Helping CDC Employees Get Ready

Preparing For Work Overseas (PFWO) is a three day CDC training course, which meets the Department of State requirement that federal employees permanently assigned or planning extended temporary duty overseas must complete security training before beginning travel. The Centers for Disease Control received approval from the State Department to develop their own course, tailored to the unique needs and situations of CDC employees, and offers it quarterly at CDC Headquarters in Atlanta, Georgia.

CSC personnel supporting the CDC Occupational Health and Prevention Services program provide assistance for this training in two topic areas: health and safety, and mental health.

1) The International Travel Health and Safety portion of the course is taught by CSC’s staff physicians at the CDC Occupational Health Clinic in Atlanta. This presentation focuses on the current state of global travel and how to prepare for safe international travel. This 90 minute lecture covers travel-related infections, immunizations for preventable diseases, the use of personal protective equipment, and what to expect during a travel visit to the Occupational Health Clinic. Information on illness and injury reporting requirements for federal employees is also provided along with a list of resources for health, safety, human resources, and emergency matters.

2) The CSC Employee Assistance Program (EAP) staff provides the PFWO training that helps prepare employees for mental health issues when they travel internationally, especially third world countries. The goal is to have employees learn about psychological stressors related to living overseas and develop strategies to prepare for and overcome them. The training covers travel preparation, attitude, expectations, culture shock, psychological stressors that result from living in developing countries, coping approaches for dealing with the stress of living overseas, knowing when to ask for help, knowing how to get help, preparing to return home and returning home stressors.

EAP has become an important part of maintaining the mental health of international travelers. EAP will help employees in preparation for their travel, and EAP is available if there is a crisis. During a crisis, EAP can assist the traveler with telephone and e-mail support or with a referral to a mental health professional through its contract with mental health professionals around the world. EAP also assists with supervisory consultation in determining the best plan of action for this employee. EAP is available to family members while the employee is traveling and will meet with the employee upon return.