the Federal Trade Commission's ID Theft Hotline, 1-877-IDTHEFT. You also should contact the three major credit bureaus, tell them you're an identity theft victim and ask them to place a fraud alert on your records. The credit bureaus are:- Equifax: 1-800-525-6285 or http://www.equifax.com
- Trans Union: 1-800-680-7289 or http://www.tuc.com
- Experian: 1-888-397-3742 or http://www.experian.com
Also, write your creditors and ask them to contact you before opening any new accounts in your name or changing existing accounts or credit limits. For more information on identity theft, visit the Social Security Administration’s identity theft web page.
Government Benefits
- Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) after
a disaster FEMA and other federal, state, local and volunteer agencies
offer disaster assistance. Go to this site for additional information.
- GovBenefits.gov This
is a government site that can help you find government information
related to the full range of government services and financial
assistance. From the web site's Community Advocates page, you can search for programs by life event or category, such as housing, nutrition, health care, education, disaster relief, and more.
- Medicare The Official U.S. Government Site for People with Medicare.
Grief and Support Services
- The Hospices of the National Capital Region Grief and Loss Services The mission of The Hospices of the National Capital Region is to improve care for those facing life-limiting illness through direct support of patients and their families, public education and public advocacy. They provide a caring, family-centered approach to respond to your physical, emotional, and spiritual needs during illness and bereavement. These expert services are readily available and continually improving. Your care is provided regardless of your ability to pay. 800-255-3042. For workshops to help you deal with loss during the holidays, call the 800 number for a listing of nearby groups.
Health and Medical
- AAHCP HOUSE CALL NETWORK Directory of home care physicians, physician assistants and nurse practitioners by state.
- Alzheimer's Disease Education & Referral Center The
U.S. Congress created the Alzheimer's Disease Education and Referral
(ADEAR) Center in 1990 to "compile, archive, and disseminate
information concerning Alzheimer's disease" for health professionals,
people with AD and their families, and the public.
- American Heart Association
- AVIAN FLU Visit for information about protecting yourself and family.
- Avian Influenza (Bird Flu) this
webpage provides background information about avian influenza,
including recent outbreaks, the viruses, and the risk to human health.
- Bureau of Primary Health Care (BPHC) Find
health, mental health, shelter and other local services via HHS's
locator engine, that will assist you to find services in your community.
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
- CDC Small Pox Vaccine Information regarding the small Pox Vaccine.
- Create a diet If you are looking for assistance in creating a menu that will support your weight loss, experiment with this site.
- Federal Employees Health Handbook The
handbook consist of legislative and regulatory information and guidance
and resources central to the operations of Federal employee health
services programs.
- Flu.gov Know what to do about the flu.
- Healthfinder Visit
this site for hand-picked health information from A to Z - prevention
& wellness, diseases & conditions, and alternative medicine -
plus medical dictionaries, an encyclopedia, journals, and more.
- Healthierus A
web site on health, fitness and nutrition, brought to you by the
Executive Office of the President and the Department of Health and
Human Services.
- HIV/AIDS Hotlines AIDS
hotlines are invaluable for basic HIV/AIDS information. You can talk to
someone knowledgeable about HIV, and get referrals to various AIDS
services in your city or state. Typically, hotlines are open Monday
through Friday 9 to 5 with some also open evenings and Saturdays. The
National AIDS hotline in Washington, D.C. is the only hotline open 24
hours a day, 365 days a year, 1-800-342-2437.
- HIV Testing Sites Resources on HIV testing including a national database of HIV testing sites and answers to many questions about HIV/AIDS and testing.
- Home Health Compare This
site gives detailed information about Medicare-certified home health
agencies that were certified as of January 2003. The Official U.S.
Government Site for People with Medicare.
- HomeCare Agency Locator Looking
for a home care or hospice agency? Finding the right provider does not
have to be difficult. The Home Care/Hospice Agency Locator contains the
most comprehensive database of more than 22,500 home care and hospice
agencies. Use this resource to find all the agencies in any particular
area of the country.
- Interactive Health Tutorials This
is a great medical site. It offers medical tutorials and interactive
health education resources from the Patient Education Institute. It
uses animated graphics with each tutorial to explain the procedure or
condition in easy to read language. You can also listen to the tutorial
if you prefer.
- Lab tests on line
This site explains what lab tests are looking for and understand what
your test may mean.
- Mayo Clinic Visit this site to find diseases & conditions A-Z.
- Meals On Wheels Provides meals to home bound elderly and handicapped persons. National listing of contacts.
- Medicaid Information Medicaid
is health insurance that helps many people who can't afford medical
care pay for some or all of their medical bills.
- National Women's Health Information Center (NWHIC) NWHIC is a service of the Office on Women's Health in the Department of Health and Human Services. The NWHIC provides a gateway to the vast array of Federal and other women's health information resources. This site can help you link to, read, and download a wide variety of women's health-related material developed by the Department of Health and Human Services, other Federal agencies, and private sector resources.
- Nursing Homes Medicare/Medicaid approved nursing home locator.
- Pandemic Flu Information Information addressing medical and local state information.
- Physician finder on WebMd Looking for a physician in your area, contact your insurance provider through their internet site or phone number first to get a provider in your plan. Otherwise this WebMd site offers a great search engine to find all kinds of physicians.
