[Coehd] Trauma/grief support & healing

Dear COEHD Faculty, Staff, and Students: The loss of Dr. Duffey is likely to weigh heavy on all of us for a significant time ahead. She was an extraordinary human being and an impactful scholar and leader who so often placed needs of others before her own. She was a much-admired professor/leader, a nationally respected scholar in the counseling field, and an advocate for many COEHD faculty, staff, and students. I often marveled at her enthusiasm, authenticity, and kindness, care, and devotion she demonstrated in virtually every aspect of her life, personally and professionally. She left us too soon, but her legacy will live on in COEHD. I'm heartened by the outpouring of love and sympathy for Dr. Duffey's family and loved ones and offers of assistance from across the institution yet the experience of losing a member of our community impacts each of us differently and the way we process and validate our feelings and emotions can also vary from individual to individual. Over the coming days, I will begin sharing information regarding resources that will be made available to the COEHD community, alumni, friends of the college to assist with bereavement and mental health, which may come in the form of in person and virtual group support meetings to help cope with grief (trauma support and coping strategies), access to electronic support resources (see enclosed), and one on one counseling. For instance, the Deer Oaks Employee Assistance Program (EAP) offers a wide variety of counseling, referral and consultation services that are confidential and can be accessed 24 hours per day, 7 days per week. Employees can connect with Deer Oaks by calling 1-866-327-2400, through their website (login/password: UTSA), or through their mobile app (iConnectYou - UTSA registration code: 52276). Additional information on the Deer Oaks EAP can be found at https://www.utsa.edu/hr/eap/<https://nam11.safelinks.protection.outloo...;. Please be aware the university and college are fully committed to helping our community heal and process this loss. More details to come. Funeral or memorial services information will be forthcoming. Please feel free to send me a message or contact me anytime. I'm here to help and offer support. Mario Mario Torres, Ph.D. Dean, College of Education and Human Development President's Distinguished Professorship The University of Texas at San Antonio One UTSA Circle, Main Building 3.304 San Antonio, TX 78249 Office: 210.458.5200 Fax: 210.458.4487 Mario.Torres2@utsa.edu<mailto:Mario.Torres2@utsa.edu>