New trauma coverage from AFT to empower recovery
On April 1 the AFT introduced an innovative form of mental health care and support—trauma counseling. It is available to all CFT members, free of charge, at any time in the one-year aftermath of a traumatic incident. The no-cost benefit includes 24/7 therapy, connecting those who need it with a licensed, certified, master’s level (or higher) therapist with special training in post-traumatic care.
Traumas covered by this new insurance include:
- Aggravated assault
- Domestic violence
- Sexual assault
- Mass shootings/Terrorist acts
- Major disaster
Traumas covered at work include:
- Bullied, harassed or threatened
- Witnessing a violent incident
- Infected by contagious disease
- Secondary trauma
To access the counseling benefit, visit the AFT member-only portal at www.aft.org/members-only or call Trauma Coverage toll-free at 1-855-631-1421.
Important note: If you are experiencing a mental health crisis and having thoughts of hurting yourself you should promptly call the Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255 or 911. You can learn more at the Suicide Prevention Lifeline website.
Inside California Education TV series: focus on mental health
The Season 4 premier episode of the Inside California Education public TV series takes a powerful and poignant look at what educators and school staff are doing to improve the mental health of their students during the pandemic. The episode explores several innovative programs and approaches schools are utilizing to promote mental health, including how one teacher is using yoga to help her students balance their mental and physical health during the pandemic, and how one LA County school district benefits from having a mental health professional on every campus.
Finally, the episode highlights a new online suicide prevention training effort called LivingWorks Start, developed in partnership of the California Department of Education and San Diego County Office of Education. It’s available to help school districts and their students all over California.
CFT is proud to be a founding sponsor of the Inside California Education series.
Classified staff going the extra mile in Santa Cruz!
Every day CFT classified members go above and beyond for our students. And that great work has continued during the COVID-19 pandemic. One such member is Georgiana Guzman, a food service worker from the Santa Cruz Council of Classified Employees, who has worked tirelessly this past year to make sure her communities don’t go hungry.
Watch this incredible video of Georgiana and her fellow classified workers going the extra mile for their students in Santa Cruz.