- Social Security Administration This site offers provides information related to the SSA and related benefits. Visit this site to answer your questions or to learn more about the benefits and services offered through the SSA.
- Society of Travel Medicine (ISTM)
If you have visited a foreign country and incurred a strange bug bite
or illness that other doctors have no familiarity with, contact ISTM
and seek out one of their expert travel medicine doctors. ISTM is
committed to the promotion of healthy and safe travel. In cooperation
with national and international health care providers, academic
centers, the travel industry and the media, ISTM advocates and
facilitates education, service, and research activities in the field of
travel medicine. This includes: preventive and curative medicine within
many specialties such as tropical medicine, infectious diseases, high
altitude physiology, travel related obstetrics, psychiatry,
occupational health, military and migration medicine, and environmental
health. ISTM is based in Stone Mountain, Ga. and can be reached by
phone at 770-736-7060.
- University of Pennsylvania Cancer Center
Health Insurance Resources
- Prescription Assistance The Partnership for Prescription Assistance brings together America's pharmaceutical companies, doctors, other health care providers, patient advocacy organizations and community groups to help qualifying patients who lack prescription coverage get the medicines they need through the public or private program that's right for them. Many will get them free or nearly free. Among the organizations collaborating on this program are the American Academy of Family Physicians, the American Autoimmune Related Diseases Association, the Lupus Foundation of America, the NAACP, the National Alliance for Hispanic Health and the National Medical Association. To access the Partnership for Prescription Assistance by phone, you can call toll-free, 1-888-4PPA-NOW (1-888-477-2669).
- Primary Adult Care (Maryland Residents) The Primary Adult Care Program or PAC for short offers health services to
people 19 and over who make limited amounts of money each year. Free visits to a family doctor, mental health services, etc.
An application form must be completed first and may take 4 to 8 weeks to process.
- Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Home page for CMS which is part of HHS. For information on Medicare click here www.cms.hhs.gov/home/medicare.asp. For information on Medicaid click here www.cms.hhs.gov/home/medicaid.asp .
- Federal Employees Health Benefits Program Find your health insurance plan information, benefits and phone numbers at this site.
- Medicare Handbooks Understanding Medicare benefits can be a daunting tasks. Feddesk.com
offers free Adobe Acrobat downloads on Medicare topics which is a great
resource. Read the "Medicare & You 2006" handbook. Please click on
the following link for the handbook: www.medicare.gov/publications/pubs/pdf/10050.pdf. It will list the specific plans available in your loved one's area. You can also visit www.medicare.gov
on the web and get personalized information, or call 1-800-MEDICARE
(1-800-633-4227). They can answer questions 24 hours a day, 7 days a
week. (TTY 1-800-486-2048.)
- Needymeds This
site is designed to provide information about patient assistance
programs which provide no cost prescription medications to eligible
participants. NeedyMeds is an information source. It is sort of like
the Yellow Pages. They have information on the programs many drug
companies have that give away free prescription medications to people
who have no insurance and qualify for their programs.
- Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) The Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) provides free or low-cost health coverage for more than 7 million children up to age 19. CHIP covers U.S. citizens and eligible immigrants.
.
- State Health Insurance Counseling Programs (Medicare) If you are confused and are not sure if Medicare A/B or Medigap insurance is worthwhile because you already have a health insurance plan, or if you have other Medicare benefits questions, contact your local State Health Insurance Counseling Program Counselor. This site will give you your state's toll-free senior counseling hotline number to answer your questions.
Housing Assistance
- U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development This site offers a search engine that can locate subsidized housing.
Law Enforcement and Mental Health
- Center for the Study of Traumatic Stress conducts research, education, consultation and training on preparing for and responding to the psychological effects and health consequences of traumatic events. These events include natural (hurricanes, floods and tsunami) and human made disasters (motor vehicle and plane crashes, war, terrorism and bioterrorism). The Center's work spans studies of genetic vulnerability to stress, individual and community responses to terrorism, and policy recommendations to help our nation and its military and civilian populations.
- Officer-Involved Shooting Guidelines (IACP Psychological Services Section) Article that addresses operational and mental health issues.
- Public Safety Officers' Death Benefits Program Part of the Bureau of Justice Assistance, Department of Justice, the Public Safety Officers' Benefits Program (PSOB) provides a one-time financial benefit to the eligible survivors of public safety officers whose deaths are the direct and proximate result of a traumatic injury sustained in the line of duty. Please review the site for information and application forms.
- Shift Work Managing the Challenges of Disrupted Sleep Patterns and Extended Duty Hours.
- Stress and Community Work An article addressing stress and strategies to deal with it.
Legal
- American Academy of Adoption Attorneys (AAAA) The American Academy of Adoption Attorneys is a national association of approximately 330 attorneys who practice, or have otherwise distinguished themselves, in the field of adoption law. The Academy's work includes promoting the reform of adoption laws and disseminating information on ethical adoption practices.
- American Bar Association Community section of the ABA website provides basic information on legal topics.
- ABA Legal Aid Explained An
American Bar Association site. This is a great site to get general and
specific information about legal services and referrals.
- Diminished Capacity Assessment Assessment of older adults with diminished capacity: A handbook for lawyers. Washington, DC: American Bar Association and American Psychological Association
- Federal Office of Child Support Enforcement State and Local Child Support (IV-D) Agencies This site lists the various state offices available throughout the USA.
