Office of Work-Life Programs : Stress Management Program

Who is Eligible for this Program?
The Stress Management program is available to the following members of Team Coast Guard:

• Active Duty members and their dependents
• Reservists
• Civilian Employees of the Coast Guard

Purpose of Program
Safety and operational readiness are closely tied to the ability of personnel to endure the physical, mental and environmental demands of work, social and family systems. Stress management supplements operational risk management programs by focusing specifically on risks that pertain directly to the wear and tear of stress on personnel. The purpose of effective and healthy stress management programs is to identify and control factors that can reduce human endurance and thereby compromise safety and operational readiness. The Health Promotion Program assists Coast Guard members by providing various stress management awareness and skills trainings. One of the best resources now available is the:

CG SUPRT - Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
1-855-CGSUPRT (247-8778) or www.CGSUPRT.com

The CG SUPRT program helps you resolve personal problems and life challenges before they negatively affect your health, relationships with others, or job performance. You can contact the program 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, by calling one toll-free number. The CG SUPRT program provides confidential professional counseling, education, and referral services to you and your family members.

Definitions
The following definitions apply to Stress Management:

• Distress: “Bad” stress, perceived as negative and associated with a sense of loss of control.
• Eustress: “Good” stress, perceived as positive and associated with a sense of control.
• Stress: The non-specific response of the body to any demands placed upon it or what you feel after you encounter a stressor (anxiety, frustration, depression, etc.)
• Stressors: The causes of stress (transfers, deadlines, etc.)
• Stressmap: A stress management tool used to measure a person’s personal stress load.

Requesting Services or Resources
These services or resources can be obtained by contacting the Health Promotions Manager on your Regional Work-Life Staff. Work-Life Staffs are located at Integrated Support Commands CG-wide and at the Headquarters Support Command. The services provided by the Employee Assistance Program Coordinator (EAPC) are available for professional assistance with Stress Management.

Awareness and Skills Training
The Health Promotion Program collaborates with the Employee Assistance Program (EAP) and the Office of Safety and Environmental Health to offer several different types of stress awareness and skills training to meet the needs of the individual or the unit. These trainings include:

• Operational Stress Control - This is an excellent tool that promotes an understanding of stress, awareness of support resources, and provides practical stress navigation tolls to help build resilience of  Sailors, families, and commands.
• Unit All Hands Training - Regional Health Promotion Managers can offer unit training on stress management at the request of the command. In addition, HPMs may also maintain a library of educational materials related to stress management.
• Critical Incident Stress Management, COMDTINST 1754.3 - Critical Incident Stress Management (CISM) is training provided by the EAP program. CISM involves an integrated system of interventions designed to prevent and/or mitigate the adverse psychological reactions often accompanying disaster response functions. CISM training can be offered in preparation for an upcoming mission or upon the return of the unit after responding to a traumatic incident.
• Crew Endurance Management, COMDTINST 3500.3 (series). The Office of Safety and Environmental Health (CG-113) manages the Crew Endurance Management (CEM) Program. CEM can be used by commands to assess the endurance risk factors of their crew that may ultimately compromise the safety and effective execution of the mission.

Related Web Sites
The following web sites provide information related to the Stress Management Program:

• American Institute of Stress - Provides newsletters and information regarding stress.
• Sleep and Stress  Sleep and stress management are key to optimal performance.  Use these resources from the Human Performance Resources by CHAMP team to improve your quality of sleep and optimize your stress response.
• International Stress Management Association - Charity that promotes knowledge and practice in stress prevention and reduction.
• Job Stress Help - Offers online assistance for those experiencing job stress.

Point of Contact
If you are unable to contact the Health Promotion Manager on your Regional Work-Life Staff, or need additional assistance beyond the information provided here, please contact the Headquarters Health Promotions Program Manager, Tim Merrell at (202) 475-5146, fax (202) 475-5907, or email at Timothy.M.Merrell@uscg.mil.