Supporting Each Other During Times of Global Crisis and Tragedy
Dear NOVA Community, Over the last few days, images and accounts of war, violence and human suffering in Israel and Gaza, Sudan and the tragedy due to an earthquake in Afghanistan have caught national attention.
Many individuals in our NOVA community may have relatives and friends in the Israel, Gaza, Sudan and the Afghanistan regions that are affected by these events. Our thoughts are with those impacted by the rise of extreme violence, war, natural disasters and the examples of human suffering and tragedy across the globe.
In times when our students, faculty, staff and members of our community may feel fear, sadness, grief, anger and frustration, please take steps to help all members of our community feel supported and protected from physical threats, discrimination and bias in all its forms.
Additionally, please seek out available resources or direct students, faculty or staff to resources to help support our collective efforts to better care for mental health during these very difficult times.
- For Employees – All health plans offered to state employees and their dependents have employee assistance programs (EAPs) available 24/7.
- For Employees and Students – Access to TimelyCare is available to ALL members of the NOVA community. TimelyCare information for employees can be found on NOVAnet, while TimelyCare for students can be found on NOVA’s website.
- For Students – If you are a student in need of support or you see a student in distress, please contact the Office of Wellness and Mental Health and/or file a report so a NOVA Care Counselor can respond.
- Finally, should you ever feel that you have been subject to antisemitism, bias, Islamophobia or any form of discrimination or bias at NOVA, please report it here; and if you ever feel you are in immediate danger, please call 911 or our 24/7 NOVA Police dispatch, 703-764-5000, for immediate assistance.
Sincerely,
The Office of Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion
The Office of Human Resources
The Office of Wellness and Mental Health
Submitted by:
Dr. Nathan Carter, CDEIO, NACarter@nvcc.edu