- Find Law A site providing articles on legal topics and links to federal and state codes and case law.
- Five Wishes Document An
Aging with Dignity resource. The Five Wishes document helps you express
how you want to be treated if you are seriously ill and unable to speak
for yourself. It is unique among all other living will and health agent
forms because it looks to all of a person's needs: medical, personal,
emotional and spiritual. Five Wishes also encourages discussing your
wishes with your family and physician. Five Wishes lets your
family and doctors know:
1.Which person you want to make health care decisions for you when you can't make them.
2. The kind of medical treatment you want or don't want.
3. How comfortable you want to be.
4. How you want people to treat you.
5. What you want your loved ones to know.
The document is valid in all but 15 states. The 15 that Five Wishes is not legally valid in, either require a specific state form or that the person completing an advance directive be read a mandatory notice or "warning." Residents of these states can still use Five Wishes to put their wishes in writing and communicate their wishes with their family and physician. Most health care professionals understand they have a duty to listen to the wishes of their patients no matter how they are expressed. - LifeCare Provides
legal referrals to DOJ employees only for such matters as divorce,
consumer issues, etc. First 30 minute consultation is free. Costs are
the responsibility of the employee.
- Partnership for Caring Caring Connections, a program of the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization (NHPCO), is a national consumer and community engagement initiative to improve care at the end of life, supported by a grant from The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. You can find local and legal resources here.
Manager's Corner
- Depression Impact Calculator Productivity Impact Model Calculates the Impact of Depression in the Workplace and the Benefits of Treatment to how much depression among your own employees is costing your component.
- The Alcohol Cost Calculator Problem drinking, including alcoholism, can strike anyone, even your most valued employees. Alcohol costs borne by business are frequently hidden, showing up in more expensive emergency room visits and more missed work days. Alcohol problems reduce the productivity of workers and increase health care costs. The Alcohol Cost Calculator for Business, developed by Ensuring Solutions, will help you estimate the cost of alcohol problems to your business and the wide-ranging effects they have on your employees' health and well-being. The Calculator also suggests ways you can reduce costs while addressing your employees' needs.
- WHAT MAKES A GOOD LEADER This is an APA press release regarding a study in this area and The Assertiveness Quotient.
Marital/Partner in Conflict Resources (Divorce, separation, etc.)
- Divorcenet Offers
a wide array of resources, some of which are free while others are fee
based. State by state specific information.
- Divorsesource.com This site offers a wide assortment of information and services, some free but most are fee for service.
- Lifecare This
is a DOJ funded service that offers legal referral services, (as well
as other supportive services such as child and elder care referrals)
that can assist you in obtaining a lawyer to represent your interests
when separating or divorcing. Callers are entitled to 30 minutes of
free legal advice with their assigned attorney. Employees who elect to
contract with the attorney through LifeCare, are entitled to a 25%
discount from the attorney's regular hourly fees. To access this site,
click on the above noted URL or call them at 800-873-4636.
- Our Family Wizard This
site offers an online family calendaring system to help families
organize their schedules, store important information and promote
civilized communication.
- PAIRS Offers
classes nationally for couples who want to salvage their relationship.
Also offers training to professionals who would like to improve their
skills for working with couples.
- The Divorce Resource Network, LLC Offers
some free and fee for services to residents of Virginia, Maryland and
the District of Columbia. Includes information and services such as
mediation, legal advice, coaching, financial and tax advice and help
with purchase, sale or financing of a residence.
- Up to Parents This is a free website devoted to promoting and protecting the best interests of children caught up in marital conflict. Altogether this site suggests three web sites for families facing divorce or trying to resume a healthy marriage. The three websites are unique tools to help parents through difficult transitions. Divorcing and divorced parents can find help at www.UpToParents.org. Parents never married to each other can find help at www.ProudToParent.org. Parents intending to stay married by wishing to remember their children's needs as they work through marital problems can be helped by www.WhileWeHeal.org www.WhileWeHeal.org.
Medications
- Prescription Assistance The Partnership for Prescription Assistance brings together America's pharmaceutical companies, doctors, other health care providers, patient advocacy organizations and community groups to help qualifying patients who lack prescription coverage get the medicines they need through the public or private program that's right for them. Many will get them free or nearly free. Among the organizations collaborating on this program are the American Academy of Family Physicians, the American Autoimmune Related Diseases Association, the Lupus Foundation of America, the NAACP, the National Alliance for Hispanic Health and the National Medical Association. To access the Partnership for Prescription Assistance by phone, you can call toll-free, 1-888-4PPA-NOW (1-888-477-2669).
- Buying Prescription Medicines Online: A Consumer Safety Guide Compare
prices online. Buy only from U.S.-based sites, and look for websites
that are certified by the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy.
- Medications A
National Institute of Mental Health site offers a detailed booklet that
describes mental disorders and the medications for treating them --
includes a comprehensive list of medications.
- Medications and Older People Learn
how to prevent dangerous drug interactions. Tell your doctor about all
the medications you're taking, learn the side effects to watch out for,
and ask about any special precautions or interactions with foods.
- Medicinenet Find relevant and reliable medical information on common medications.
Mental Health
- American Family Physician Diagnosis of Eating Disorders in Primary Care, article.
