October is Mental Health Awareness Month, IMWCA sees the importance of reminding our members to take care of themselves. The initial emotional chaos following a traumatic event is often followed by a sense of isolation, confusion and uncertainty, as to what happens next and what the road to recovery looks like. Follow-up care can provide vital links to resources and support; two of the most important being peer support and Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs).

Peer Support: The Power of Shared Experience

• Peer support arises out of the fact that those who have lived through the same type of trauma can often provide each other with tremendous moral and practical support. Here’s why it’s so important. After a trauma, survivors describe feeling isolated because ‘no one understands’ or ‘only fellow sufferers do’. Peer support welcomes people because, well, you don’t have to explain what it hurts like.
  • Decreasing Isolation with Community: Survivors of trauma can also experience isolation, and this can compound the stress of the trauma. Peer support can help to reduce feelings of isolation by offering a community that allows people to connect and support each other in their healing journey. Empowerment: Peers who offer support may in many cases also be a model of recovery, showing that recovery is possible. Others who use support and services, in turn, may feel empowered. Emotional Validation: A peer can validate feelings that others might dismiss or misunderstand, creating a space for the survivor to express emotions fully.

Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs): Professional Support for Navigating Trauma

• EAPs offer structured, confidential resources for those working on the front lines of trauma.
  • Here’s how.
• Name it – One of the most important things we can do for someone who has been traumatized is to explain that they’re experiencing a normal reaction to an abnormal situation. It’s normal to feel fear and anxiety after a traumatic event. It’s OK if that feeling doesn’t go away quickly, and it’s also normal to feel irritable, have trouble sleeping, or have unfocused thoughts. Allowing people to name their reaction helps validate and reduce the stigma. Knowing what they are experiencing is a normal response to trauma can help people shift from ‘What’s wrong with me?’ to ‘What happened to me?’ This shift in perspective is essential for overcoming trauma.
• Talk it out- Another essential element for trauma recovery is a safe, accepting, and tolerant place for talking things out. A counselor from an EAP can help the person articulate what happened, understand how their thoughts and reactions make sense in the context of the event, and assist in shaking off the feeling of being frozen in that moment. The availability of someone who can help process and work through what happened is what typically moves people out of the paralyzing grip of traumatic reactions.
• Immediate Access to Counseling: Trauma-trained therapists are often available through EAPs, enabling often immediate access to needed professional support.
• Work-Life Balance Support: Trauma often makes it tough to stay ‘in the zone’ at work – EAPs can assist employees to stay productive and focused on the job while allowing them to address work-related stresses in a way that helps them cope with their crises, and achieve greater work-life balance while they recover.
• Referral Services: EAPs can provide referrals to offsite resources, such as extended therapy, support groups, and community services, thereby extending the care outside the facility.
• Prevention of Burn-Out: exposure to stressors at work in professions characterized by high degrees of stress or trauma might lead to burn-out. Regular EAP interventions might help the individual cope with the experience of trauma before the development of more severe mental health problems.

Why Follow-Up Care is Essential

• In many ways, follow-up care is the most important part of trauma recovery, be it peer support or EAPs. Not only is trauma often not resolved immediately after trauma, but the healing process is not instant: it can take weeks, months, or even years, and support throughout the process can be crucial.
  • Track Emotional Health: Trauma can have insidious and shifting effects. Follow-up care will ensure regular patient-driven monitoring and support as emotional needs shift.
  • Prevent Relapse or Further Deterioration: Without follow-up care, trauma survivors may slip downhill into depression or PTSD. Adding interventions early on can prevent further mental deterioration.
  • Encourage Continued Growth: Trauma recovery is non-linear and individuals may need further encouragement to keep striving: follow-up allows for more reflective discussion, further reinforcement of coping strategies, and encouragement of continued growth.

To summarize, follow-up care after a trauma, whether through peer support or Employee Assistance Programs, serves as a lifeline for long-term emotional health through the validation of emotions, professional resources and useful tools for recovery. If trauma survivors follow these lifelines and never give up, there is hope, resilience and healing for tomorrow.

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Get Answers to Your Workers’ Compensation Questions at Our Claims Regional Training!

As a valued member of IMWCA, we are committed to providing you with the resources and knowledge necessary to effectively manage your employees when they sustain an injury at work. We have identified a critical need for further education in this area and are hosting a series of regional trainings designed to address the most common challenges and improve your claims process.

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Harvest Time Safety: Sharing the Road with Slow-Moving Vehicles

As harvest season ramps up across Iowa, both farmers and everyday drivers face unique challenges on the road. Agricultural vehicles, which are much slower and often larger than typical traffic, will be more common, increasing the risk of accidents. By practicing patience and awareness, we can all help prevent collisions, injuries, and fatalities. Here are some safety tips to keep in mind during this busy season:

Plan Ahead

If you know your route includes rural roads where farmers are operating, build in extra travel time. This will help you avoid feeling rushed or frustrated by slow-moving vehicles. Keep in mind that harvest activities can happen around the clock, so you might encounter equipment at any time. The longer your drive, the more time you should allow for delays.

Stay Vigilant

While large agricultural equipment may seem hard to miss, some machinery is less visible, especially in low light or when approaching from a distance. Always stay alert, and be prepared to slow down when you see equipment entering or exiting fields, as they may not always have clear signals or indicators.

Maintain a Safe Distance

Keeping a greater following distance behind slow-moving vehicles is crucial. Not only does it provide a better view of the road ahead, but it also allows more time to react to unexpected stops or turns. Tailgating or following too closely limits your ability to judge when it’s safe to pass.

Practice Patience

It’s easy to get frustrated when stuck behind slow-moving farm equipment, but impatience leads to risky decisions like unsafe passing. Take a deep breath and remember that rushing won’t save much time but could lead to dangerous situations. The safest thing you can do is stay calm and wait for a safe opportunity to pass.

Pass with Caution

Before passing agricultural equipment, ensure you’re in a legal and safe passing zone. Don’t assume it’s just one vehicle—sometimes there may be more than one ahead, requiring additional space to pass. Be cautious of the width of the equipment and check that there’s enough room to complete the maneuver safely. If the operator waves you around, double-check for yourself that the road ahead is clear. Always use your turn signals, and once you’ve passed, provide plenty of space before returning to your lane.

Avoid Group Passing

One of the most dangerous things you can do is follow other vehicles when they pass without assessing the situation for yourself. Each driver makes their decision based on their own vehicle’s capabilities and the road conditions they see. Never rely on the judgment of others—always assess for yourself whether it’s safe to pass.

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