If you are concerned about a colleague or friend, or are concerned about your own well-being, here are the steps you can follow to provide support and get connected to those who can help.

Step 1: Get more information (Understand the situation better).

Step 2: Connect to Staff Care.

Sending Resources

Your Sending Organisation or Church Networks: When you are living (even if not assigned) in your home country, your sending organization or church may have more readily available resources for providing this type of support. 

Mission support networks (Missio Nexus, Global Connections., etc.)

Staff Care Resources (Other counseling centers, support centers and global resources) 

Unit Staff Care

Talk to your Unit’s (organization, service group or whatever word you use for the group you are connected to) Staff Care Facilitator, HR Leader or Supervisor. Many organizations have Life Coaches, Spiritual Directors, Career Coaches, and other resources that are available to you (not just now but always).

Step 3: Reassess the situation

TIP: Look for distress that is beyond the individual’s capacity to manage

Ask questions about how they are doing and continue to listen. 

Review the following signs to see whether they need specialized  care. If yes, go to Step 4 otherwise go back to Step 2

Signs they need more help

• Behavioral: 
  • Significant, enduring change in  sleep patterns (e.g. not sleeping or sleeping too much).
  • Reversion to or use of addictive behaviors (e.g. alcohol, pornography, etc.).
  • Unable to make oneself do things that would normally bring enjoyment.
• Emotional:
  • If anxiety is continuing to keep you (or them) from working at all or is  impairing normal life functioning.
  • The current crisis is bringing up painful or difficult past experiences making coping more difficult.
  • Experiencing despair or hopelessness.
  • If you or someone you live with has uncontrollable anger.
• Physical:
  • Panic attacks (common symptoms: rapid, pounding heartbeat, sweating, shortness of breath, sweating, sense of impending danger, fear of loss of control, feeling faint, numbness or tingling).
  • Hyper-vigilance or can’t calm down physically or mentally.
  • Elevated heart rate, blood pressure or breathing rate for extended time 
• Interpersonal: 
  • Shutting out all connection with others or significantly withdrawing. 
• Cognitive:
  • Overwhelmed to the point of not being able to sleep, think clearly, or make decisions.
• Work:
  • Difficulty concentrating or staying on task and nothing  helps (even adequate rest and self-care)
  • Feeling worthless and hopeless about work, faith, and the future

Step 4: Refer to a Mental Health Professional