- Center for Mental Health Services Center
for Mental Health Services (CMHS) is charged with leading the national
system that delivers mental health services. The goal of this system is
to provide the treatment and support services needed by adults with
mental disorders and children with serious emotional problems. Almost
44 million Americans The are affected by mental illness in any given
year, and more than 5.4 percent are diagnosed each with a severe mental
illness, such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, or severe depression
(U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2002; Mental Health,
United States, 1999).
- Center for the Study of Traumatic Stress conducts research, education, consultation and training on preparing for and responding to the psychological effects and health consequences of traumatic events. These events include natural (hurricanes, floods and tsunami) and human made disasters (motor vehicle and plane crashes, war, terrorism and bioterrorism). The Center's work spans studies of genetic vulnerability to stress, individual and community responses to terrorism, and policy recommendations to help our nation and its military and civilian populations.
- Child and Adolescent Bipolar Foundation This site provides education and resources relative to children and adolescents with bipolar depression.
- Children and Adults with Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (CHADD)
- Depression Info Center Educational articles and research related to depression.
- Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance (DBSA) DBSA
is the nation’s leading patient-directed organization focusing on the
most prevalent mental illnesses - depression and bipolar disorder. The
organization fosters an understanding about the impact and management
of these life-threatening illnesses by providing up-to-date,
scientifically-based tools and information written in language the
general public can understand. DBSA offers an online questionnaire to
assist you to see if you might have Bipolar Disorder symptoms.
A positive result from this questionnaire suggests that you could
benefit from a comprehensive mental health screening. However,
regardless of the results of this survey, if you have concerns, contact
your physician and/or a mental health professional.
- eMedicine Eating disorder article related to Bulimia
- Mental Health America Mental Health America (formerly known as the National Mental Health Association) is the country's leading nonprofit dedicated to helping ALL people live mentally healthier lives. With our more than 320 affiliates nationwide, we represent a growing movement of Americans who promote mental wellness for the health and well-being of the nation - everyday and in times of crisis.
- Mental Health Info Source Educational information.
- Mental Help Net A site containing articles and news related to mental health topics.
- National Alliance for Mental Illness
- National Institute of Mental Health This section provides information about symptoms, diagnosis and treatment of mental illnesses.
- Pastoral Counseling to find a pastoral counselor visit this search engine, which is part of the The American Association of Pastoral Counselors.
- Pendulum Resources A website offering articles related to manic-depression.
- Psychological Tests and Quizzes If you desire a quick anonymous approximation of your mental health concerns you might want to visit this site. However, remember that the listed tests are only an informal assessment of your current situation and for an accurate assessment and diagnosis you must speak to your doctor, a licensed mental health professional or your EAP counselor.
- Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and Psychopharmacology An article that informs the reader about PTSD and how medications can be of assistance.
- School Refusal Children and Adolescents A Dominion Hospital Presentation
- Seasonal Affective Disorder Light Therapy The Center for Environmental Therapeutics is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 1994 in response to accelerating international interest in new environmental therapies. The Center is made up of a multidisciplinary team of eminent researchers and clinicians - experts in mental health, ophthalmology and optical physics, electrical engineering, biochemistry, physiology and gerontology - who are committed to pooling their efforts toward the development and application of effective environmental therapies.
- Service Pets for Mental Illness Pets, especially trained dogs are often used to assist blind and physically disabled persons. They are also used in assisting those who suffer from a mental illness. The following sites offer information and guidance regarding Psychiatric Service Dogs and other related information:
- www.deltasociety.org/
- www.iaadp.org/psd_tasks.html
- www.petsandpeople.org/APNA/APNA%202/
- www.psychdog.org/
- www.vetmed.ucdavis.edu/CCAB/psych.html
- Symptoms and Treatment of Mental Disorders This is a site offering sources for mental health information, as well as providing annotated guides to the most useful websites, newsgroups, and mailing lists online today in mental health, psychology, social work, and psychiatry.
- State Crisis Hotlines SAMHSA This
SAMHSA site lists State Hotlines throughout the USA. Counselors are
available to address the concerns of any interested caller.
- Suicide Hotline The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline’s
mission is to provide immediate assistance to individuals in suicidal
crisis by connecting them to the nearest available suicide prevention
and mental health service provider through a toll-free telephone
number: 1-800-273-TALK (8255). It is the only national suicide prevention and intervention telephone resource funded by the Federal Government.
- Suicide-Survivor Support and Information The
American Association of Suicidology recognizes the importance of social
support in the wake of suicide. If you are in need of support, please
search our database for a support group in your area. If we need to add
or update a support group listing, please e-mail our Support Group
Coordinator - kbarker@suicidology.org .
- Women Counseling and Career Center, (The Commission for Women) Montgomery County/Md provides a broad scope of programs and services designed to meet the needs and interests of women in our community while fulfilling the Commission's mandate to address inequities women experience in society. Services at the Center include individual counseling for personal and career issues, couples counseling, workshops and seminars on a wide range of topics, vocational testing, a legal call back program, and information and referral services and the use of the Center's library. The Center has a highly qualified professional staff and services are provided at low and affordable fees.
Military Family Support
- Hotlines & Family Support Information Numbers
- Army (800)833-6622 Army Family Assistance Hotline provides information, useful resources and helpful referrals related to family issues.
- Air Force (866) 299-0596 Provides information and referral for both active and reserve Air Force service members and their families.
- Navy (800)372-5463 Offers information and referral (I&R).
