Mental and emotional well-being are essential for building resilience and navigating life’s challenges. It involves understanding and managing your emotions, developing emotional intelligence, and building strong coping strategies. Prioritizing mental health helps in reducing stress, anxiety, and depression, and strengthens emotional resilience in difficult times.

Key Topics in Mental/Emotional Well-Being

• Understanding Mental Health and Emotional Resilience: The importance of mental health in coping with life’s challenges and fostering emotional intelligence.
• Self-Compassion Practices: The practice of self-compassion as a way to manage difficult emotions and reduce resistance to life’s struggles.
• Mindfulness Techniques: Incorporating practices such as RAIN meditation (Recognize, Allow, Investigate, Nurture) to bring mindfulness to challenging moments.

Ways to Improve Mental/Emotional Health

• Mindfulness Practices: Engaging in free meditation apps like Insight Timer or Smiling Mind to develop mindfulness and emotional regulation.
• Building Emotional Resilience: Practicing self-compassion and engaging in exercises that help build emotional intelligence.
• Seeking Support: Reaching out for professional help or joining community support groups to enhance emotional well-being.

Resources

• HelpGuide: Information on anxiety, depression, PTSD, and other mental health concerns.
• Staff Care Resources – The Konterra Group: Resources on mental health, stress and resilience, staff care, and more. 
• Managing Stress During Organizational Change Fact Sheet – Uniformed Services University Center for the Study of Traumatic Stress 
• Resources on mindfulness practices and emotional resilience compiled by the Mindfulness Community of Practice:
•  Self-Compassion Practices: Self-compassion can give us the safety to meet difficult experiences with less resistance. Kristin Neff’s site includes recorded practices and exercises. 
• RAIN Meditation – Tara Brach: The RAIN meditation (Recognize, Allow, Investigate, and Nurture) can help bring mindfulness to challenging moments. The site includes talks, guided meditations, and blog posts.
• Free Meditation Apps: There are a number of free apps that offer different types of meditation practices. Some include Insight Timer, Smiling Mind, UCLA Mindful, and the Healthy Minds Program. 
• Micro-Mindfulness Practices: These short practices can be built into a busy or stressful day and are designed to help us bring our attention back to the present moment. Check out articles one, two, and three for ideas. 
• Mindful Leadership: Janice Marturano, author of Mindful Leadership, focuses on ways we can bring mindfulness into the workplace. She shares guided meditations and reflections and blog posts with practical exercises. 
• Guidance: How to Seek Compensation for Mental Health Conditions caused or aggravated by a Federal Employer from CFPB Union NTEU 335.

Mental Health Service Providers 

Providers with Experience with the International Development Community

• Aid Transition Alliance – KonTerra: Support services specifically for people affected by the dissolution of USAID 
• USAID Staff Care – for those who are still employees of USAID 
• Use company code USAID to access web resources to access the site.  
• Services available (as of 4/10/2025) include:
• 6 free life coach sessions
• One 30 min legal consultation (only for American personnel in CONUS or overseas)
• One 30 min financial advisor consultation (only for American personnel in CONUS or overseas).
• Research and referrals for childcare
• Talk to a counselor for in-the-moment support via the 24/7 hotline @ 877-988-7243
• State Dept. Employee Consultation Services: Free, confidential counseling, including access to the WorkLife4You resources for U.S. government FS and GS direct-hire employees. All lawyers and financial advisors are US-based.
• State Dept. Global Community Liaison Office (GCLO): Serves U.S. government FS and GS direct-hire employees and their family members, from all agencies under Chief of Mission authority serving overseas and returning to the United States.  Includes networks to explore job opportunities for FSO family members and education and youth resources.
• Help4Feds Communities and Support Groups: Connections to networks and resources for terminated federal employees. 
• PEP – Parents Encouragement Program: Online services – some free; past experience with USAID families
• Caregiver Action Network: Online services – some free; past experience with USAID families
• Thrive Worldwide: Helps develop resilience and wellbeing in teams so that they can thrive even in the toughest situations. 
• The Truman Group: High quality remote mental health services for expatriates outside CONUS

General Mental Health Care Providers 

• Growing Self: Online therapy service with a variety of practitioners around the U.S. who provide online services.
• National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) Support Groups: Peer-led support groups that offer participants an opportunity to share their experiences and gain support from other attendees.
• Wildflower Counseling Center: Charleston, SC-area counseling center with practitioners for all ages. 
• List of Psycho-social Support Resources for Federal Employees – (not vetted)