PRESUPUESTO GENERAL DEL PROYECTO

Even though trauma and PTSD are just making their way into mainstream consciousness, they have been affecting us for many years. What is decidedly clear is that PTSD is a very real a nd unconsciously destructive process from which corporations should protect their employees and themselves. This unconscious behavior can, and often does, continue affecting the individual and the institution long after the traumatic event is over. Interventions that attempt to resolve trauma-induced behaviors cannot be rectied with the use of traditional crisis intervention techniques that depend on logical, cognitive processing because trauma behavior is an illogical, instinctual response not under control of the rational brain.

On a ight from Phoenix to Detroit, I sat next to a man who was g iven the task by his company to design a process to help his employees heal from a devastating experience that affected the entire company. He told me, “After reading several books on trauma recovery, I understand the problem. But, none of these books proposed a methodology for recovery.” Having worked with this specic issue with international corporations, I shared with him a workable plan I developed that could be implemented by their own Human Resource Department. I explained that one of the most effective ways of successfully circumventing the damaging effects of trauma on a company is by providing short integrated seminars designed not only to educate personnel on trauma and its devastating effects, but to provide them with the specic techniques necessary for recovery.

 All organizations whose personnel are living and/or working in trauma-inducing environments would be well advised to follow a comprehensive approach of recovery. A comprehensive approach would include the following three components.

PRE-ASSIGNMENT SEMINAR: If employees have been or are going to be exposed to traumatic situations, the employee, their senior staff and co-workers should all receive training in trauma awareness. The individuals being assigned should also be trained on how to use specic techniques designed to reduce the psycho-neuro-biological and physical effects of trauma. This educational workshop will assist the entire staff in recognizing the adverse effects of trauma at both the personal and institutional levels. Already, a common understanding and sense of cohesiveness is established around the issue of traumatic experiences.

ON-SITE VISITATION: After a traumatic experience or during their assignment to a trauma environment, employees should be visited by their human resources manager and trauma consultant who can provide personal support and administer a mid-assignment assessment in an objective and professionally observing manner. In this way they will be able to assess

the degree and manner in which the employee(s) are personally being affected by trauma. They can either devise a personal plan to sustain or even improve their health during their remaining time in the trauma zone, or recommend to their senior advisor that it is necessary to temporarily or permanently remove the individual from the trauma area.

POST-ASSIGNMENT DEBRIEFING SEMINAR: When the employee(s) leave the trauma environment they should be provided with a thorough post-assignment assessment. The trauma consultant or human resource manager should administer tests that help to evaluate the degree of trauma they may be experiencing and then outline a thorough plan of recovery for the employee(s). If an effective plan is designed and followed, the employee(s) should only require minimal reviews by the trauma consultant during the course of recovery.

This three step prevention and recovery process is not only effective for the health of the company’s personnel, but it is also cost effective for the corporation. Professional awareness seminars can help to sustain their employees during the time of traumatic exposure and assure their healthy reintegration into the company afterwards. It is a wise and prudent investment considering the fact that the dysfunctional behavior of trauma can unconsciously infect and seriously disrupt even the strongest of teams. The cost effectiveness of providing tr auma recovery seminars far outweighs the cost of trying to repair the lower moral and confusion among team members and the eventual disruption of the team’s effectiveness and productivity.

 Aside from the personal and institutionally disruptive behaviors that are caused by traumatized personnel, there is a growing legal consideration. A legal precedent has already been set by several successful lawsuits for PTSD on the grounds that the neurological changes in the brain during trauma constitute a physical injury. International corporations that have personnel living or working in trauma-inducing environments are the most vulnerable to litigation. With the rapid scientic advancement in trauma studies, it is becoming more evident that trauma is the new epidemic of the international corporate world. Not only is it incumbent on corporations to offer trauma awareness programs as a part of their work ethics, but corporate employees who nd themselves in environments that are prone to violence are going to demand that their psycho-emotional physical health be attended to at the expense of the corporation. It will soon become standard practice for employees to le for medical benets to cover the cost of their recovery process from PTSD.

In light of this, corporations should be more proactive in protecting their employees and themselves. If dealt with in a proactive rather than reactive manner, the traumatic experiences of employees can enhance rather than diminish their working relationships, providing a stronger and more united individual, team and corporation. In the end, this always translates into more dynamic working relationships, stronger and more sensitive staff management and ultimately nancial protability with a humanitarian focus.