- Marine Corps East of the Mississippi (minus Wisconsin) (800) 336-4663; West of the Mississippi (plus Wisconsin) (800)253-1624 I&R assistance.
- National Guard Bureau HQ (888)777-7731 to obtain I&R and the 800 number for each NNG state coordinator.
- Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) Life Connections (800)222-0364 - This is DLAs Employee Assistance Number and offers I&R and support.
- US Coast Guard EAP and Worklife program (800)872-4957 provides I&R and support.
- Deployment Health Support Hotline (800)497-6261 provides health information about present and past military deployments to service members, veterans, family members and the general public. Offers case management and referral services and operates 9:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. EST.
- Veterans Affairs List of offices and phone numbers providing benefits to veterans.
- Air Force Aide Society
The AIR FORCE AID SOCIETY (AFAS) is the official charity of the U.S. Air Force. It promotes the Air Force mission by helping "to relieve distress of Air Force members and their families and assisting them to finance their education". It is rooted in the original Army Air Corps and the World War II Army Air Forces, whose members wanted to "take care of their own." Through the years, AFAS has become increasingly effective in helping individuals with personal emergencies-- as well as extremely useful when used by commanders to help solve personnel problems in their units. - American Red Cross Services for the Military
The Red Cross offers assistance to military personnel and their families such as financial assistance, counseling and emergency communications with their deployed family member. Visit this site for additional information. - Army Emergency Relief
703-428-0000
The Army Emergency Relief (AER) is the Army’s own emergency financial assistance organization. They provide assistance to reservists and their families when needed. - Coast Guard Mutual Assistance
Coast Guard Mutual Assistance is a non-profit organization providing financial assistance to the Coast Guard community. Coast Guard Mutual Assistance is administered by the Board of Control located at Coast Guard Headquarters in Washington, DC, Regional Directors in various CGMA regions throughout the country, and Representatives at selected duty stations. - Redeployment Guide
At this site you can obtain the guide as well as other information. The guide is helpful to those members and their family and friends who are separated due to military deployments, remote assignments, extended tour of duty and other personnel separated from loved ones.
- Federal Children’s Scholarship Fund
Federal Children's Scholarship Fund was formed to help the children of federal employees and retirees, military personnel and veterans with need-based scholarships that assist in building successful college careers! - USA.gov
Information for active duty military personnel and reservists related to General Resources, Benefits, Pay, Health Retirement, Training, Education, Career transitions, Family Support, Housing, Voting and Travel and much more. - Military Personnel Locator Information
Go to this site to find the phone numbers to locate military personnel.
- The National Personnel Records Center (NPRC)
A website for veterans to gain access to their DD-214s online. This online application helps veterans who needs a copy of his/her DD-214 for employment purposes such as veterans' preference, service computation date calculations, or getting creditable service for retirement. The web site guides you through a simple four step process to request the records. Afterwards the veteran prints out a form, signs it, and sends it to the NPRC within 30 days to receive the DD-214. Other items such as requests for replacement medals and decorations must still be submitted on the Standard Form180, Request Pertaining to Military Records, which is available on the web. - The Navy-Marine Corps Relief Society
Contact: Mr. John Alexander
703-696-4904
The mission of the Navy-Marine Corps Relief Society is to provide, in partnership with the Navy and Marine Corps, financial, educational and other assistance to members of the Naval Services of the United States, eligible family members and survivors. - Office of Reserve Affairs
This site provides information about the policies, programs and initiatives that the Office of the Secretary of Defense/Reserve Affairs manages for the National Guard and Reserve Components of the united States Armed Forces.
- U.S. Army Community and Family Support Center
This site helps military personnel with issues such as morale, welfare and support for family members. - Veterans Affairs
List of offices and phone numbers providing benefits to veterans.
- Strengthening Our Military Families
- Servicemembers.gov
Military Branches
- National Guard
- United States Air Force
- United States Army
- United States Army Reserve
- United States Coast Guard
- U.S. Dept. of Defense
- United States Marine Corps
- United States Navy
Overseas Assignment Support for Department Employees
- Guidance and Referral on Foreign Service Lifestyle Issues Foreign Service employees and family members dealing with personal concerns receive guidance and assistance from FLO's Support Services Officer. Communication is confidential. Contact the Family Liaison Office.
The State Department also has counselors and resources available by visiting their counseling services web site.
- Helping Children Cope During Deployment An informative article for parents.
- Iraq Background Information Before you go review the Department of State information and share with concerned family members.
- U.S. Embassy Kabul Consular Section In an emergency, a consular officer is available 24 hours a day and can be reached by phone: Embassy switchboard: +93-(0)70-10-8001/8002 ; Mobile: +93-(0)70-20-1908; Office: +93-(0)70-10-8398. If you are based in the U.S., the Overseas Citizen Services hotline is 1-888-407-4747. Callers who are unable to use toll-free numbers, such as those calling from overseas, may reach the hotline by calling 1-317-472-2328.
- State Department Family Liaison Office The Family Liaison Office serves USG employees and their family members assigned to, serving at, or returning from a U.S. embassy or consulate abroad. FLO's mission is to improve the quality of life for Foreign Service employees and family members by identifying issues and advocating for programs and solutions, providing a variety of client services, and extending services to overseas communities by managing the worldwide Community Liaison Office (CLO) program. Our major areas of interest are Education and Youth, Family Member Employment, Evacuation Support, and Support Services for those experiencing a personal or post crisis. We deliver services in these areas through individual advising, training and presentations, publications, and the CLO program. Please contact us directly if you need additional help.
