Resources for emergency situations

Last week Penn State News featured this story: “Leadership reminds community of safety resources.” It contains valuable information that all Libraries employees will want to read. David Gray, senior vice president for Finance and Business, is quoted “Penn State is committed to providing the safest possible campus environment for our students, faculty and staff, no matter which campus they call home. Sadly, we are reminded regularly that it is not possible to entirely prevent violence in any community, however we can reduce the chance of violence by remaining vigilant and caring for ourselves and those around us.”

Numerous resources and policies concerning emergency situations exist online. The following may be helpful (some are specific to the University Libraries, while others are University-wide).

The University has a number of support programs in place to assist individuals, including Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS), through Student Affairs. CAPS offers students free access to group therapy, individual counseling, crisis intervention and psychiatric services. Penn State employees have access to the HealthAdvocate employee assistance program. Employees and their family members can access confidential help 24/7 by calling 866-799-2728.

While it is not possible to address every conceivable emergency situation specifically, many valuable resources are available. If you have questions, please contact Rob Harris, manager, Libraries Human Resources (rch20@psu.edu)