Skip to main content

When the going gets tough the tough get going:

Following on from an earlier theme, is the feeling from participants that there is an organisational expectation that as supporters you should 'cope', anything less being seen as an indictment of your capabilities.

They are under stress but not in a position to complain. It is not acceptable – organisationally and culturally. Ryo Goto – Plan Japan

But who takes care of us? We are expected to be okay. It is a given. Kerry Symons - Visiting Nurse Service of New York

How to explain to your leaders, without being called weak? Where people are expected not to complain about the hard work or to vent because it is seen as a weakness or vulnerability. This is doing a disservice to our people. Jill Hofmann – American Red Cross

We have been expecting people to work to the point of exhaustion. We're responsible for that. Let's stop being surprised when our disaster staff are emotionally affected. Let's have a strategy in place. We owe it to them to do that. Or you end up with long-term issues due to the fact that organisations expected our workers to 'put up with' the stress without any help from us! It's not right, a sign that we didn't care enough. Sandra Shields - Disaster Mental Health Co-Lead, California, American Red Cross