- Support Services Department of State Foreign Service employees and family members coping with personal and community crises in the face of the unique challenges associated with service overseas require a strong support system. FLO works with other agencies and offices to help all who serve at embassies and consulates. Here are some topic areas:
- Divorce
- Foreign Born Spouses
- Counseling Resources
- Getting Married Checklist for Foreign Service Employees
- Long Distance Relationships and Separated Tours: When Couples Live Apart; Separate Maintenance Allowance
- Travel of Children of Separated Families
- Members of Household: Information for Family Members Not On Employee's Official Travel Orders
- Unaccompanied Tours: State Department Advice and Support and Information Get some good references and advice for you and your family at this site.
Pet Resources
- Humane Society Know
what to look for when choosing a pet sitter. The Humane Society of the
United States is dedicated to creating a world where our relationship
with animals is guided by compassion. We seek a truly humane society in
which animals are respected for their intrinsic value and where the
human-animal bond is strong.
- Pet Sitters
Locate a sitter for your pet domestically or internationally by visiting any one of these sites. Also check your yellow pages.
National Association of Professional Pet Sitters - SitterCity A fee for service site offering an on line list of babysitters, Nannies, Pet sitters, Dog Walkers, Senior Caregivers, House sitters and Tutors.
Recreation
- Great Outdoor Pages The
American Council on Exercise is the largest nonprofit fitness
certification and education provider in the world. Widely recognized as
"America's Authority on Fitness," ACE continually sets standards and
protects the public against unqualified fitness professionals and
unsafe or ineffective fitness products, programs and trends. ACE makes
it easy to locate a health club
that is dedicated to upholding the fitness education standards of the
ACE and committed to providing excellence in fitness education.
- Grown Up Camps This
site is dedicated to helping ADULTS find specialty camps from tennis to
just fitness. If you have wanted to get away and enjoy an activity
while increasing your daily exercise routine, this site may just be the
one to help you plan your next vacation.
- Recreation.gov The
one-stop shop to find information about recreational opportunities
nationwide. You'll find information on about 2,500 public recreation
sites and links to state tourism sites with information about thousands
of private attractions and facilities.
- RecWorld.com This is an outdoor recreation web directory with listings of special guided adventures and products. Record's goal is to provide adventure seekers with sites that are informative and full of great services and outstanding outdoor related products that any adventuring heart will find satisfying. They list hunting trips, summer pack trips, fly fishing, fresh and salt water fishing, whitewater adventures, houseboat excursions, and many more family recreation opportunities with licensed guides throughout the U.S. and the world. You'll find many other fun and free adventures and the outdoor products to use.
Relocation
- Homefair Offers a vast array of information addressing all aspects of moving.
- Rent.com This site is a national apartment search engine.
- RelocationCentral RelocationCentral.com
is an apartment search engine. You can view actual photos, maps, and
floor plans of your new apartment home at no cost.
- Relo-USA Offers a search engine for housing,etc. for listed states.
- USA Citylink This site offers a comprehensive listing of states and cities offering information on travel, tourism, and relocation. It offers detailed city guides as well as official and independent city and state websites.
Smoking Cessation
- American Cancer Society Smoking
damages nearly every organ in the human body, is linked to at least 10
different cancers, and accounts for some 30% of all cancer deaths. And
it costs billions of dollars each year. Yet one in four Americans still
light up. If you or someone you love uses tobacco, here's what you need
to know about how tobacco kills, and how to get the help you need to
quit.
- Smokefree Vist this site to get started on quitting.
- Quitnet Launched
in 1995, QuitNet is the Web's original quit smoking site. QuitNet
operates in association with Boston University School of Public Health.
- Quitsmokingnews Just about anything you might want to know on what is happening in the field can be found here.
Stress Management
- Coping with everyday problems This
National Mental America article provides a primer on stress
management. If your stress level has been elevated for some time, it
may be time to reach out for assistance through friends, family, your
own family doctor or a professional counselor. Contact the JMD Employee
Assistance Program to talk to a licensed EAP counselor at 1-800-626-0385.
- Systematic Stress Management® an on-line stress management program from the American Institute for Preventive Medicine.
- Life Events Questionnaire Life
events coupled with stress over long periods of time can adversely
affect your health, mental health, family, relationships and work. To
get a quick "estimate" on your stress level and likelihood of getting
ill, visit this site and complete the questionnaire. The questionnaire
is not self tabulating so you will need to add up those items you
checked to determine your results. If you are experiencing a
significant amount of stress, please contact the JMD Employee
Assistance Program at 800-626-0385 to speak to a counselor. Your call
is private and confidential.
- Stress Symptoms Stress
can affect the human body in many ways. This site lists the Physical,
mental and Behavioral ways stress may be expressed in a person.
Remember, over time, stress can seriously affect the overall health of
an individual and seriously impact ones quality of life and premature
death.
- Work Stress Factors Identify
the work stress factors in your work life and attempt to deal with them
in a positive and constructive manner in order to reduce stress.
