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Personal Assistance
Service (PAS) counselors are: (front row from left) Carol Retsch-Bogart, Karen
Kuehnle and Glenda Harris; (back row from left) Kent Kanoy, Amanda Price, Karen
Willis and Andy Silberman, director. |
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Counselors with the Duke Personal Assistance Service (PAS), an employee
assistance program, are available to talk free of charge and confidentially with
employees experiencing a range of personal, family or work-related problems,
including: |
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Marital and relationship difficulties |
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Family issues |
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Emotional distress |
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Alcohol and drug concerns |
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Career issues, work conflicts and stress |
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Financial or legal situations. |
| To contact PAS, call 416-1727.
For more information about the service, visit the PAS Web
Site. PAS is located at 2200 West Main St. in the Wachovia Building. |
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Personal Assistance Service Celebrates 20th Anniversary
Counselors have been helping Duke faculty and staff with a range of personal, family or work-related problems for 20 years — one person at a time.
by Karen Willis
Nancy (not her real name) came to the Duke University Personal Assistance Service (PAS) for help in getting through a difficult time. She made an appointment when her daughter was unhappy about Nancy dating after her divorce. "I was shocked at her reaction because she was 23 years old," Nancy says. "I then realized that I was having some adjustments of my own after 30 years of marriage."
Like many PAS clients, Nancy was trying to manage more than one stressful situation during that time. "I continued to go through so many changes and challenges that year. I divorced, bought a house, started dating and then learned I had breast cancer," she says. "The counseling sessions at PAS kept my head above water. I was given encouragement and tools to work with. Over time, I was able to regain the self-confidence I had lost going through all these things."
The PAS staff of licensed clinical social workers and psychologists offers assessment, short-term counseling and referrals to help resolve a range of personal, work and family problems. Services are free and confidential to Duke faculty and staff, and their immediate family members.
In addition, PAS links clients with resources specific to the person's situation. Nancy attended a breast cancer support group at Duke, talked with the social worker in her clinic and took courses at the Duke Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction program. "I knew it was ultimately up to me to do the work myself, but I needed help sorting things out," she says. "I realize now that I was dealing with so much grief. I was losing my family unit through divorce, and I was worried about losing my good health that I had enjoyed for so many years."
Intersection of Work and Personal Problems
Just like Nancy, many Duke employees find that life difficulties affect their work, says Andy Silberman, PAS director for the last 18 years. "Our program takes an occupational mental health approach, paying attention to where personal life and work intersect," he explains. "When problems interfere with work, people are especially motivated to seek help to address their situation."
Most employees hear about PAS from peers, but health care providers and supervisors are in a unique position to remind employees about the service. "Good supervisors recognize that helping their employees use counseling and other resources available at Duke will help employees perform better on their jobs during stressful times," Silberman says. "Employees are often appreciative when supervisors remind them about the voluntary service."
PAS counselors also can help supervisors plan how to talk with an employee they are concerned about. Last year PAS consulted with 123 supervisors, most often by phone.
Sorting Out Dilemmas
The types of problems that bring people to PAS are similar from one year to the next (see sidebar below). To accommodate these needs and the growing demand for services, the counseling staff has grown from one clinical social worker in 1984 to seven counselors currently. Five of these seven have been at PAS for more than 12 years.
What keeps them going are the rewards of the work and their collegiality. "I'm curious about people's lives," says Carol Retsch-Bogart, a PAS counselor for 17 years. "I love finding out what their story is, and how I can help them understand that story and sort out their dilemma."
Counselor Glenda Harris says, "I am really gratified when I see a person who is embroiled in a complicated situation able to talk things over until the light bulb comes on. Knowing I played a part in helping resolve the problem is a great feeling."
The staff provided 3,126 counseling sessions for 910 employees and family members last year. "Clients have consistently indicated a high level of satisfaction with the service over the years," says Silberman, "and that makes us all proud to be part of the program. People seem to find us when they need us."
In 20 years, more than 10,000 people have — one person at a time.
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