- Work Stress Questionnaire Quickly
get an estimate on the stress work may be contributing to your overall
health by completing this questionnaire. Read the whole form first
before starting the questionnaire. It is not self tabulating so
consider printing it out and doing the work the old fashion way with
pen and pencil. If you have high scores consider contacting your JMD
EAP at 800-626-0385 and ask to speak to one of the EAP counselors.
- Burnout Self Inventory
to get an estimate to determine if you are burning out, complete this
questionnaire. It is not self tabulating so consider printing it out
and doing the work the old fashion way with pen and pencil.
- Tips to Prevent Burnout Take control by considering tips to prevent or address burnout in your life.
Sexual Assault Resources
- RAINN The Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network (RAINN) is the nation's largest anti-sexual assault organization. RAINN operates the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1.800.656.HOPE and carries out programs to prevent sexual assault, help victims and ensure that rapists are brought to justice. Inside, you'll find statistics, counseling resources, prevention tips, news and more.
Traumatic Incident Management (TIM)
- Traumatic Incident Management (TIM) is a wide range of programs and interventions, instituted by a Department EAP that incorporates services that alleviate or prevent psychological trauma in Department personnel and enhance employees’ ability to recover from significant stress or traumatic incident. TIM services may include, but are not limited to: appropriate trauma counseling and support services; peer support; follow-up services; on-scene support services; information and referral services; family/significant other support services; group and individual interventions with respect to affected personnel; disaster preparedness training; and preventive, educational, and informational programs. The protocol consists of EAP guidelines for implementing the various elements and procedures of a TIM model.
Training
- American Management Association AMA offers 170+ training seminars in 18 subject areas including management, leadership, communication, interpersonal skills, finance, marketing, sales and project management. And programs are offered in our five state-of-the-art Executive Conference Centers and in 40 other cities coast-to-coast.
- Fred Pryor Seminars and Career Track Fred Pryor Seminars and CareerTrack, divisions of PARK University Enterprises, Inc., offers international providers of professional seminars. They offer convenient, and practical business-skills training around the world, in every industry and sector.
- Human Resources Institute Offers training to Federal employees from every department and agency in the federal sector.
- Learning Tree Learning Tree International offers hands-on training for Management and Technology Professionals.
- Management Concepts Partnering with individuals and organizations to improve performance through training, consulting, and publications.
- Program on Negotiation-Harvard Law School The Program on Negotiation at Harvard Law School (PON) offers training through their interdisciplinary center on negotiation and conflict resolution. Drawing from numerous fields of study, including law, business, government, psychology, economics, anthropology, and education, PON works to connect rigorous research and scholarship with a deep understanding of practice. PON presents lectures, discussions, classes, and conferences in addition to producing publications and teaching materials. Founded and based at Harvard Law School, PON is a consortium of faculty, students, and staff at Harvard University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Tufts University, and other Boston-area schools.
- OPM The Federal Executive Institute and the Management Development Centers serve government leaders and organizations to improve performance and enhance leadership through, premier interagency residential training, unique customized courses and consulting, innovative customer-focused service.
- USDA Graduate School The Graduate School offers career-related and continuing education courses to professionals and federal, state and local employees throughout the country. The School annually enrolls 200,000 participants in nearly 1000 courses, which are available in a variety of subjects and convenient formats: Daytime; Evening and weekend; Distance Education - Correspondence; Leadership Development Programs, Certificate Programs.
Workplace Violence
- NIH An NIH site providing information to managers and employees regarding Violence at work.
- NIOSH NIOSH Safety and Health Topic: Traumatic Occupational Injuries
- The National Institute For The Prevention Of Workplace Violence The
National Institute For The Prevention Of Workplace Violence offers many
references on the subject of Workplace Violence.
- Emergency Response, Trauma, and Violence
- In the event any Department of Justice office experiences an incident
such as violence on site, death or serious injury of an employee or act
of terrorism, the designated manager or any employee can contact the
EAP for advice and assistance. During normal business hours calls can
be directed to 800-626-0385. After hours call 877-924-0187 to page a
counselor for assistance. Additional information on this topic is noted
below:
- Dealing with Workplace Violence a Guide for Agency Planners
- A Manager's Handbook: Handling Traumatic Events - February 2003: Table of Contents
- Responding to Domestic Violence: Where Federal Employees Can Find Help - Table of Contents
Coping with Tragedy
School Shootings: What you Should Know
School Violence: Tips for coping with stress - A CDC resource.
Managing Traumatic Stress (APA): Tips for Recovering from Natural Disasters
Tips for Your Security
Provided by: Robert Douglas and Associates and The University of FindlayTips for Travel
- Refer to the State Department website for travel advisories to destination points.
- Copy all travel documents and keep separate from originals while traveling.
- Give a copy of all copy documents to a friend or relative who is not in your travel party.
- Obtain addresses and phone numbers for American Embassies/Consulates in countries that you are traveling to or staying in.
- Wear nondescript clothing while traveling and use nondescript luggage.
- Enter and exit hotels at varied times and using varied entrances and exits.
- Vary your daily activities and routes, traveling on only well-lit, populated streets.
- Select the safest method of travel within that country.
- Always pack your own bags and do not accept any items that others have asked you to pack.
- Limit the amount of time that you spend in the concourse of an airport that is not secure (usually the shopping and eating area).
- Limit amount of time spent at ticket area by traveling at unusual times.
- Sit at a gate close to your assigned gate, keep as far away from windows as possible.
- Report any suspicious package or bag that you see---move away from object and then notify security.
- Know where closest exit or cover is at all time.
- Carry all essential personal items with you at all times.
- Allow extra time at airports for security check in.
- Request exit isle seats or rear seats near isle.
- Know where the closest exit is at all times.
- Should an attack occur, hit the ground---do not run! Lie on your stomach with feet and knees together and soles facing the attack.
- Obtain a room between the second and eighth floor in a hotel.
- Know emergency exits and routes.
- Never open the door to unknown individuals.
- Keep door and windows locked at all times.
- Keep all door keys with you at all times? Check keys in at desk.
- Secure all personal documents and sensitive material in room safe or hotel safe.
- Hail your own taxi, or wait for the second or third in line.
- Always request a taxi or other shuttle that maintains appropriate credentials.
- Avoid restaurants and social places that cater to Americans.
- Avoid giving the appearance of a tourist (carrying cameras, luggage, etc.).
- When in a place of public assembly---position yourself away from windows and near exits.
- Before entering your car, circle it prior to getting in and look for suspicious activity near you or in your car.
- When using a rental car----keep the gas tank full as possible at all times.
- Carry a map at all times.
- Vary routes. Stay together whenever possible when traveling with family and designate a meeting point to reunite (carry a piece of hotel stationery with you for address and phone number.
- Travel on high traffic roadways. Refer to the State Department's road safety website.
- Know your locations of "safe havens" (hospitals, police, fire, and EMS offices)—mark these on your map prior to embarking on trip.
- Park in such a manner that you can pull out rather than back out.
- Check your rear-view mirror---if some one is following you, proceed immediately to a previously designated safe haven.
- Be cautious of slow moving vehicles or vehicles attempting to limit your movement.
- Keep your windows up and car doors locked at all times.
- Remember one word……MOVE (be it forward, backward, left, or right).
Disaster Planning for the Car
We normally spend so much time in our cars, SUV's and pickups that if a chemical or bio-terrorism incident occurs we may be unable to get out of our vehicles during the immediate emergency. We may be stuck hundreds of miles from home. Also, we may be asked to use our vehicle to evacuate from an area. Therefore we must be prepared to remain in our vehicles for an extended period of time. The emergency material maintained in the vehicle should be sufficient for the number of persons we normally carry in the vehicle.
Disaster Kit for the Car
- Sturdy shoes or boots
- Standard First Aid Kit
- Water
- Paper/pencil
- Food that does not require cooking
- Tire repair kit
- Jumper cables
- Tow chain
- Sand/Rock salt in winter
- Gas/ >1/2 tank
- Few dollars/change
- Gloves / Hat
- Plastic bags/large/small
- Blanket or sleeping bag
- Snow Scraper
- Flashlight and batteries
- Reflectors and flares
- Warm clothes during the winter
- Wipes
- Toilet paper/garbage bags
- Maps
- Whistle
- Shovel
- Rope
- Hammer/Nails
Tips at Work
- Vary schedule if possible, including meeting and lunch times.
- Know crisis management plans as well as evacuation plans.
- Be aware of the normal activity taking place around you---report any unusual activity.
- Follow security procedures with logging in, carrying identification, display your id, and be prepared to have bags checked if necessary.
- Do not park in spots identified specifically for individuals----vary parking.
- Park only in secure lots that are attended or open and well-lit.
- Report all suspicious packages or unattended brief -cases.
- Review the FBI Bomb Threat information sheet---keep it near the phones.
Disaster Planning for the Individual at the Office
Your office should have a well thought out disaster plan that is reviewed on a regular basis. You should take the time to learn the office plan and discuss it with your co-workers so that you all are familiar with each other's roles in the plan. Additionally, you should learn if anyone in your office has special needs, or requires special medications. As an individual there are simple things you can do, so that in the event you are stuck at the office your stay, while not your first choice, will not endanger you or your co-workers. The most basic thing you can do is to have sufficient personal items, packed in a bag or backpack that can be used at the office, or carried with you if necessary.
We suggest that you review the General Disaster Plan and adopt those portions that apply to you at your job. The easiest thing you can do is to keep personal gear, and some supplies, at the office so in the event of an incident you are able to fend for yourself and help your co-workers.
Things to Keep at the Office
Your personal office emergency supply drawer should have the following items, at a minimum:- Toiletries
- Men - Shaving
- Women - personal items
- Soap-washcloth-towel
- Comb-brush-toothbrush
- Clothing - change of underclothing, socks, comfortable shoes, sweatsuit type wear, jeans, t-shirts, gloves
- Flashlight
- Battery radio
- First aid supplies
- Headache reliever
- Tissues
- Candles matches
- 2 qts water per day
- 2 to 3 days of easy to prepare food: Raisins, dried fruit, canned items, can opener, crackers, nuts, pretzels, tuna, applesauce, drinks, etc.
paper bowls, utensils, medicines, paper cups (check out your local camping supply store), book to read, mylar blanket, jacket if winter, hard candy - preferably life savers (give to people who are in a panic, or otherwise upset. It will help them to calm down.)
This personal gear should be stored in a backpack or carryall that you can easily carry for an extended period of time. It should be enough clothing , food and medicine, if necessary, so that you can exist for 3 days at the office or evacuation shelter.
Updated: August 2012
